Report of the
Beneficiary Society
Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.
Ps 111:2-3
The Beneficiary Society continued to gratefully minister to the needs of the brethren and their families throughout 2011.
Several events have marked this past year. In April the members of the Society showed their sincere appreciation to R.C. Reichenbach with a standing ovation for his many years of service. In October 2011 the membership adopted revisions to the By-Laws and an increase in dues to $100 for 2012.
Assistance was given to the following throughout 2011:
Elizabeth Bartron a continued quarterly allowance,
Rev. James Head on the passing of his son, and
The families of Thelma Smock and Esther Cassel.
The above were done in accordance with the rules of the Society.
The officers of the Society are concerned with the management of the assets and have arranged for a review of these assets in the coming year.
To follow is the complete and revised copy of the legislation for the Beneficiary Society.
Beneficiary Society: Philip Norris, Chairman; Donald Kuntzman, Secretary; LeRoy S. Heller, Treasurer
701-1 Beneficiary Society
701-1.1 Preamble – The Beneficiary Society of the Bible Fellowship Church is a mutual aid society of the ordained and/or licensed ministers engaged in the ministries of the BFC.
We seek to aid one another in the time of death or when disability may cause one of our brethren to be laid aside. This aid is not only for the minister but extends to his family as well. We suggest that every minister and his wife read the rules and regulations and become aware of their responsibilities and benefits.
701-1.2 Organization
(1) The Beneficiary Society shall meet at least once a year to transact business relative to the Society. This meeting shall be held at the time of BFC Conference.
(2) The secretary’s annual report and the financial report shall be submitted at this meeting.
(3) At this annual meeting officers shall be elected by and from the members of the Society. They shall be elected for terms of three years. These terms shall be staggered so normally one officer is elected each year. The elected officers shall be privileged to organize as chairman, secretary and treasurer.
(4) The accounts of the secretary and treasurer shall be submitted for review by the BFC Executive Board prior to BFC Conference.
(5) The officers of the Beneficiary Society shall be authorized to invest the funds of the Beneficiary Society according to the BFC investment policy.
(6) The officers shall be authorized to conduct all necessary business of the Society throughout the year.
(7) All three officers’ names shall be on record at the financial institutions chosen by the officers. The secretary is authorized to carry out investments and arrange with financial institutions for financial transactions when benefits for members of the society are necessary. If the secretary is unable to carry out his duties, the two remaining officers together are authorized to engage in financial transactions with the financial institutions. Benefits for members are paid by check, signed by two officers.
701-1.3 Rules and Regulations
Membership – On becoming licensed as a probationer in the ministry of the BFC, one shall become a member of the Beneficiary Society beginning at the succeeding Annual Conference and shall be responsible to pay into the fund. Every probationer/ordained man licensed or ordained by the BFC must bea member of the Beneficiary Society of the BFC, except those excluded in the next paragraph.
Only active and retired ministers of the BFC can continue to be part of the Society. Ministers of the BFC who are working with other Christian ministries and inactive ministers are not members of the Beneficiary Society and are not eligible for benefits from the fund
Dues – The dues of all members of the Beneficiary Society shall be set at the annual meeting and shall be paid at BFC Conference. Dues may be paid in two installments: ½ due at BFC Conference and the remaining ½ due by November 1. If dues are not paid within thirty days after the due date, the pastor and his family are disqualified from being eligible to receive benefits until all unpaid dues are paid.
Ministers receiving Ministers’ Retirement Fund benefits, ministers on disability, and ministers who have retired at age 65 or later are members of the Society but are exempt from dues. Members who continue on active service are exempt from dues after they have paid dues for forty years.Ministers over age 65 who choose to continue to serve as pastors or under ministries of the BFC must pay dues until they reach the age of 72 or have paid dues for forty years. Ministers who retire before age 65 are required to pay dues until age 65.
Benefits – Each member of the Society is eligible fordeath benefits for himself, his wife and his children. Each child is included until he or she reaches the age of nineteen. If a pastor-member of the Beneficiary Society is called home to be with the Lord, his children are includeduntil their nineteenth birthday. The widow of a deceased member shall not be eligible if she remarries. If a minister marries after he retires, his wife is not eligible for benefits.
These benefits, as recommended by the officers of the Society, are determined by the members of the Society at their annual meeting. Benefits are subject to annual review.
A member must pay into the Beneficiary Society Fund for at least 10 years to receive full benefits. If a member pays into the fund less than 10 years the benefits are as follows:
1-4 years – 1/4 of the prescribed benefits
5-9 years – 1/2 of the prescribed benefits
Aid Grants
(1) Widows – Widows of deceased ministers who have complied with the provisions of the Beneficiary Society (membership, dues) shall receive aid grants beginning at the time of the death of the husband and continuing until she is 65 years of age or until the time of her death or remarriage.
Widows of ministers who were retired at the time of marriage shall not be eligible to receive aid grants.
These aid grants, as recommended by the officers of the Society, are determined by the members of the Society at their annual meeting. Aid grants are subject to annual review.
(2) Ministers – A minister who, because of physical illness or disability, finds it necessary to leave the active ministry under the terms of a leave of absence and who has complied with the provisions of the Beneficiary Society (membership, dues) shall receive aid grants beginning at the time of the severance from the active ministry and continuing until he reaches the age of 65 years, or until the time of his death or severance from membership in a Bible Fellowship Church.
These aid grants, as recommended by the officers of the Society, are determined by the members of the Society at their annual meeting. Aid grants are subject to annual review.
A minister shall be eligible for disability benefits from the Beneficiary Society if he has fulfilled a full-time ministry in the BFC for ten years, is permanently disabled and is otherwise unemployed. Appeals of exception can be made to the officers of the Beneficiary Society.
Miscellaneous Rules. The term of office for officers elected or appointed to this Society shall be for the term designated by our rules for that office or until successors are elected.
Once a member leaves the active ministry of the BFC (except for retirement or disability under the Conference rules and regulations), he is no longer a member of the society. This is a mutual aid society and there are no refunds.
If a man has paid into the Beneficiary Society Fund for 30 or more years and leaves the ministry of the BFC to labor in a full-time ministry with some other Christian organization, he may, if he desires, continue as a member of the Society by making the regular yearly payments to the fund.