Faith and Finance Ministries Executive Director Dr. James Moos has announced that Joaquín A. Labour-Acosta, Director of Ministerial Assistance Grants, has been named Program Director of the Ministers’ Financial Vitality Initiative (MFVI). He will serve in both roles.
Joaquín joined the Pension Boards in 2020 as Director of Grants and Scholarships for the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance (UCBMA), the philanthropic arm of the Pension Boards that provides direct financial support to authorized ministers, lay church employees, and their surviving spouse/partners who may have urgent financial needs.
As MFVI Program Director, Joaquín will work closely with Randy H. Garrett, who served as Interim Director during 2020-21, and who will continue to be responsible for developing and enhancing MFVI’s personal finance educational curriculum.
“I know first-hand the challenges of managing debt and overcoming what can be unseeingly undefeatable odds,” said Joaquín. “Carrying debt can be daunting, mentally exhausting, and distracting. I’m looking forward to helping UCC authorized ministers rise up from their debt burdens so they can focus on their ministry. It is possible and achievable,” he added.
Prior to join the Pension Boards, Joaquín served as the Fund Administrator for Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc., where he managed all aspects of the national and international grantmaking programs. He also serves as the Director of Consulting Services for the Human Potential Development Institute in South Orange, New Jersey. Joaquín holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña in the Dominican Republic, and a certificate in Business Project Management from New York University.
The MFVI program, which currently serves 120 participants, helps clergy develop a holistic approach toward managing finances, while providing the tools and financial incentives to strengthen financial management skills, and reduce debt.