The Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations program restores the financial health and wholeness of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastors so they may revitalize their congregations. This innovative financial education program combines pastor and congregational leader education with grants of up to $10,000 to qualifying pastors.
July 6, 2020
At this time, we are only accepting new covenants for enrollment in Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations from communities of color. Due to the popularity of this program, and the impact on travel for our church consultants to deliver seminar material, we have suspended new enrollments (except from communities of color) as we work with currently covenanted participants.
Pastors of churches from communities of color may request the program covenant and financial commitment from Ruth Adams at hphc@pensions.org.
Any pastor interested in the program may complete the online education modules available through Board University and accessed via Benefits Connect.
We anticipate that a modified Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations will re-open at a later date yet to be determined.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ruth Adams at hphc@pensions.org.
Why HPHC | How it works | Education | Grant awards | Pastor eligibility
Talking about money can be difficult for anyone, especially for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregational leaders deciding compensation for pastors. Even so, there are good reasons to have conversations about finances:
As part of our connectional Church, The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recognizes that we, as a Church, must faithfully address pastors' personal financial challenges if they are to grow and sustain their ministries and our congregations are to flourish.
Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations brings a pastor and congregational leadership together to work toward financial sustainability by providing financial education and consultations to both the pastor and congregational leaders.
Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations in-person training sessions have been suspended, in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations offers a way to build the financial health and wholeness of PC(USA) pastors to better serve their congregations.
There are three educational components:
Learn more about these educational components.
Eligible pastors who complete the education sessions receive a one-time grant of up to $10,000. The grant may be used to reduce or eliminate the pastor's educational or personal debt, or to boost personal savings in the Retirement Savings Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a 403(b)(9) plan.
Grants for the Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations program are made possible in part because of a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Learn more about the grant awards.
To qualify, the pastor must