Publications : NA News : March, 2004

 

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National Association of Congregational Christian Churches,  P.O. Box 288, Oak Creek, WI  53154
414-764-1620 
Email: naccc@naccc.org   Web Site: http://www.naccc.org

CONGREGATIONAL INVESTMENT FUND

 by William A. Riner for the Financial Services Committee

By letter to our member churches dated November l, 1993, announcement was made of the creation of the Congregational Investment Fund. This letter was signed by Hal Frentz as Chairman of the then "Financial Stewardship Committee." The Fund was designed to meet the concern of many of our churches for many years about the growing complexity and responsibility of overseeing their financial resources.

This Congregational Investment Fund has now become the Congregational Investment Trust, with the Associated Trust Company of Milwaukee acting as Trustee, and furnishing the expertise through professional investment managers, to achieve what is known as "Total Return" investing. That concept involves two objectives: l) providing a reasonable level of current income and 2) maintaining a base to preserve the purchasing power of the funds invested. These two objectives are met by investing in a combination of fixed income and equity securities.

How the Associated Trust Company does this is best illustrated by the pie chart that accompanies the reports of the trust company as to the present status of the funds in its care. A copy of the most recent chart is available on request to the .Financial Services Committee.

EMPLOYER PROTECTION PROGRAM
Too often, scenes like these darken a lifetime of service:

  • An aging pastor financially unable to retire

  • A widowed spouse and children evicted from their parsonage after an employee dies without life insurance

  • A disabled employee's organization forced to choose between suspending valuable work or firing the employee to hire a replacement

The NACCC offers a benefit program that prevents tragedies like these for employers, employees and families alike. When your organization sponsors the Retirement/Death Benefit Plans you have:

  • The security of disability income protection during your employees' working years,

  • The peace of mind that pre-retirement death benefit protection provides; and

  • The knowledge that you are building professionally managed assets to help your employees retire with dignity

If disability should occur, disability benefits include child allowances until eligible children reach age 21 as well as income for the disabled employee. Survivor benefits include life insurance, a monthly income to the surviving spouse (with a guaranteed minimum) and child allowances.

Premierhealth medical and dental insurance is also available for eligible employees and family members.

These benefits are available through partnership between the NACCC and The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board (MMBB). MMBB has been serving those who serve since 1911.

Too often, church workers who are able to retire watch the buying power of their incomes shrink over the years. Too often, survivors find that any benefits just don't last. This not only creates hardships for them, but can become a source of guilt and shame to the communities they have served.

In contrast, benefits from the Retirement/Death Benefit Plans are designed to help keep pace with or exceed inflation. Retirement benefits are adjusted each year for investment experience. Disability and survivor benefits are adjusted with increases in average pastor compensation.

For more information about these valuable employer protections for your church or organization, please call toll free at 800-986-6222 and ask for Rev. Margaret (Maggie) Lewis.

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