Important Information from the Board of Pensions 2017 Benefits Plan

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**This is a reminder to our churches to participate in the “Employer Decision Support” process at the Board of Pensions. Each church with a member in the Board of Pensions Benefits Plan needs to have an employer representative create and submit an online Employer Agreement by September 30, 2016.**

Below is the notice from the Board of Pensions with links to more information and resources:

Employer Agreements Are Due September 30 from All Employers

The 2017 Benefits Plan offers the flexibility for employers to select benefits that meet the needs of their organizations and employees, while honoring our Church’s commitment to installed pastors.

To make benefits selections for 2017, all employers must create and submit an Employer Agreement by September 30, 2016, through Benefits Connect. This agreement will detail benefits selections for 2017, employer costs, and employee contributions toward the cost of coverage.

If employers do not create and submit an Employer Agreement by September 30, 2016, employees will not be able to make 2017 elections on Benefits Connect during annual enrollment (October 17 – November 11) and may not have the benefits coverage they need.

For additional information:

Please click here to visit their website.  Please see below for a message from our Church Consultant from the BOP:


Notice from Allison K. Seed, Church Consultant, Synod of the Northeast, Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

I want to remind you and the Presbytery of a few important actions that all churches/employing organizations  will need to make before September 30.  If possible, would you please include the following information  in your communications to churches? Thank you!

As you know the Board of Pensions has made a number of significant changes to the Benefits Plan and the way employee benefits are priced and structured. There have been many communications about the changes from the Board, but there are many churches that  have not either heard or understood the actions all churches are required to do by September 30. Here is some helpful information.  Please put the following into your presbytery’s communications/e-newsletters, etc. in order to get the word out!

  1. Before Sept 30 all churches will need to have the “Authorized Person” from their church ( i.e. normally the treasurer, business manager, or chair of personnel who inputs salary information into Benefits Connect for billing purposes from the Board of Pensions), access  Benefits Connect  and input salary information for each employee and choose the benefits/classifications for all employees. Even if there is only one employee, e.g. the pastor, the authorized person from each church will need to fill in the information on Benefits Connect by Sept 30.  Once benefits are chosen, an employer agreement would be created that would determine accurate billing.  This Employer Agreement needs to be submitted by September 30.
  2. Once benefits for employees are chosen by the employing church, the employees and/or pastor will need to access Benefits Connect.  Each employee will see only their information and the benefits offered them by their employer/church. Then, each employee and/or pastor will need to access Benefits Connect between Oct 17 and Nov 11 to choose which benefits they will select or waive from the benefits offered by their employer/church.

Here are several links that will help guide the process and help people and churches move forward.

2017 Benefits Plan Summary–   https://www.pensions.org/AvailableResources/BookletsandPublications/Documents/pln-603.pdf.

2017 Benefits Plan Employer Decision Support Guide https://www.pensions.org/AvailableResources/BookletsandPublications/Documents/pln-604.pdf.

To access Benefits Connect go to www.pensions.org. and in the upper right side will be a Benefits Connect “log in”.

For support call Member Services or Employer Services at 800-773-7752   or you can call your regional church consultant Allison Seed at 215-587-7482.