Stories of pastors needing health insurance

For a small ethnic congregation, health insurance a struggle:

Pastor J.P. Masih’s calling to the ministry came when he was a child in India. “After college, I joined the ministry in the Mennonite Church in India right away,” he says.

He has come to the Asian Mennonite Community Church in Aurora, Ill. “Our congregation is very small,” J.P. says—so small they can’t afford to pay for pastoral health insurance.

“Members of our church tend to be in two congregations at the same time—an English-speaking congregation and an ethnic congregation,” says J.P. “They may also have connections with their churches back in India. So their tithes and offerings are divided.”

Lacking health insurance can be difficult for J.P. and his family. “Doctors sometimes fear seeing people who don’t have insurance,” he says. “Or they aren’t as serious about their diagnosis.” And though J.P.’s family has taken advantage of a charitable hospital located two hours away, the cost of travel and parking in order to reach this health care can be prohibitive.

The Corinthian Plan could help the Asian Mennonite Community Church—and other small congregations—provide health coverage for pastors such as J.P. “We could then have health coverage, at least for emergencies,” he says. “It would definitely be a benefit.”

An answer to a prayer:
Health coverage for our pastors is a serious concern,” says Freeman Miller, Bishop of Lancaster Mennonite Conference—a conference diverse in location, size and cultures. At almost 300 years old, Lancaster Conference has planted churches around the world, including Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“Many of our established congregations are pretty financially stable,” says Freeman. “But many of the newer congregations … are small and struggling, especially those in urban areas.”

That financial struggle often results in pastors going without health insurance. The conference once hired a pastor from the Philippines to serve a U.S.-based congregation. “He didn’t immediately get health insurance,” says Freeman. “Soon after he came, he became quite ill. We discovered he had a number of serious health issues. The small church of about 30-40 members soon inherited a huge hospital bill.” The pastor became so sick he returned to the Philippines, where he eventually passed away.

Freeman supports The Corinthian Plan because it could be beneficial for young congregations that can’t afford to cover their pastors. “Anything that helps get our pastors health coverage—where the haves and the have-nots join hands in mutual aid—would certainly be welcome,” he says. “If the larger, established congregations help carry the younger churches, it would be the answer to the prayer that we’re looking for.”

Together in the kingdom of God:
Of the 15 Mennonite Church USA congregations in Texas, 10 of them use Spanish as their primary language during worship, according to Marco Guete, conference minister for the Texas churches in Western District Conference.

“The majority of the congregations are first-generation members with first-generation pastors,” says Marco. And though most of the Spanish-speaking pastors are bivocational, none of them has health insurance.

“Usually the congregations provide some sort of stipend to cover doctor visits and medications,” says Marco. “For example, one of the congregations gives the pastor about $1,600 a year to be used at the pastor’s discretion. But others have different amounts, and some don’t have any amount in the budget.”

When in need of health care, many of the pastors go to hospitals serving low-income patients. But because they earn more than the poverty level, the pastors sometimes don’t qualify for medical-expense assistance. Some pastors go across the border to Mexico and others to the emergency room when they need health services.

Marco believes The Corinthian Plan will provide a much-needed solution for the pastors in his conference—and promote stewardship between Mennonite congregations of all sizes and needs.

“The Corinthian Plan … is mutual aid [among] everybody,” says Marco. “It’s about working and living together in the kingdom of God.”

Taking the leap of faith:
When it comes to starting a new congregation, church planters and pastors can face any number of obstacles. Health insurance is one of them.

“Most of the pastors or church planters are bivocational and like working so they can have benefits,” says Kuaying Teng, Mennonite Mission Network minister of Asian ministries. “When they’re thinking about moving to an urban area [to plant a new church], there’s a big concern about medical and health insurance.”

The reason for the concern is that insurance is not readily affordable for small, upstart congregations. The result: individuals can be turned off from church planting because health insurance is an issue.

Church planters have a difficult balancing act between answering God’s call to the ministry and providing for family needs, says Kuaying. That’s why it can be especially difficult for church planters with other jobs to take the leap of faith.

“Being bivocational doesn’t help them fully engage with the ministry,” says Kuaying. “Support from congregations and conferences would help.” Church planters and pastors could then answer the call and still have some financial stability, should a medical need arise.

The Corinthian Plan is very important, says Kuaying. “It’s something that is needed.”

