Dear Friend,
This is an invitation to join an exciting partnership addressing one of the most pressing concerns of our church today.
Educational debt, limited income, and an uncertain financial future constitute a deepening crisis for a significant number of pastors in the United Church of Christ. For years, our church has been working on solutions to meet this challenge.
In 2017, the Pension Boards responded by creating the Ministers’ Financial Vitality Initiative (MFVI), a cohort-based program of financial education, debt-reduction, and personal empowerment around money issues. As of December 2021, 150 UCC ministers have participated and been impacted by the practical management tools provided in the program, and by a $9,000 grant for debt reduction, $1,000 to seed or augment a retirement account, and the support of their cohort and financial experts. Two more cohorts of 60 new UCC ministers each are scheduled to start the program in January 2022.
The UCC Board of Directors endorsed MFVI as a first step in addressing this systemic concern, and three years ago the National Setting and the Pension Boards entered a partnership to raise $3 million to establish an endowment fund guaranteeing the long-term viability of this program.
Financial security is a justice issue. Those answering the call to serve our church must have the resources to live with dignity, security, and abundance. Providing education in personal finances and resources for debt reduction are initial, concrete steps toward this goal.
You can help today! Your donation will have an immediate impact on ministers who need your support and will create a generation of leaders who will bear witness to the movement towards a just financial future for all who serve.
Please donate now! Online gifts can made to “Securing the Future—MFVI” at ucc.org. Checks, made out to “Securing the Future—MFVI” can be sent to the address below. For more information, please click Securing the Future or contact Paul Ramsey, Pension Boards Philanthropy Officer at [email protected].
In Christian Partnership,
The Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer
UCC General Minister and President
Mr. Brian R. Bodager
Pension Boards President and CEO
