Dear Friends,
A recent social media post encouraged congregations that were preparing to resume in-person worship to not speak about re-opening, but instead about re-gathering. We now are halfway through July, and four months into our request that our colleagues work remotely. The Pension Boards, like churches and many other places of work and ministry, has never closed. As we continue to slowly test our plan for re-gathering in our office spaces, we continue to use systems, technology, and most important – care and compassion – to serve you, our members and employers.
Please be advised that if you are not working for a United Church of Christ (UCC) employer, Conference, Association, National Setting, or any UCC-affiliated organization, and contributions are no longer being made to your Annuity Plan account, your account is considered inactive.
Dear Friends,
I hope this message finds you and your loved ones well and safe, and that you were able to enjoy the Independence Day holiday weekend.
It is hard to believe that we are now at the end of our seventeenth week since our offices closed on March 16. A few staff colleagues performing essential tasks are on site daily; however, the majority of our colleagues continue to telework efficiently, and remain focused on serving you.
“I got shoes, you got shoes, all God’s children got shoes.”
African American Spiritual
Basic necessities such as shoes and decent clothing were rare among slaves, but expressions of protest and hope were not. The meaning of the spiritual I Got Shoes was hidden from the oppressors but clear to those who sang it as they worked the fields: outrage at the cruel treatment of those who had no right to declare ownership of human beings, and confidence that justice would ultimately prevail. The day would come when they would attain freedom and dignity; all of God’s children would get shoes.
Dear Friends,
I pray that you continue to be well and safe.
When the office closure began on March 16, none of us anticipated that we would still be working from home at this time. Now, the summer is in full swing, and we are coming up on the Fourth of July at the end of this week. Please note that the Pension Boards will be closed on Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day, reopening on Monday, July 6.