June 4, 2025
A generational change to the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) took effect Jan. 1, 2025, to lower the barriers to installing a pastor while also reflecting the costs of health coverage. While this change brought flexibility and choice for employers, it also caused anxiety for some ministers who were uncertain about how their dependent coverage would be affected. Since then, the Board and the Association of Mid Council Leaders (AMCL) have begun a collaboration to explore together the needs of small congregations and those supporting medical coverage for families.
To better understand how ministers and congregations made benefits decisions for 2025, particularly around family coverage, the Board will be conducting market research in partnership with Research America Inc., a national market research firm.
“Our members and employers remain at the forefront of our mission to support holistic well-being,” said the Reverend Dr. Frank Clark Spencer, President of the Board of Pensions. “Their feedback is invaluable to ensure that we continue offering a plan that best meets the needs of a changing Church.”
This research, set to begin this month, will also help the Board understand how and why certain benefits packages were selected, how dependent coverage was chosen, and what medical coverage options for dependents may have been explored outside of the Benefits Plan.
Active minister members who made a choice between the Congregational Pastors Package and Transitional Pastor’s Participation for 2025 with their congregations, as well as employers who provide benefits through the Benefits Plan, may be contacted by Research America to participate in this study. Participation is confidential, and responses will greatly assist the Board in making recommendations for future changes to the Benefits Plan.
Through a combination of the existing enrollment data for 2025 benefits and this impending research, the Board hopes to tell the story behind the benefits decision-making of congregations and ministers in 2025. The findings of this research will be used to help inform future Benefits Plan changes, including midcourse corrections for plan year 2027.
“We remain committed in our partnership with AMCL as we continue to explore subsidies for medical coverage,” explained Andrew J. Browne, Executive Vice President, Engagement and Church Relations. “We look forward to discussing the data later this year with AMCL as part of our ongoing collaboration.”