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2007-12-18 issue:

Denomination cuts pastors’ health insurance

by Everett J. Thomas

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While Mennonite Church USA works on a new health insurance plan for its pastors, delegates in another Anabaptist-related denomination have canceled theirs. At its annual conference last summer, the Church of the Brethren decided to end its medical insurance plan for pastors on Dec. 31.

The decision “has created anywhere from a ripple effect to a riptide effect [with a] deep sense of loss and pain,” says Mary Jo Flory-Steury, director of the denomination’s General Board Office of Ministry. Walt Wiltschek, editor of The Messenger, quoted Flory-Steury in his December editorial and said there are several reasons for the plan’s demise, but “an above-average number of pastors deemed ‘high risk’ were in a plan without enough ‘good risk’ pastors to balance them out.”

Last July, 93.4 percent of Mennonite Church USA delegates voted to continue working on a plan that would provide health insurance for Mennonite Church USA  pastors. At that time, Executive Leadership staff members said they would not know for two years whether such a plan will be feasible.

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