Resources
Here are resources and tools to help you better understand the redesign of the Benefits Plan, including FAQs.
About us
God’s desire that everyone experience life abundant inspires our work at The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The origin of this Gospel call dates to 1717 when a group of Presbyterian ministers in Philadelphia, concerned for the widows and children left behind by hard-working preachers, started the Fund for Pious Uses. From that point on, as Presbyterian congregations flourished into the mid-20th century, the call was answered repeatedly. Presbyterians expanded benefits for ministers and then extended them to other church workers, always serving more.
The Board of Pensions has consistently built upon the legacy of its founders.
Today, we serve more than 65,000 individuals through the Benefits Plan of the PC(USA) and continue to expand access to benefits and our assistance and education programs. As we affirm our commitment to mutual care and wholeness for those who serve the Church and its affiliated organizations, we have redesigned the Benefits Plan to better meet the needs of the changing Church.
This new Benefits Plan is part of our vision that all who are called to service may devote their best gifts and energies to their work.
About the season of rebuilding initiative
The Church has changed, but the Benefits Plan has not changed with it.
The current Benefits Plan’s outdated dues structure was designed 40 years ago for a different type of pastoral leadership and different family structure. It excludes women, communities of color, and those who serve small congregations. Additionally, many congregations are struggling financially, and fewer and fewer can afford to install pastors, in part because of the cost of Pastor’s Participation, which is required for installed pastors.
In response, we launched the season of rebuilding initiative in 2023, gathering input throughout the Church in face-to-face meetings with leaders and in Virtual Town Halls. Through these conversations with the broader Church, and with our Board of Directors’ guidance, we developed plan changes to enable more congregations to support their pastoral leadership through the Benefits Plan of the PC(USA).