In the United States, about 10,000 baby boomers reach retirement every day, and some are unprepared. Even though soon-to-be retirees are concerned with rising health care costs and retirement income, many have not planned for a secure retirement or examined the right health plans to meet their new standard of living and care.
Thankfully, Annuitant Visitors, who serve as ambassadors for the Pension Boards’ plans and benefits, offer United Church of Christ (UCC) retirees a listening ear and hands-on support in response to their questions or concerns about their UCC health plans and pensions, and more.
The Rev. Lawrence J. Rezash from Miamisburg, Ohio, has become quite aware of the pressing needs and concerns of retired UCC clergy in his years of faithfully serving the Church. Lawrence served six local UCC churches over the course of his career. He was also a Campus Minister at Carnegie Technical University, Association Minister for Southwest Ohio Association, and Vice President for Conference Relations for the Pension Boards.
He says, “In all these positions, health care issues and retirement income were always the priorities.”
Lawrence, a member of Harmony Creek Church in Kettering, Ohio, served as an Annuitant Visitor for three years. In that time, he says, most UCC retirees he visited understood the Pension Boards’ benefit plans.
A History of Caring
Since 1914, the Pension Boards has been a partner in ministry with those who serve the United Church of Christ. The Pension Boards delivers benefits and services from the intersection of faith and finance, providing clergy, lay employees, and all persons served with the peace of mind that comes through greater financial security and better health.
Annuitant Visitors become an extension of the Pension Boards, making sure that the needs of retired clergy are met, and that they maximize the Pension Boards’ benefit offerings. In this way, they can live the rest of their years with more financial security.
Lawrence shares, “One of my close friends wanted me to find out how he could donate his organs after death. I investigated how he could do that. When I told him about the paperwork he had to complete with a member of his family, he followed through all the right procedures. His goal was accomplished at the time of his death.”
Annuitant Visitors offer more than just paperwork assistance during a life change or decision; they also form close friendships and communicate appreciation for retirees’ lifetimes of dedicated service to the Church. They let retirees know that they are not forgotten and that the Church cares.
Learn more about the Annuitant Visitor Program here: https://bit.ly/PB_AVP_INFO.
Photo: Lawrence and his wife Clara of 60 years.
All of us at one time or another have experienced some type of personal crisis or life event that resulted in grief, stress, financial loss, and more. At the Pension Boards, we are fully committed to your health and personal well-being. We care when life throws you a curve ball.
At its November 2017 meeting, the Board of Directors of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance (UCBMA) discussed the future of the Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI) in response to its recent program evaluation. UCBMA Directors overwhelmingly affirmed NGLI and gave thanks for the vitality and vigor that pastors are stirring in the United Church of Christ from the mix of coursework, field trips, and cohort engagement.
Glenview, IL, November 30, 2017 — The Church Alliance commends Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) for her introduction of an amendment to preserve important retirement security provisions for clergy and church lay workers that would be repealed by the tax reform legislation pending in the Senate. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) joined in co-sponsoring the amendment. The amendment is essential to provide employees of religiously-affiliated organizations with a meaningful opportunity to save for a secure retirement.
Your credit scores, sometimes known as “FICO” scores, are used by lenders and other businesses to assess your creditworthiness and general financial reliability. Also, lenders use your scores to determine your credit limit and the interest rate you’ll be charged. While there are many different versions of your score in use, those tabulated by the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) are the most frequently used today.
The Pension Boards’ Faith and Finance Advisory Group gathered for a two-day meeting October 24-25 in New York to discuss ways the Faith and Finance Initiative can be interpreted and embodied to impact the work and life of the Church and those who serve it.
March 15, 2019 - The Seventh Circuit issued its decision in Gaylor v. Mnuchin today and upheld the constitutionality of the housing allowance under section 107(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Updated April 30, 2018
The status of the clergy housing allowance continues to generate much discussion in the media and among clergy in all denominations.
On April 26, the Church Alliance – a coalition of the chief executive officers of 38 denominational benefit programs, including The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ – filed an amicus curiae brief in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (Chicago), in the case challenging the constitutionality of the cash housing allowance exclusion for clergy.
The Church Alliance brief focuses on the jurisprudential history of permitted legislative accommodations of religion and brings to the court’s attention the particularly strong reliance interests that would render a change in the law on this point inappropriate and unjust.
The full text of the brief may be found here. Please also see the links below for additional information.
The Rev. Richard L. Floyd, Pastor Emeritus of First Church of Christ (UCC) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is in his third year serving as an Annuitant Visitor on behalf of the Pension Boards. He shares his personal experience as both the recipient and giver of this compassionate ministry of visitation. Rev. Floyd is a member of First Congregational UCC in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and resides in Pittsfield. An author and blogger, he is also a contributing writer to the United Church of Christ’s StillSpeaking Writers’ Group.