“ A Time for New Things” — A Summary Report of the 103 rd Annual Meeting
“A Time for New Things" was the theme of President and CEO Brian R. Bodager’s report to members and guests, during the 103rd annual meeting of The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ, Inc. (Pension Boards), held Friday, May 12, 2017, at The Interchurch Center in New York City. The Rev. Dr. Rodney Franklin, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, convened the meeting at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time), and welcomed attendees.
As she listened to an update Sunday on a resolution passed four years ago urging all settings of the church to divest from fossil fuel companies, Laura Keating texted her pastor, asking if their church had divested.
The answer: no. And not likely to happen due to "oil barons" serving as trustees.
Dismayed, Keating, a Member in Discernment from the Montana Conference, stood up at the hearing and asked: "How can we make changes in churches when the culture is very pro-fossil fuel?"
Dr. John D. Ordway, who served as Executive Vice President of the Pension Boards from 1975 until his retirement in 1994, died April 3, 2017 in Naples, Florida, at the age of 89.
The 16th GSAM Symposium took place on April 4-5 and convened a distinguished group of investors and thought leaders who discussed inflection points they believe would shape global markets and trends. PBUCC Chief Investment Officer David A. Klassen was among the participants in a panel discussion on the topic, "The Future of ESG and Impact Investing."
Taylor Jordan, Head of AIMS Imprint, Goldman Sachs
David Klassen, Chief Investment Officer, Pension Boards United Church of Christ
Elizabeth Lewis, Head of Sustainable Investing, World Resources Institute
Moderated by: Hugh Lawson, Global Head of GSAM Institutional Client Strategy, Goldman Sachs