General Board of Pension and Health Benefits Board of Directors Meets in Florida

For Immediate Release
January 27, 2007

Contact: Colette Nies, Managing Director—Communications
(847) 866-4296 or cnies@gbophb.org

Hollywood, FL—The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of The United Methodist Church (General Board) concluded its Board of Directors meeting this week in Florida. The following items highlight the major Board activities this session:

The Charles L. Calkins and the Clay F. Lee Awards Announcement

General Secretary Barbara Boigegrain; Board Chairman Bishop Ben Chamness, Mrs. Evelyn Corderman, and The Reverend Delos Corderman (holding the award).

General Secretary Barbara Boigegrain, Board Chairman Bishop Ben Chamness, Mr. Joel Huffman (holding the award) and his wife, Janet.

Mr. Joel Huffman and The Reverend Delos Corderman holding their awards.

The General Board is pleased to announce the Reverend Delos Corderman as the 2007 recipient of the Charles L. Calkins Award and Mr. Joel Huffman as the 2007 recipient of the Clay F. Lee Award.

The Calkins Award, established in 1988, recognizes an annual conference pension and benefits administrator who, in partnership with the General Board, has provided exceptional service in pension and health benefit administration within The United Methodist Church.

Rev. Corderman retired in 2005, having served the South Carolina Annual Conference for over 45 years as pastor, teacher and, since 1976, Conference Pension and Health Benefits administrator.

His pastoral care and individual attention served many who needed guidance and interpretation of financial information in order to make informed life decisions. Rev. Corderman creatively supported the conference's campaign to address an unfunded pension liability, established a program of direct billing for pension and health benefits and assisted the conference in moving to a stronger fiscal position.

The nominating petitions cited Rev. Corderman's accomplishments and service as embodying the high ideals of this award. "He has seen his administration as that of a servant to the clergy and laity of the conference…his knowledge of investment strategies has benefited many…his pastoral approach has guided them through life decisions [and] made him beloved by this annual conference," wrote South Carolina Conference Resident Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor in her nominating petition. "He is a true servant of the Church…one who models the General Board's mission to serve and protect," wrote Ted R. Morton, Jr., chair of the conference's Board of Pension and Health Benefits, endorsing Bishop Taylor's nomination.

The Lee Award, established in 1999, recognizes former directors of the General Board who have given exemplary service in caring for the pension and health benefit needs of those who serve The United Methodist Church.

Mr. Joel Huffman served as a director of the General Board for 12 years, three consecutive quadrennia. Since the Desert Southwest Conference was created, he has served as its only conference benefits officer (CBO). Over the years, his caring influence and determination have resulted in significant health and benefit changes with far-reaching consequences for clergy and lay workers.

"Joel Huffman exemplifies the values of the General Board by combining the financial and banking background of his prior career with his love of the Church, contributing to the growth of the General Board as a model benefits agency," wrote Dan O'Neill, the General Board's managing director of Central Conference Pensions, in his nominating petition.

Mr. Huffman participated in the Benefits 2000 Task Force, which set a new course for the benefits provided to those who serve the Church; he chaired the 2000-2004 Health Benefits Committee of the Board of Directors, which grew HealthFlex into a viable, cost-effective insurance program; he actively wrote and sponsored the petition for General Conference 2004 that proposed a denomination-wide health insurance program, resulting in the charge for a Denominational Health Task Force; and he twice served on the General Conference Finance Administration Committee, which handles all pension-related legislation.

"We are delighted to bestow these awards on the Reverend Corderman and Mr. Joel Huffman, whose actions and interactions have extended the reach of the General Board and will affect our plan participants for years to come through the benefits we provide," commented General Secretary Barbara Boigegrain at the formal dinner honoring both recipients.

Their names will be inscribed on the Calkins and Lee Award plaques at the General Board headquarters in Evanston, IL.

Oregon Pastor Requests Board's Intercession in IRS Tax Levy

The Board of Directors heard a presentation by the Reverend John Schwiebert and his wife, Pat, at the Public Forum on January 26.

The Schwieberts declined to pay federal income tax in 2002 and 2003 in protest of the war in Iraq, resulting in a levy on their General Board pension. The Schwieberts asked the General Board's Board of Directors to intercede on their behalf with the IRS and refuse to pay this income tax levy placed on their retirement plan benefit payments.

The Board of Directors honors the Schwieberts' conviction and appreciates their ministry and the time they took to share their views. It is the established policy of the Board of Directors to comply with all laws in carrying out the mission to care for the clergy and lay workers of The United Methodist Church.

Denominational Health Task Force Prepares Legislation

The Board reviewed the result of two years of work by the Denominational Health Task Force (DHTF) established by General Conference 2004 to examine the possibility of a unified, mandatory health plan for the denomination.

The findings and conclusions of the Task Force resulted in four recommendations that focus on clergy and lay employee health in support of the mission and ministry of the Church.

"We examined the employment systems and culture that affect denominational health; sought opportunities for system-wide improvements; sought ways to assure group health plan access for all church workers; and sought to respect the health and wholeness of retired clergy and their spouses," noted Tracy Merrick, DHTF member.

A DHTF Summary Report is being prepared for release in May to bring the denomination's health challenge to the denomination in easy-to-understand terms, for use in preparation for General Conference 2008. "The health of our denomination will become a central focus for us in the coming years, as it will for the U.S. and the world-at-large. In order for the Church to continue in its mission and to expand and extend its ministry, health is an issue that we must address now, because it will impact us all," said Noreen Orbach, the General Board's managing director of Health and Welfare Plan Services.