P&B USA—Celebrating a Century of Service 1919 - 2019

2019 pb-centennial_articleOn a Saturday morning in the fall of 1919, the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene created a new board in hope of solving a growing problem. That problem was how to assist ministers who were devoted to preaching the message of holiness, but often lacked resources for retirement or even funerals. With the launch of the General Board of Mutual Aid/Board of Ministerial Relief, the Church of the Nazarene affirmed its desire to help these men and women.

October 4, 2019, marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the group, whose work continues today in the office of Pensions and Benefits USA. While our celebration of this special milestone has been muted by the passing of our long-time director Don Walter, the work of this office remains focused on serving the servants of the church.

What began as a meager attempt by the general church to provide a few dollars here and there for the families of ill or deceased pastors, today provides retirement and insurance benefits, emergency medical assistance, and information for almost 17,000 active and retired ministers, spouses, widows, and other church employees.

“Today’s world is vastly different from that of those who founded this work in 1919, but the commitment to serve church employees remains the same,” said Roger Creeden, administrative director of Pensions and Benefits USA. “We are grateful for the opportunity to assist these faithful men and women and thankful to our districts and churches that make possible the services we provide by their support of the Pensions and Benefits Fund. In our second century, we remain committed to serving the U.S. Church of the Nazarene as we continue to assist her ministers from first assignment through retirement.”

We welcome comments about how Pensions and Benefits USA has been helpful to you or how we may assist you. Contact: pensions@nazarene.org.