In 2009 the Baptist Union of Great Britain set up a Pension Review Group, to consider what type of pension scheme could be offered to ministers and other staff of Baptist organisations from 2012 onwards, as the existing Defined Benefit schemes were in deficit. As part of this process, an Interim mailing was issued to contributing members and churches/employers in December 2009 asking some open-ended questions to introduce the issues and encourage wider participation in the discussions.
The Interim mailing, an analysis of the responses received, and the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about the existing schemes and the need for change, are below:
Interim Mailing (issued December 2009)
Analysis of Responses(issued Spring 2010)
FAQ (issued Summer 2010)
Consultation 2011 Information
Below are the documents from the Consultation process in 2011.
The Baptist Union of Great Britain has undertaken a major review of future pension arrangements for members of the Ministers' Pension Fund and Staff Pension Scheme. Proposals were put forward to the Baptist Union’s Council meeting in March 2011 and were approved for formal consultation with the membership. Consultation documents were sent to all members of the Ministers’ Pension Fund and the Staff Pension Scheme and to all churches in membership with the BUGB and the BU of Scotland, Associations, Colleges and other employers. These documents are available below to download.
Employer Communication (Pensions Bulletin)
Pension Update - July 2011
The Pension Review Group, the Pension Trustees and the Union's Trustee Board reviewed the responses to the consultation. In July 2011, an update was sent to all members of the Baptist Ministers' Pension Fund and treasurers for all churches in membership with BUGB and the BU of Scotland, and other employers. A copy of the Pensions Update is available to download below.
Letter to Members and Employers
Pension Roadshows
As part of the consultation, the Pension Review Group hosted a series of Roadshows around the country during April 2011 to help churches and ministers understand what these proposed changes mean for them. An adapted version of the slides is available to download below.
Another series of Roadshows was also held in the autumn of 2011, the slides can be accessed below. The autumn Roadshows also featured slides from Legal and General, again these can be found below.
FAQ
Below are the FAQ’s from the Spring Roadshow 2011
Below are the FAQ from the Autumn Roadshow 2011