Sustaining the Call: Financial Wellness and the Role of Purposeful Investing

For many who serve in ministry, time is a resource spent generously on others. Between preaching, pastoral care, and community leadership, finding the capacity to focus on one’s own financial future can feel nearly impossible. Markets fluctuate, expenses rise, and retirement—though certain—can seem distant and difficult to plan for.

At the Pension Boards, many of our team members are experts in Investments and Financial Wellness Planning. They often hear a common concern from those we serve: “How can I build lasting financial security while remaining focused on my ministry?”

That question is at the heart of our work. As a financial ministry, our purpose is to help ensure that people of call can depend on their pension provider not just for income in retirement, but for guidance and tools that support long-term financial well-being.

Why Long-Term Financial Tools Matter

Financial wellness is not a single decision—it’s a lifelong practice of stewardship. For those in ministry, it can be especially challenging to maintain savings targets through years of changing roles, salaries, and economic cycles. Tools that evolve with you can make a significant difference.

Target Annuitization Date (TAD) Funds are one example. They’re designed to simplify the investing process and to grow more conservative automatically as you approach retirement. This “set-it-and-forget-it” structure means less time spent managing investments and more time focusing on what matters most: serving others.

Beginning in 2026, new TAD Funds—2055, 2060, and 2065—will be available to serve those preparing for retirement in future decades. The goal is not to promote a particular fund, but to ensure that those who serve have access to investments that reflect best practices in long-term retirement planning.

The Challenge of Saving While Serving

Many clergy and lay workers tell us that they don’t see themselves as investors. They are caretakers, advocates, teachers, and leaders. Yet, financial health is also part of holistic wellness.

When saving and investing feel complicated, people often put off decisions that could strengthen their future security. TAD Funds, like other diversified investment approaches, can help ease that burden by handling much of the adjustment automatically—allowing assets to grow in a way that matches the investor’s stage of life.

This kind of steady, intentional growth can provide both peace of mind and a more dependable foundation for retirement income later on.

Honoring Years of Service with Lifelong Support

We believe that faithful service should be met with faithful financial stewardship. Investments held through a financial ministry are not just about returns—they are about honoring a lifetime of dedication with stability and care.

Planning for retirement is not separate from ministry; it sustains it. The ability to serve with confidence, free from anxiety about financial uncertainty, allows ministers and lay workers to live out their calling fully.

Our work, as stewards of your pension and wellness programs, is to make that possible.

Continuing the Conversation

Financial wellness is a journey, not a destination. The Pension Boards’ team continues to develop resources and tools to help those who serve navigate that journey with clarity and confidence.

Whether you are early in your career or nearing retirement, we encourage you to reflect on how your financial decisions today can sustain your call for years to come.