Philadelphia — The Church Benefits Association (CBA) has elected the Reverend Dr. Frank Clark Spencer, President of The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as Vice Chair of its Board of Directors. Dr. Spencer’s election, at CBA’s annual meeting in December, reaffirms the Board of Pensions’ strategic partnership with other religious denominations to better serve leaders across faith communities.
“The CBA recognizes the importance of faith in each of our communities and the vital role benefits play in supporting religious leaders who serve our denominations,” said Dr. Spencer. “I’m honored to assume the role of Vice Chair and continue my contribution to this meaningful work.”
CBA is a multidenominational association of 55 denominations, including mainline and evangelical Protestants, Catholic organizations, and multiple Jewish traditions. As a part of its work, CBA sponsors buying coalitions, leveraging its size to negotiate with vendors of health and retirement benefits, including Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Express Scripts. Board of Pensions staff has played a key role in creating and nurturing these coalitions through the last two decades.
Dr. Spencer has served on the CBA Board of Directors since 2014 in various roles, including Chair of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee.
In addition to his work at CBA, Dr. Spencer serves as a member of the steering committee of its sister organization, the Church Alliance (CA). CA brings together 38 CEOs of CBA members to be the lobbying organization for Church plans.
The CA monitors and engages in regulatory matters, judicial proceedings, and legislative actions that impact the provision of benefits to communities of faith. One of its recent successes was singlehandedly advocating for the inclusion of churches in the PPP loan program during the COVID-19 crisis. According to statistics developed by the Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations and judicatories received between $55 million and $90 million in forgiven loans through this program alone.
The Board of Pensions supports wholeness in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) community and care for Benefits Plan members. For information, contact info@pensions.org.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Presbyterian Outlook.
