Clergy Benefits Webinar Series Recordings Available
Recordings are now available of this three-session series delivering the information clergy need for financial wellness throughout their ministry and as they make preparations for retirement. Visit our event webpage for the links and more details.
Clergy Financial Literacy:
Residence in Ministry Incentives
Starting ministry with financial stewardship skills leads to years of empowered leadership. One necessary step toward becoming a leader in stewardship is to increase skills in financial literacy. Boards of Ordained Ministry programs can partner with us to add clergy financial education and resources during the residency process for provisional members. View criteria and application information or contact Wespath now to apply.
Seed Loans—Seeking Clergy Debt Refinancing Partners
Wespath announces no-interest, long-term seed loans to start new clergy debt refinancing programs. Wespath is offering a limited number of matching grants of up to $250,000 with partner agreements of a $1-to-$2 match to create new debt refinancing services for United Methodist clergy. Interested parties can request additional information and application materials.
Click here to see the November 2019 webinar about United Methodist debt refinancing providers.
The Excellence in Clergy Leadership Scholarship: $2,500 to $12,500
Scholarships are one of many ways Wespath can encourage and support debt avoidance for future United Methodist clergy. The application period for the Excellence in Clergy Leadership scholarship is January 3 to March 5. This scholarship program grew out of the early years of the Clergy Financial Well-Being Initiative as a way to support promising, future clergy avoid debt by encouraging increased giving by United Methodist entities toward scholarships, or debt avoidance.
The program is for full-time master of divinity students enrolled at one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries/schools of theology. Applicants must be pursuing certified candidacy or be a certified candidate for ministry (elder or deacon), with demonstrated merit, progress and commitment in the candidacy process. Applicants should show demonstrated financial need and how this scholarship will help avoid additional student loans. Applicants will receive and must work with a financial counselor from the EY Financial Planning Center. For a listing of participating funding partners, click here.
New Resiliency Resource from Wespath Benefit Plans Department
Resiliency is important, because unfortunately, life isn’t always easy. How we handle situations when they are not going as planned is important. The Resiliency Toolkit gives strategies for building resiliency based on the 5 dimensions of well-being. Everyone goes through challenging times. But additionally, everyone can strengthen their ability to recover and adjust to misfortune or change.