Central Conference Pension Initiative
Releases Lenten Toolkit for Pastors

For Immediate Release
February 18, 2009

Contact: M. Colette Nies, Managing Director, Communications
(847) 866-4296 or cnies@gbophb.org

Evanston, IL—The Central Conference Pension Initiative (CCPI) has developed new tools to support the connection between the mission of the CCPI and the message of Lent. The Lenten Toolkit combines CCPI’s mission of providing a retirement with dignity for retired central conference pastors and surviving spouses with the Lenten message of sacrifice and commitment in loving service to others.

The toolkit includes new materials, as well as links to existing materials that pastors and local churches may find useful for giving campaigns:

• the CCPI Lenten checklist and contact information;
• a CCPI overview;
• facts and statistics about the central conferences;
• sermon starters—special texts and notes for incorporating CCPI into worship services;
• six perspectives on pensions;
• a prayer from the Liberia Annual Conference chaplain, a retired elder;
• Frequently Asked Questions about the CCPI;
• a church bulletin insert;
• a sample in-pew commitment card; and
• a sample CCPI brochure.

To access these resources, visit the CCPI Web site at www.ccpi-umc.org and click on “Volunteer Resources” in the toolbar at the top of the page.

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About the Central Conference Pension Initiative

The Central Conference Pension Initiative is designed to become a long-term solution and a foundation for retirement security for dedicated church leaders who would otherwise have little or nothing to support them when their careers in ministry end.

There are 72 annual and provisional annual conferences in 42 countries outside the United States. The complexities of local laws, cultures, history and traditions in these diverse areas present a variety of challenges in establishing pension programs. Pilot projects are under way in Liberia and Mozambique. CCPI, under the auspices of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, continues to explore ways to expand pension assistance to additional conferences.

About the General Board

The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits is a not-for-profit administrative agency of The United Methodist Church, responsible for the general supervision and administration of the retirement, health and welfare benefit plans, programs and funds for more than 74,000 clergy and lay employees of the Church.

The General Board is the largest faith-based pension fund in the United States and ranks among the top 100 pension funds in the country. As a socially responsible investor, the General Board is actively involved in shareholder advocacy, proxy voting, portfolio screening and community investing.