The latest quarterly edition of the Nazarene Benefits USA has been released, and director Kevin Gilmore reported an increase of participants in the annual pension supplement system. Participation in the program has gone from 33.8% in 2024 to 35% in 2025. Participants are inching upwards. That’s good, but why are the number of participants still so low?

As a reminder, the simple version of the system is that if a pastor (and/or local church and pastor) contribute $5,000, the denomination will give a 50% match or $2,500. This is a far better deal than the old system when every pastor received $200, then was matched up to and additional $250. I’m not a math whiz but $2500 in free money is better than the maximum amount of $450 in free money in the old plan (churches need to participate in the pension apportionment system through the denomination to qualify). 

The big question should be: Of the 5,500 eligible ministers in USA, why are only 35% are taking advantage of this free money? What are the other 65% of pastors thinking who aren’t participating? What part of “free money” don’t they understand?

Why are 65% of Nazarene pastors are not taking advantage of the free money?  Maybe these are the reasons:

1. Some pastors don’t feel that they have even a dime to spare. Living paycheck to paycheck they have zero extra dollars to put away for the future. 
2. Maybe church boards don’t understand the importance of assisting their pastor’s planning for the future. 
3. Maybe for whatever reason, the pastor doesn’t think she/he is eligible. If the minister is a full-time pastor (full time workload regardless of pay). He/she is eligible.
4. It could be that the pastor already has a 403b account through their spouse or another job. Umm.. it’s still free money.
5. It could be that the minister simply hasn’t taken the time to set up their Nazarene Fidelity account through the Nazarene Benefits office. Whatcha waiting on?
6. Or maybe the minister hasn’t heard about it (It’s been repeatedly communicated).

My guess is that the reason that 65% of Nazarene pastors aren’t taking the free money is a combination of all the above. Whatever the reason, all full-time pastors should beg, borrow or (please do not) steal the $5,000 to get the free $2500. When it’s time to retire, the pastor will be glad he/she did. Even if pastor can’t come up with the full $5,000, something is better than nothing. 

If pastors are 59 ½ years old, they could put in $5,000 and withdraw $7500. It’s free money.  And if it is a young pastor, it’s even more essential that he/she put the full amount into the program. If a 25-year-old pastor’s fidelity account has $7500 placed in it every year at an annual rate of 6% (a very conservative number) at age 65 that person will have $1.16 million in their account. If the annual return was 8%, the 403b account would have nearly 2 million dollars. This is far better than the old, old plan where a Nazarene pastor received a pension of less than $400 a month after 40 years of service to the church. 

USA Nazarene pastors take the free money! Find $5,000 somewhere (or as much as you can) and receive a 50% match from the denomination. With questions mounting regarding the social security system (reports that it will default without action from congress in 2032), pastors and churches need to do all they can to provide for themselves in retirement. The Nazarene Benefit structure greatly helps to ensure that Nazarene pastors can have the resources to retire. C’mon pastors, think ahead and plan accordingly!