New & Active Clergy, Staff & Students

MR&A Programs

Student Gift Membership

The purpose of the Student Gift Membership program is to encourage early participation in the Pension Plan by gifting dues (and providing benefits to the student and family in the event of disability or untimely death). Learn more about Student Gift Membership and how to apply by visiting our Student Gift page.

Vocational Counseling

The Vocational Counseling Program helps Disciples ministers who are transitioning from full-time to part-time ministry, helping them discern complementary vocations that may add new streams of household income. The goal of the program is to mitigate burnout and help them stay in ministry longer. Once approved, the minister will meet for several sessions at no cost with an experienced career counselor selected by Pension Fund.

Low-Interest Loan Program

The Low-Interest Loan Program is to provide financial stability to Disciples ministers by helping them accelerate payoff of high-interest debts, such as credit cards and payday loans.

*Note: This program is only available to those who have successfully completed the Excellence in Ministry program.

Parental Leave Assistance

The Parental Leave Assistance Program partners with Disciples congregations to assist ministers as they take paid time off from congregational employment for the birth or adoption of a child. The program provides a grant of $2,500 to a congregation to help them provide paid leave for their pastor. To be eligible, a church must already have an approved, paid parental leave policy in place.

Reserve Chaplain Dues

The purpose of the Reserve Chaplain dues program is to assist ministers whose civilian ministries are interrupted when called to active duty as military chaplains. With this program, Pension Fund pays a portion of the pastor’s pension dues while he/she is called to active chaplain duty.

Gift Pension for New Church Planters

The New Church Gift Pension Program partners with new Disciples congregations by assisting new church ministers with Pension Plan membership. The program provides a five-year gift to supplement the pension dues paid by a new church start. As the church grows, the amount of the gift steps down each year, while the amount paid by the church increases. To be eligible, the church must be recognized as a new church start by their Disciples region.

Gift Match Pension

The Gift Match Pension program began in 2025 in an effort to secure a strong retirement for credentialed Disciples of Christ pastors serving congregations in economically disadvantaged communities. Eligibility is based on several markers, including a total annual ministerial income of $45,000 or less. Congregational and regional support is required, as is a formal application through MRA.

Clergy Wellness & Cornerstones

We believe that healthy clergy help create healthy, growing congregations. We also believe that it has never been more important for both pastors and congregations to be well.

As a result, we have expanded our investment in overall clergy health and well-being into a comprehensive clergy wellness pilot project called Cornerstones. This project allows participating clergy to choose one of three wellness tracks: financial, physical, or mental wellness. Each area of well-being will include resources and tools, as well as grant opportunities to support clergy in that area of wellness.

Clergy in each track will participate in cohort groups that will be required to meet regularly for support and accountability; these groups are the heart of our holy friendship work. Each group is run by trained facilitators and is rooted in the belief that we are stronger, better, and more effective in ministry when we lean into real relationships with one another.

The Cornerstones program runs for 18 months with the opportunity for new cohorts after each cycle. Learn more here.