Church of the Brethren staff receive a check for the insurance dividend from Brethren Mutual Aid and the Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company. This is the largest such check ever received by the denomination, over several years of participation in the program.
The Church of the Brethren denomination has received an insurance dividend of $182,263 from Brethren Mutual Aid and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, through the company’s Partnership Group Program. Brethren Mutual Aid is the sponsoring agency for the program, which rewards the annual claims experience of the congregations, camps, and districts that make up the group along with the denominational organization.
This represents the largest dividend check ever written by this program, said Annual Conference moderator David Steele in his report to the Mission and Ministry Board. However, it also will be the last because of restrictions that Brotherhood Mutual falls under as it moves to a new legal status as a national corporation.
The Annual Conference officers and general secretary Stan Noffsinger, who make up the denominational Leadership Team, have decided to share the dividend in the following manner:
— $2,000 to each Church of the Brethren agency, district, and camp that participates in the insurance program;
— $1,000 to the Finance Office to cover the expense of administering the funds;
— the remainder to be divided between the Ministry Assistance Fund that aids ministers experiencing financial need, and the Nigeria Crisis Fund’s support for trauma healing and training for leaders of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).
The Church of the Brethren denomination is donating its $2,000 back into the larger project so that it will be divided between the Ministry Assistance Fund and the Nigeria Crisis Fund. Moderator Steele said that the denomination is inviting the other recipient agencies, districts, and camps to consider doing the same.
Brotherhood Mutual returns excess premiums not needed to pay losses, up to a certain level, as part of its Partnership Group Program. The company grants the dividend if the denominational group collectively enjoys a better-than-average claims experience.
For more information about Brethren Mutual Aid go to www.maabrethren.com . For more about Brotherhood Mutual visit www.brotherhoodmutual.com .