Welcome to the second CCP News and Updates e-mail newsletter! This newsletter provides 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.

We Are Happy to Meet Via Zoom When It’s Convenient for You

Wespath’s Central Conference Pensions (CCP) team recently met via Zoom with representatives from pension plans supported by CCP that did not have a representative at the May Central Conference Pension Officers (CCPO) Forum in Germany. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to connect about your plan operations and administration. If you were unable to schedule a July video call, but would like to connect with the CCP team, please contact Ross Lundstrom at rlundstrom@wespath.org.

The CCP team schedules Zoom calls twice a year with representatives from each UMC pension plan. We are also available to meet as needed during the year, which can be scheduled by contacting Ross Lundstrom at rlundstrom@wespath.org, or Dale Jones at djones@wespath.org.

CCPO Africa Forum Updates

Planning is well underway for the Africa CCPO Forum, scheduled for October 4-6 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Formal invitations necessary to obtain visas, as well a link to the registration site, have been e-mailed out. After completing the registration, attending members should expect to be contacted by Travel Leaders travel agency within two days to secure travel plans and hotel reservations. We expect meetings to start early on October 4 and wrap up October 6 at approximately 3:00 p.m. South Africa Standard Time (SAST)—please arrange your travel accordingly. If you have any questions, please contact Tori Luke at tluke@wespath.org.

Investment Markets: Keep Your Eyes on the Horizon

While the financial markets experienced significant declines in the first half of the year, we remind you that as a diligent and prudent investor, we have a long-term view for pension reserve assets and do not react to short-term market swings. In fact, in July, markets rebounded, with the month-to-date return for Wespath’s Multiple Asset Fund up 5.3%, net-of-fees. Year-to-date performance for all funds is available here. Should you have any questions regarding the investment program at Wespath, please contact Ross Lundstrom at rlundstrom@wespath.org.

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