As a national agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Board of Pensions shares the PC(USA)'s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to dismantling structural racism. We are taking tangible, intentional steps to ensure a workplace culture that inspires a sense of belonging. And we are continuing to actively engage throughout the Church to ensure access to benefits plans and programs that provide wholeness.
Building leadership for the future is the responsibility of the entire Church. The Board of Pensions adapts programs that focus on nurturing ministry to better serve traditionally marginalized communities. Korean and Spanish speakers are participating in Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations, which restores the financial health and wholeness of pastors so they may revitalize their congregations. Black ministers have a network to call on for support that they built during an African American CREDO gathering. And pastors of immigrant worshiping communities can pour their energies into ministry after receiving Benefits Grants for Organizing Pastors and Evangelists, which fund enrollment in Pastor's Participation.
Our workforce is diverse in background and talent, reflecting metropolitan Philadelphia, where the agency is headquartered. Over one-third of our employees are people of color, and over half are women. Mutual respect supports a culture of innovation, which is so important to our mission. We serve the PC(USA) by promoting the spiritual, health, financial, and vocational well-being of ministers and employees. We encourage people of color and candidates from various backgrounds to share their talents with us.
Recognition for our work
The Board of Pensions was recognized nationally for making diversity and inclusion a priority with a 2020 NACD NXT award. The award was presented by the National Association of Corporate Directors, whose membership represents over half of the Fortune 1000. The Board was one of three winners selected from among 10 finalists.
We established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Council (DEILC) to advise senior management on diversity initiatives. Its 14 members broadly reflect staff makeup, embodying a range of professional expertise as well as racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. The council advocates for inclusive practices within the agency and monitors its strategic diversity activities. In concert with the DEILC, the Board of Directors' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force focuses largely on our impact in advancing equity in such areas as agency programs, policies, and practices. The Board of Directors is diverse in gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity, with 35 percent of the Directors people of color. In 2020, the agency was recognized nationally for its commitment to diversity.
In June 2020, in the midst of nationwide unrest and cries for justice in the wake of the tragic killing of George Floyd, the Board of Pensions released its statement on racial justice, unanimously endorsed by the DEILC and shared with the full support of all at the Board. The statement emphasizes the Board's role as an active ally for change and its position "in support of racial equality, and against deeply ingrained prejudices against Black Americans and other people of color simply because of the color of their skin."
