Dear Pastors, Clerks of Session, Treasurers, and Employer Representatives,
If you are the pastor whose medical benefits are through the Board of Pensions, if you are the Clerk of Session or the Treasurer of your church, if you are the employer representative to the Board of Pensions, we hope that you have been following the changes to the medical coverage through the Board of Pensions that begins January 1, 2025. The deadline for employers to review their employer agreements is October 4. Please read through the following information and take action now!
Pastor Minimum Compensation
At the August Presbytery Meeting, the Committee on Ministry’s recommendation to make no changes to the Pastor Minimum Compensation for 2025 was approved; it remains at $51,118.
Benefits Update
Additionally, a motion was passed stipulating that Presbytery of West Virginia ministers be enrolled in the Transitional Pastors Participation Plan with the Board of Pensions, unless the Congregational Pastors Package offers greater benefits to both the pastor and the church. Please note that the default for the Board of Pensions is to automatically move current pastors to the Transitional Pastors Participation Plan.
Pastor Medical Coverage Grant
The Presbytery endorsed a recommendation from the Committee on Ministry (COM) to establish a grant fund through the Stewardship Committee for 2025. This fund will match 50% of the increase in cost from 2024 that a church incurs for enrolling a pastor’s child, spouse, or family in medical coverage. This increase is calculated as the difference between the 2024 Pastor’s Participation Plan cost and the 2025 cost of the Transitional Pastor’s Participation Plan or Congregational Pastors Package.
The Stewardship Committee is currently working on creating this fund and seeks input regarding which churches may need assistance and the potential amounts required. If your church anticipates needing this support, you are strongly encouraged to complete the following survey:
Click the Link below
https://forms.gle/YfoSeXvkKBVWeWnR7
The following message from the Board of Pensions summarizes what you need to know and provides links for more information.
Employer Agreement Reminder
A message from the Board of Pensions
As a reminder, Friday, October 4, is the last day for designated employer representatives at congregations and PC(USA) employers to log in to Benefits Connect and review their 2025 Employer Agreements.
This year’s Employer Agreement process ensures that everyone will have continuity of coverage from 2024 to 2025. Absent action by an employer representative:
- Ministers enrolled in Pastor’s Participation as of December 31, 2024, will automatically be enrolled in Transitional Pastor’s Participation for 2025.
- Staff will automatically be enrolled in their 2024 benefits for 2025.
If the congregation does not want to make changes to the benefits they offer for 2025, their Employer Agreement is complete, and no further action is required. If they would like to make changes, including electing the new Congregational Pastors Package, which may be a better option depending on individual circumstances, the employer representative will need to call the Board at 800-PRESPLAN (800-773-7752) (TTY: 711), and we’ll walk them through completing their Employer Agreement.
Members enrolled in any of the Benefits Plan’s three medical options (preferred provider organization, exclusive provider organization, and high deductible health plan) will continue to access care through the Blue Cross Blue Shield national network. Deductibles and copays will remain the same for 2025.
Learn more about the Employer Agreement process.
If you have any questions regarding the Presbytery’s requirements and the grants to assist congregations in 2025, please contact one of us.
Grace & Peace,
George Lilley, Committee on Ministry chair
Mark Boyd, Stewardship Committee chair
Chris Alfred, Treasurer
Maureen Wright, Transitional General Presbyter & Stated Clerk