Central Conference Pension Initiative Achieves Initial $20 Million Milestone
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2010
Contact: M. Colette Nies, Managing Director, Communications
(847) 866-4296 or cnies@gbophb.org
Evanston, IL—The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (General Board) and the office of the Central Conference Pension Initiative (CCPI) recently announced the attainment of $20 million, the initial fundraising goal minimum to fund retiree pensions for the central conferences, those outside the United States. This milestone comes approximately two years after CCPI launched its initial fundraising effort, and 10 years following the creation of CCPI with a General Conference 2000 charge to launch “a pension support plan for the central conferences.” At year-end 2009, CCPI announced an additional $5 million challenge goal to bring The United Methodist Church even closer to expanding pilot programs, providing retirement resources for retirees and surviving spouses in the growing central conferences (Africa, Europe and Asia), and covering special needs and associated costs.
“Thank you for the wonderful job and leadership in engaging to let the dream become reality. May God bless all the members at the Central Conference Pension Initiative—yes we can; we are together,” said Bishop Gaspar Domingos of Angola.
The people of The United Methodist Church embraced this funding challenge early on and responded generously even during the recent economic downturn. Under the leadership of Bishop Ben R. Chamness and Bishop B. Michael Watson, and the direction of the fundraising committee (listed below), the fundraising efforts achieved considerable visibility and attention across the Church. Since 2000, all annual conferences have returned at least one of the Cokesbury checks they received from The United Methodist Publishing House; local churches sought and continue to seek ways to give despite declining financial resources; and individuals continue to send contributions and make pledges without prompting, even though they also have tightened their purse strings.
While CCPI has been orchestrating the fundraising effort to lay the financial foundation for the future, “a key to the success of the pilot programs has been the active participation and contribution in each central conference,” says Dan O’Neill, CCPI managing director at the General Board. “Local church leaders update and maintain the lists of retired clergy and surviving spouses, and participate in the distribution of funds. In some areas, local churches are beginning to financially contribute to the pension program itself.” Central conference pension plans are designed to be self-funded and self-sustaining; therefore, there is an expectation that active pastors will contribute to the funds.
The achievement of this significant funding milestone is cause for celebration, but it does not represent the culmination of the CCPI fundraising effort. In December 2009, the CCPI office clarified the initial $20 million fundraising goal as a $25 million challenge goal, which will enable the initiative to support the growth of The United Methodist Church in the central conferences, offset the cost of the initial fundraising efforts, and handle specific conference needs discovered during pilot projects. Please visit www.ccpi-umc.org for more information and to pledge support online.
Fundraising Committee Members
- Rev. Dr. Brian K. Bauknight, Northeastern Jurisdiction
- Dr. Neal Berte, Southeastern Jurisdiction
- Barbara A. Boigegrain, General Secretary, General Board of Pension and Health Benefits
- Rev. Dr. Timothy K. Bruster, South Central Jurisdiction
- Bishop Ben R. Chamness, South Central Jurisdiction
- R. Earl Cox III, South Central Jurisdiction
- Rev. Paul Dirdak, Director, Central Conference Pension Administration, General Board of Pension and Health Benefits
- John Goolsbey, Liaison, General Counsel on Finance and Administration
- William Green, Ph.D., Northeastern Jurisdiction
- Larry Hollon, General Secretary, United Methodist Communications
- Emmy Lou John, North Central Jurisdiction
- Bishop Linda Lee, North Central Jurisdiction
- Bishop Cal McConnell, Western Jurisdiction
- Rev. Greg McGarvey, North Central Jurisdiction
- Dan O’Neill, Managing Director, Central Conference Pensions, General Board of Pension and Health Benefits
- Bishop Ann Sherer-Simpson, South Central Jurisdiction
- Bishop B. Michael Watson, Southeastern Jurisdiction
- Bishop Peter D. Weaver, Northeastern Jurisdiction
- Rev. Dr. J. Edsel White, Western Jurisdiction
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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 more than 9,000 United Methodist pastors serving in the 72 annual conferences within the central conferences. 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, Mozambique and Angola. CCPI plans to have systems defined and in place for every one of the central conferences by 2014. For more information, please visit the CCPI website at www.ccpi-umc.org.
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.
With more than $15 billion in assets under management, 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.
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