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Retired Clergy

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Retiree Health Insurance Plans

Pre-65 Group

Click here for the Zoom recording on the 2024 changes for the Pre-65 group.

65 Plus Group

All Retiree Groups

Wespath

Plan for a successful retirement by taking the long-term view. Through Wespath the Michigan Conference offers a plan for retirement investment, and offers an outstanding retirement and savings plans to eligible clergy and lay employees.

To visit Wespath for retirement information go to https://www.wespath.org/retirement-investments.

Click here for the Michigan Conference Steps to Retirement.

Compass

Compass is a defined contribution retirement plan specifically for eligible United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy. It’s designed to help you build and manage your retirement savings, offering the flexibility to designate beneficiaries. Through shared contributions during your active ministry, you’ll have control over your account and flexible income options in retirement. The Compass retirement plan is available to clergy who are serving in Michigan at half-time or greater. If you are serving less than half-time you can participate in a UMPIP plan that the Conference has set up to mimic Compass.

Click here for more information about Compass.

Contact Rev Joel Walther, Director of Conference Benefits and Coordinator of HR, at [email protected] or John Kosten, Benefits Coordinator, at [email protected] to check on your eligibility.

UMPIP

The United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP) is a retirement plan administered by Wespath Benefits and Investments (Wespath)—the largest denominational pension fund in the world. UMPIP is designed to provide one piece of your overall retirement portfolio.

  • For participant contributions: Must be an employee of a United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP) plan sponsor.
  • For plan sponsor contributions: Must be an employee of a UMPIP plan sponsor and meet other eligibility criteria determined by the plan sponsor and outlined in the adoption agreement.

Click here to learn more about UMPIP.

Click here for the UMPIP contribution election form.

CRSP

Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP) is a retirement program providing lifetime income and account flexibility designed for those who serve God as clergy of The United Methodist Church. Click here to learn more about CRSP.

CPP

Death benefits, long-term disability income replacement, and certain other survivor benefits for eligible clergy and their families are provided by the Michigan Conference through Wespath’s Comprehensive Protection Plan (CPP).

CPP is an Internal Revenue Code 414(e) “church plan” and is self-insured and funded by plan sponsor contributions.

Some of the benefits of CPP are:

  • Death benefits (active or retired participants, spouse, surviving spouse, dependent children)
  • Supplemental benefits for surviving spouses
  • Educational benefits for surviving dependent children (restrictions apply)
  • Long-term disability (LTD) benefits
  • Return-to-Work Program
  • Voluntary Transition Program (ends December 31, 2020)

Click here to learn more about Wespath’s Comprehensive Protection Plan.

Click here for the CPP summary plan description.

Clergy from the Michigan Conference may contact Rev Joel Walther, Director of Conference Benefits and Coordinator of HR, at [email protected] or John Kosten, Benefits Coordinator, at [email protected] to learn more about their eligibility for Wespath’s Comprehensive Protection Plan (CPP).

Clergy appointed full time or ¾ time to an eligible Episcopal appointment within the annual conference are eligible for enrollment in CPP.

Housing Exclusion

The United Methodist Church has and functions through Ministers of the Gospel who are duly ordained or licensed. The practice of The United Methodist Church is to provide a parsonage or housing allowance as a part of the gross compensation for each of its active ordained or licensed ministers. Pensions paid to retired and disabled ordained or licensed ministers of the United Methodist Church are considered deferred compensation and are paid to said retired and disabled ordained or licensed ministers in consideration of previous active service. The Internal Revenue Service has recognized that the Michigan Conference is the appropriate body to designate a housing/rental allowance for retired and disabled ordained or licensed ministers who are members of this conference.

For a copy of the housing exclusion from prior years, please contact the Benefits Office at [email protected].

Questions?

Contact Rev Joel Walther, Director of Conference Benefits and Coordinator of HR at [email protected] or John Kosten, Benefits Coordinator, at [email protected].