Welcome to the first CCP News and Updates e-mail newsletter specifically for Plan Sponsors! This newsletter will provide timely information to Central Conference benefit officers on a regular basis. If you would like others to receive this e-mail, please contact us at ccp@wespath.org with those individuals’ names, roles and e-mail addresses. Thank you for reading and partnering with Wespath to care for those who serve. Without further delay, let’s get to the news and updates.

Schedule a Virtual Conversation with Wespath

Continuing its practice of holding twice-a-year Zoom meetings with Central Conference Program (CCP) Plan Sponsors, the Wespath CCP Team will be available to meet with you virtually from July 7 through July 21. Portuguese and French translators will be available at select times. The registration link will be sent out soon in a separate e-mail.

The Wespath CCP Team is prepared to discuss topics specific to the local areas and pension plans, potential changes within The United Methodist Church (UMC) and upcoming events at Wespath. We encourage you to register for a one-hour Zoom meeting and invite any key leaders or staff who will benefit from our discussion. We look forward to speaking with you soon! Please contact Ross Lundstrom at rlundstrom@wesapth.org with any questions.

Save the Dates: Central Conference Benefit Officer Forum in South Africa from October 4-6

Wespath will host the Central Conference Pension Officers Africa Forum from October 4-6, 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa at the Johannesburg Airport Hotel, Garden Court O.R. Tambo. Please reserve time on your calendar to attend our three-day discussion of the CCP Program and the journey to a sustainable pension plan. More information will be provided in the next few weeks to allow for registration and travel arrangements.

This May, in Königswinter, Germany, the Wespath CCP Team held a similar Central Conference Pension Officers Forum specifically for the European and Asian conferences. Representatives from five of the CCP sponsors—Central & Southern Europe, Eurasia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Philippines—attended. Topics covered at the May forum included:

• A review of plan administration
• A review of the Wespath investment program and best practices for investment oversight within the local plan sponsor areas
• A discussion about potential changes within the Church and the potential impact on the pension programs
• A virtual meet-and-greet with Wespath’s new General Secretary, Andrew Hendren, and Chief Operating Officer Bill Kavanaugh
• A discussion with Resident Bishop Harald Rückert on the work being done within the Germany Central Conference to live and co-exist within a potentially changing UMC.

Wespath Selects New CCP Program Auditor

We are pleased to announce that Wespath has selected Holbrook Global Limited as the new auditing firm for the CCP Program. Audit services are made available to each pension plan at no cost to the Plan Sponsor. Holbrook Global will start auditing some of the Pension Plans likely in the second half of 2022.

Holbrook Global may be a familiar name to some, as it provides auditing services on behalf of the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM). Wespath believes that Holbrook Global’s knowledge of the local Central Conference areas, and overall UMC structure and operations, will result in valuable efficiencies. Look for more information about Holbrook Global in an upcoming CCP News and Updates e-mail.

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