MEDICAL BENEVOLENCE FUND

The 12th General Assembly established a Medical Benevolence Fund to assist with the medical premiums of certain ministers in need. This fund will provide half (50 percent) of a qualifying pastor’s medical premiums for the EPC Medical Plan. Active qualifying ministers may receive up to 12 months of assistance. Retired qualifying ministers could receive additional months, but may also qualify for assistance through the Gratitude Gift, administered by the EPC Benefit Resources, Inc., Board of Directors.

1. Fund Income: The Stated Clerk (or his designee) shall make distributions from the Fund as directed by the Benevolence Committee. The Fund shall receive income from Fund investment proceeds and from the Medical Benevolence Special Project.

2. Benevolence Committee: The Benevolence Committee shall be composed of two Ruling Elders and one Teaching Elder of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church who shall be appointed by the Moderator. The Benevolence Committee’s membership will be reviewed, reinstated, or replaced every three years. Committee members will oversee the investment activity of the Fund and distributions from the Fund.

3. Distribution Requirements: The Benevolence Committee shall order the Stated Clerk (or his designee) to make distributions from the Fund in the following situations:

A. Distributions for the purpose of paying for the cost of medical benefits insurance.

1. Eligible beneficiaries of distributions are ministers of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church who are:

a) Active members of presbytery who are without a present call.
b) Mission church pastors, but only if the mission church is not a daughter church of another Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

2. Applications for distributions shall be made to the Benevolence Committee by the presbytery having jurisdiction over the prospective beneficiary. The Benevolence Committee shall develop an application form which, among other things, shall be executed by the presbytery and shall contractually commit an amount equal to the distribution from this Fund, it being the intention that this Fund shall never pay more than one-half of the actual amount of the medical benefit insurance premium paid on behalf of each individual beneficiary.

B. Distributions for the purpose of paying for costs of care related to health conditions not covered by the pastor’s medical plan.

1. Eligible beneficiaries of distributions are ministers of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
2. Applications for distributions shall be made to the Benevolence Committee by the presbytery having jurisdiction over the prospective beneficiary. The Benevolence Committee shall develop an application form in which the beneficiary will provide a summary of the extraordinary expenses which are not covered by the EPC Medical Plan in which the prospective beneficiary participates.

C. During the COVID-19 crisis, temporary distributions for the purpose of covering medical insurance out-of-pocket expenses.

1. Eligible beneficiaries of distributions are ministers of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church whose compensation has been reduced due to a revenue shortfall in the church or organization at which they serve.
2. Applications for distributions shall be made to the Benevolence Committee by the presbytery having jurisdiction over the prospective beneficiary. The Benevolence Committee shall develop an application form in which the beneficiary will provide:

a) A summary of their change in compensation status and the impact of that change on their ability to cover medical out-of-pocket expenses.
b) The medical insurance out-of-pocket expenses for which the beneficiary is responsible.

This provision for temporary distributions for the purpose of covering medical insurance out-of-pocket expenses will be reviewed by the Benevolence Committee no later than January 22, 2021.

4. Accountings: The Benevolence Committee shall make an annual report of the income to and distributions from the Medical Benevolence Fund to the National Leadership Team.

ELIGIBILITY

There are six categories of individuals eligible to receive dispersements from the EPC’s Medical Benevolence Fund:

1. EPC ministers who are without call.
2. EPC ministers who are on disability.
3. Pastors of EPC mission churches that do not have a mother church.
4. Retired EPC ministers.
5. EPC ministers incurring the costs of care related to health conditions not covered by the pastor’s medical plan.
6. EPC ministers who have had their compensation reduced due to the COVID-10 crisis and needing help with out-of-pocket medical expenses.

APPLICATION

Application may be initiated by either a qualifying minister needing assistance or by that minister’s presbytery. Ministers should submit a completed Application for MBF Disbursement and submit it to their presbytery. By approving the application, the submitting presbytery is agreeing to pay half (50 percent) of the applicant’s EPC Medical Plan premiums for the period of assistance.

It is the intention that this Fund shall never pay more than one-half of the actual amount of the Medical Plan premium paid on behalf of each individual beneficiary. The Benevolence Committee will receive applications on a quarterly basis in January, April, July, and October.

In the event that the income from this fund is not sufficient to pay one-half of the need of the individual applicants in any year, then the Benevolence Committee shall order its distributions to be made pro-rata based upon the amount of income available from the Fund.

Click in the appropriate image below to download the Application for Distribution of Medical Benevolence Funds. The application in fillable PDF format; save to your computer before entering your information (a form opened in your computer’s web broswer will not save your information). Mac users: the Preview application will not open fillable PDF documents. You will need to download and use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Submit completed application to your Presbytery Officer for approval. The Presbytery will forward your application to the Office of the General Assembly.

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