Key points:
- Wespath Benefits and Investments gathered United Methodists from Africa, Europe and the Philippines to collaborate on strengthening the sustainability of clergy pension plans.
- During the five-day Central Conference Pension Forum, central conference benefits officers and treasurers, boards of pensions members and other participants learned about the technical processes underlying pension sustainability.
- Participants shared their challenges and hopes for the future, while leaders stressed the need for pension plans to evolve alongside technology and local realities.
Amid shifting global economic realities and leadership transitions, United Methodists from across Africa, Europe and the Philippines gathered for a pension forum hosted by Wespath Benefits and Investments.
The Nov. 17-21 Central Conference Pension Forum brought together over 45 delegates committed to strengthening the sustainability of clergy pension plans provided through The United Methodist Church. “Central conference” refers to geographical units of The United Methodist Church in Africa, Europe and the Philippines, and those units are now being called “regional conferences” with the recent ratification of a new structure for the denomination.
Central Conference Pensions provide a steady source of retirement income for United Methodist clergy and surviving spouses in nearly 70 annual conferences in Africa, Europe and the Philippines, supporting about 3,700 people in retirement. The program is supported through donations, which have exceeded $27 million since its inception. The program began 25 years ago with direction from the 2000 and 2004 General Conferences.
Wespath administers the Central Conference Pensions plans and provides administrative support and consultation, but the long-term goal for each conference’s plan is to become locally self-managed and sustainable.
During the five-day forum, participants received clarity on the technical processes underlying pension sustainability. They also heard about changing contexts and the call for adaptability.
A presentation from Frederick Hyland, Wespath’s managing director of actuarial services, drew praise for breaking down complex concepts into digestible insights.
“Hyland’s presentation was not only informative, it was illuminating,” said Clair Aquin Ned P. Canlas, treasurer of the Philippines Regional Conference. “This session provided huge clarity on how actuarial systems work and how they affect our decision-making.”
Leaders stressed the need for pension plans to evolve alongside technology and local realities. Dale Jones, Wespath’s managing director of church relations, underscored the importance of transitioning from paper checks to electronic pension disbursements.
“We seek to assist pension plans in defining and instituting practices to improve sustainability,” Jones said.
However, rapid transitions, especially due to leadership turnover, present challenges.
“It is especially important for our Wespath team to come alongside new (conference) personnel,” Jones noted. “Some officers stepped into roles with little to no handover, lacking access to crucial records such as contribution histories and plan documents.”
Bill Kavanaugh, Wespath chief operating officer and vice president of the Overseas Pension Board, echoed those concerns.
“A number of newly appointed conference leaders have expressed difficulty accessing their predecessors’ documentation,” he said. Addressing this, Wespath held dedicated sessions with conference representatives to fill knowledge gaps and committed to continued mentorship.
Kavanaugh also emphasized ongoing efforts to improve data accuracy and administrative transparency, citing irregularities such as retirees being reported without prior active status records, which jeopardize accurate pension calculations.
Delegates from across the regions brought their challenges to the table. The delegates represented annual conferences, which cover geographical areas within larger regional conferences.
The Rev. Filimao Punguane Vilanculo, conference treasurer from Mozambique, acknowledged the program’s growth and training since 2015 but emphasized ongoing difficulties in supporting clergy in health- and death-related circumstances.
“The number of participants has grown, which is very positive because it allows for greater reach in the training ... but the limited resources we have do not allow this to happen,” Vilanculo said.
East Africa’s Faith Christine Otana, conference treasurer for the Uganda-Sudan-South Sudan Conference, provided a comprehensive overview of the financial, social and technical hurdles.
She noted the “inflation-related depreciation of clergy pensions in Uganda and Kenya, the digital divide in rural regions like Northern Tanzania and South Sudan, and the exclusion of part-time or volunteer clergy from pension contributions.”
Otana called for regionalized solutions, including mobile-friendly platforms, local investment strategies, gender equity measures and the use of local languages in education efforts.
Roque Facela, from the Mozambique Annual Conference, called for more frequent audits and data verification to avoid benefit duplication and overspending.
“There are more expenses than the contributions,” he warned, urging a stronger data management infrastructure. Facela is in charge of the pension accounting area for the conference.
The Rev. Cletus David Kuhturu, director of pension for the Southern Conference of the Nigeria Episcopal Area, described the program as both a “call and mandate to serve.”
“Those who serve need to be inspired, encouraged and motivated to stay focused in implementing diverse plans in various regions.”
He advocated for training at the seminary level and investment in local pension funds to strengthen long-term sustainability.
“To succeed, I believe, the program should continue to uphold local trends in terms of social variables, thereby contextualizing participants’ ministry experiences. So, the understanding of executives, administrators and the participants both active and retired should be on the ground.”
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Across the board, participants raised three persistent themes: strengthening internal governance, ensuring reliable contributions and improving access to pension information.
Jones noted a widespread challenge in collecting prescribed contributions from pastors and churches.
“Even if contributions are received in full, the rates set in some plans are inadequate to fund the benefits pastors are accruing,” he explained.
Thomas Kemper, a Central Conference Pensions consultant, praised Wespath’s transparency and its ability to present complex concepts in an accessible way for first-time attendees.
“Wespath demonstrated a very clear and forward-looking direction,” he said. “Learning from each other across continents and cultures strengthens the connection and helps build more resilient and just pension systems.”
Despite the weight of the challenges, there was collective hope and resolve.
“I leave the Central Conference Pension Forum in Manila with hope for the future,” Kavanaugh said. “This is a faith-filled, committed community of servants. We have an obligation to retirees and to those who donated generously to seed this program.”
He invited the global connection to remain informed and engaged, encouraging them to review the latest Central Conference Pensions report, which is available in English, French and Portuguese.
For participants, the forum provided new knowledge and renewed purpose.
“To understand fully what we are getting into — that is the beginning of wise, responsible leadership,” Canlas said.
Nigeria’s Kuhturu agreed and shared his hopes for the future.
“May we continue to serve with passion as we look forward with hope in expanding the kingdom of God through this ministry of care to those who serve.”
Mangiduyos is a communicator in the Philippines.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the UM News Digests.
