Honoring Our Deep Roots in Merrill, Wisconsin

Realizing that smaller, less prosperous churches were in need of financial help in the event of a fire, a group of progressive-minded community leaders in Merrill, WI establishes the Wisconsin Church Mutual Fire Insurance Association.

With eyes toward future growth, Church Mutual decides to appoint official leadership. H.R. Fehland becomes the organization’s first president, followed by G.F. Koehler in 1907 and Reverend Herman Daib in 1912.

W.H. Dicke — the company’s first and only employee for many years — captures the birth of an industry with a self-portrait in the original Church Mutual office, located above a drug store in downtown Merrill. Dicke served as Executive Secretary and Treasurer for about 48 years until he retired in 1945 (by that time, Church Mutual had 43 employees).

The Church Mutual team grows to serve an expanding customer base. The team moves to a larger office, where they’ll stay through three expansions over the next 50 years.

Would this ad get your attention? Here, Church Mutual promotes rates that are 40% lower than those customers might find elsewhere.

A staunch focus on customer convenience drives a revised sales process and renewal system, courtesy of a man named Walter Schuster. Schuster was hired as office manager in 1945 and served as Church Mutual’s first full-time working president from 1951-1971.

“Wisconsin Church Mutual Fire Insurance Company” becomes “Church Mutual Insurance Company” as the organization serves customers outside of Wisconsin and offers more than fire insurance. Two years later, the company established Church Mutual Agency, Inc. to provide insurance solutions to customers outside the religious market.

Having outgrown its space in Merrill’s downtown, Church Mutual moves into a newly constructed office building on the northeast side of Merrill. Ten years later, the headquarters doubled in size with its first addition to the building.

100 years after humbly opening above a drugstore on Merrill's Main Street, Church Mutual celebrates an incredible milestone: a century of serving its customers! Dieter Nickel, who led Church Mutual as president and CEO from 1971-2000, speaks during the 1997 celebration.

As Church Mutual welcomes the 21st century, the team celebrates serving over 70,000 religious institutions with customized coverage solutions. To best serve customers, Church Mutual has grown to over 400 employees at the Home Office and nearly 250 in 40 offices across the country.

Joined by local and national dignitaries, President and CEO Gerald Whitburn cuts the ribbon to officially open a third wing of the Merrill Home Office building. Whitburn led the company from 2000-2009 and was succeeded by Michael Ravn from 2009-2014.

President and CEO Mike Ravn pioneers expanding Church Mutual’s sales distribution to include broker partners, helping to diversify the company’s policyholder profile.

Under the leadership of President and CEO Rich Poirier, Church Mutual hires its first Diversity and Inclusion officer, deepening its commitment to a journey that continues through key sponsorships and championing equity in the communities where it does business.

Continuing to focus on elevating the human condition to the best of its ability, Church Mutual expands into the school market, develops more solutions for specialty coverages, establishes a foundation, creates “smart sensors” to protect against water damage, and creates safety resources and programs for customers and the general public. (Check out some of our popular safety tools: Armed Intruder Preparedness, Cybersecurity, and Volunteer Safety and Management — or view them all!)

Bringing new conveniences to customers, Church Mutual launches CM Select: the first insurer to offer online access to a product created specifically for smaller churches and nonprofit and human service organizations.

Despite a challenging year in world events, Church Mutual continues to thrive. Its foundation, CM CARES®, donates more than $1 million to 744 organizations, including $500,000 earmarked to the CM CARES COVID-19 Recovery Fund.

The company maintains profitable growth through further diversification and expansion in the nonprofit and human services, camps and conference centers, and senior living markets, while remaining committed to its position as the nation’s leading insurer of religious institutions.

Church Mutual celebrates 125 years of exceptional service! A commitment to protecting the greater good and elevating the human condition continues to drive Church Mutual’s work within communities around the country.

Alan S. Ogilvie is promoted to president of the company, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Ogilvie, who joined Church Mutual in 2015, previously served as executive vice president and president – subsidiaries.