Wespath has issued a special message discussing the financial markets’ reaction to the Ukraine/Russia crisis, key tips for managing retirement savings during this time, and key information around cyber security risks. The cyber security information is particularly relevant. Read the full message from Wespath by clicking here.
Wespath
Wespath Offers Free Mental Health Webinars
Wespath is hosting a two-part webinar series on Mental Health titled “First Aid for Mental Health.” The webinars are open to all UMC clergy and their spouses, church leaders, church staff, and congregation members.
- March 10 – Session 1: “The Basics”
- The first session teaches the foundational concepts of mental health, the ability to identify when you or someone else may have mental health needs that require assistance and the skills to start a conversation and get them the help they need.
- March 24 – Session 2: “A Deeper Dive”
- The second session dives deeper into external influences, stress, vulnerability and ways in which our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are impacted every day. It provides practical methods for how to manage ourselves and others in crisis.
For more information, registration, and promotional materials, visit First Aid for Mental Health.
Notice: Upcoming Wespath Letter
Dear Pastors,
We pray that you are blessed in this Advent and Christmas season. Your Benefits Team is preparing to communicate your 2022 personal pension elections to Wespath Benefits and Investments and we want you to be aware of an upcoming communication you may receive from them as a result. Their system is set to automatically send a generic form letter to participants who may have new pension elections or compensation details that impact their United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP) contribution. This will be helpful information to provide to your church treasurer so that they will know how much to withhold from your paychecks starting in January.
However, there are two specific points about your UMPIP enrollment through the NC Conference which differ from the general points in Wespath’s letter:
- Any time throughout the year when you want to make a change or correction to the amount of your personal contribution, please reach out to your NC Conference Benefits Team at this email address. DO NOT send contribution changes to Wespath directly. Contacting us will ensure changes are made in a timely manner in both our and their systems and that accurate pension bills will be sent to your church.
- If you are participating in the NC Conference’s Transition Fund in addition to the UMPIP, the single amount shown in Wespath’s letter should match the COMBINATION of these two contributions. You can find your UMPIP contribution on Line 15 and your Transition Fund contribution on Line 16 of the Clergy Compensation Worksheet in the Online Data Collection System. Add these two amounts together and you should see it matches the amount in Wespath’s letter. If you see any discrepancies, please do not hesitate to contact your NC Conference Benefits Team.
We hope this information provides clarity to you and your church. We always welcome any way in which we may be of service to you.
Register Now for “Delivered to You”!
Active clergy– register for “Delivered to You,” which will take place November 8 and 9, 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., Central time. This dynamic virtual event will focus on the five dimensions of wellness (spiritual, physical, emotional, financial and social) with informative units on clergy taxes, navigating the world of healthcare, Wespath retirement plans, the results of the Clergy Well-Being Survey, and much, much more! Click here to learn more. CEUs are available!
“Delivered to You” For Active Clergy Coming in November
Due to ongoing COVID-19 developments and in the spirit of Wespath’s commitment to caring for those who serve, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the 2021 in-person revItup! and Clergy Benefits Academy events. Instead, in November we will once again host “Delivered to You,” an online event open to all active UMC clergy members. This news was communicated in the Wespath Update sent out August 11 and 12. More information about dates, times, cost and registration is available at https://www.wespath.org/events. We look forward to the day when we can meet safely in person; for now, we anticipate a lively, informative online event in November with “Delivered to You!”
Did You Have an Appointment Change?
Wespath will automatically send a generic form letter to participants who are changing appointments, which details their United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP) contribution. This will be helpful information to provide to your church treasurer so that they will know how much to withhold from your paychecks starting in July.
However, there are two specific points about your UMPIP enrollment through the NC Conference which differ from the general points in Wespath’s letter:
- Any time throughout the year when you want to make a change or correction to the amount of your personal contribution, please reach out to your NC Conference Benefits Team using the email address benefitsteam@nccumc.org . DO NOT send contribution changes to Wespath directly. Contacting us will ensure changes are made in a timely manner in both our and their systems and that accurate pension bills will be sent to your church.
- If you are participating in the NC Conference’s Transition Fund in addition to the UMPIP, the single amount shown in Wespath’s letter should match the COMBINATION of these two contributions. You can find your UMPIP contribution on Line 15 of the Clergy Compensation Worksheet and your Transition Fund contribution on Line 16 in the Online Data Collection System. Add these two amounts together and you should see it matches the amount in Wespath’s letter. If you see any discrepancies, please do not hesitate to contact your NC Conference Benefits Team.
We hope this information provides clarity to you and your new church. We always welcome any way in which we may be of service to you.