Articles

How do pastors’ wives in the PCA feel about their unique place in the life of the church? We wanted to find the answer to that question so we asked them.

Dear Friends, I am writing to introduce myself, and to let you know of some changes at RBI Ministerial Relief. As you know, Bob Clarke retired from his position as Director of Ministerial Relief in March. Bob served faithfully in that role for 10 years, and I know...

Effective January 1, 2020, the PCA Target Retirement Fund 2010 will be closed to all new investors and the assets will transition into the PCA Harvester Fund.  This transition is part of the intended design for all PCA Target Retirement Funds and moves assets into the...

On Memorial Day of 2015, Pastor Mike Francis suffered a heart attack that put him on life support and took away his memory—crippling his ability to pastor. He did not have long-term disability insurance.

The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court recently ruled in favor of the clergy housing allowance, defending the constitutionality of it as a permissible tax benefit. We praise God for this ruling and want to make you aware of its significance moving forward.

Retirement does not necessarily mean the cessation of ministry activity. Rather, it simply means no longer relying on ministry to generate revenue needed to support your lifestyle. Everyone’s path to retirement will certainly look different. However, there are people...

A new year means new possibilities. You likely have set some goals for yourself about your spiritual life, your health, or your finances. Of course, setting goals is one thing. Changing your habits often proves more challenging. Listed below are three financial goals...

Gary Campbell, president of the PCA's Retirement & Benefits, Inc. (RBI), has informed RBI’s board of directors of his desire to initiate a leadership transition and search for the agency’s next president.Campbell, who has served in the president’s role...

Ashley Hales breathes life into a place often decried as lukewarm, vilified as selfish, or entirely ignored: the American suburbs. In her first book, Finding Holy in the Suburbs, Ashley provides much-needed teaching on learning to embody the gospel in all of our given places, even the suburbs.

The IRS updates retirement plan contribution limits for defined contribution plans such as the PCA Retirement Plan each year. As announced November 1, 2018, the limits for 2019 are as follows: Elective Deferral Limit (salary reduction contribution): $19,000 ($500...

An important case is currently making its way through the federal courts which will impact ministers, and to a lesser extent churches, nationwide. On Oct. 6, 2017, the federal district court declared the clergy housing allowance unconstitutional in the...

As each year passes, the richness of God’s blessings on PCA Retirement & Benefits fills my heart with thanksgiving. There is no question we have experienced the growth pains of very challenging periods in our history, but by and large, we have...

President Donald Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. This piece of legislation is broad in scope and will affect almost every individual and business, including PCA churches and church related organizations. While the act...

The 2018 version of the Call Package Guidelines was recently submitted to the 46th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America for their approval. The Assembly, which met in Atlanta, Georgia, exhorted Presbyteries and member churches to...

Earlier this year in response to increased reports of hacking and fraud attempts and due to a noticeable increase of falsified information being submitted to our offices, we implemented additional security measures including verification and confirmation...

“Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything else is thrown in.” C.S. Lewis I was born in upstate New York to a dad who...

Consider a mother in her late fifties. She is healthy, works a well-paying job, and has life insurance. She is in her twenty-third year of marriage and has three kids in college at the same time. She is a woman of God, her faith motivates her warmth and kindness. Her...

PCA Retirement and Benefits will be hitting the road to visit churches and teach financial planning seminars this fall. We meet with and conduct workshops for church staffs, presbyteries, Christian school teachers, and others. Our goal is education and...

As churches begin creating budgets for the coming year and review their pastoral call packages, PCA Retirement and Benefits (RBI) may be able to lend assistance. We know the importance of annually reviewing call packages, and we even created guidelines for...

The role of a pastor’s wife is often complicated. It is a balancing act except there is no pole, no net, and no tightrope, but lots of expectation for her to perform. It is a role that goes beyond church membership, and it is not easily definable. She is her husband’s...

2018 Group Insurance Rates and Prices Recently, PCA Retirement & Benefits, Inc. completed an extensive analysis of group insurance product rates and administrative pricing. The purpose of this analysis was to confirm that all group insurance product categories...

5 Essentials of a Pastor’s Call Package The life of a pastor is not easy. A pastor can be called upon 24/7, often blurring time boundaries and subtracting rest. Many people would agree: pastors can easily give more than they receive. Ted Dankovich is the Director of...

Q&A: Should pastors opt out of Social Security? Under U.S. tax code, ordained ministers can opt out of Social Security. Form 4361 declares that ministers who are theologically opposed to receiving benefits from the government can excuse themselves from...