Listening to the Holy Spirit:
Sam Thomas is grateful for his health insurance. Currently serving as bishop of Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite Conference, Sam has worked for—and had health coverage through—the church for his entire adult life. And it’s because of his health coverage that he didn’t have to worry about medical expenses when he battled cancer twice—first in 1978 and again in 1995.

“I was insured all along,” says Sam. “If I didn’t have my insurance, I’d be in trouble.”

Sam can’t help but think of other pastors and church leaders who have to face medical problems and expenses without the help of insurance.

“I’m one of the grateful ones who fully support a mutual aid kind of plan,” says Sam. “It provides opportunities for people like me who would not otherwise be insurable.”

For Sam, The Corinthian Plan conjures up thoughts about the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost, when “all who believed were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44).

“There was not a needy person among them,” says Sam. “How can we talk about the Holy Spirit being there without talking about caring for one another?”

That’s why The Corinthian Plan is such a blessing.

“I want to give to others to help provide health coverage,” says Sam. “Providing for people who have preexisting conditions and people whose congregations can’t afford health insurance—it feels good to be a part of helping others.”

Serving through lean times:
Victor Vargas is no stranger to going without health insurance. The pastor of Iglesia Mennonita Pentecostes, Woodburn, Ore., has not had health insurance in over a decade. It’s made for some lean times for Victor and his family—especially considering his wife is not only a cancer survivor but struggling with a neck injury stemming from an accident 15 years ago.

“All our money goes to paying medical bills,” says Victor.

During his wife’s cancer treatment, the couple’s medical bills were paid by a charitable program. But Victor doesn’t qualify for similar assistance—he’s making too much money between his pastorate and working part-time as conference minister for Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference (PNMC). And even though Victor is 65 years old, he doesn’t have enough credits to be eligible for Social Security benefits.

Fortunately, PNMC does provide Victor with some money for catastrophic coverage.

“I am healthy, and I don’t need doctors right now,” Victor says. “So I save the money to pay for physicals.”

Victor knows he’s not the only Mennonite pastor who could benefit from The Corinthian Plan.

“It would be helpful for a lot of pastors,” he says—pastors trying to serve and build the church while also tending to their health needs.

How a mosquito put everything into perspective:
simple mosquito bite took pastor Jeff Wintermote from a healthy adult to someone facing over $.25 million in health expenses.

That mosquito bite infected Jeff with the West Nile Virus, which evolved into Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that, if left untreated, causes gradual paralysis of the entire body.

“It paralyzes from your feet and works its way up your body,” Jeff says. “When it gets to your diaphragm … you can’t breathe any longer.”

Jeff was in the hospital for six weeks—two of those weeks in intensive care.

“We knew the medical bills were going to be outrageous,” he says. But all Jeff ended up paying was his health plan’s deductible. The rest of his medical bills and related expenses were paid, thanks to negotiations made on his behalf by the insurance company and the generosity of his congregation and community.

Jeff and his family have since moved to a different Mennonite congregation in a different state. Fortunately, his health plan transferred with him. That’s one of the reasons Jeff supports The Corinthian Plan.

“I’m a strong believer in mutual aid,” he says. “If congregations can see that this is really a part of who we are as a Mennonite people—as believers in mutual aid—maybe we can make this work in a better way that’s affordable for more congregations.”

Trying not to burden the church:
Constanzo and Marcello Aguirre used to have health insurance, until they were called to serve as pastors of Centro Cristiano Vida Abundante in Aurora, Ill.

“The church doesn’t have the funds to pay for insurance,” says Constanzo.

Centro Cristiano Vido Abundante is a growing congregation of about 150 people—many of whom are recent immigrants. Had the church used what little funds they were able to raise on health insurance, “we would probably just barely be making it,” says Marcello.

Accessing health care has been tricky for the married co-pastors.

“We go to a hospital that is close by and get our checkups,” says Marcello. “We try not to burden the church with that.” But when it comes to more costly procedures, the couple tries to get those taken care of when they visit their congregationally supported missionary in Mexico.

Constanzo and Marcello believe The Corinthian Plan could help them and other pastors trying to find creative ways to take care of their health needs.

“I believe The Corinthian Plan will help,” says Marcello. “We would contribute funds to the program … [and] it does sound like something we can afford.”

Medical costs and mutual aid
Darrell Baer knows how a medical problem can change a life in an instant. The conference minister for Franklin Mennonite Conference, Darrell recently suffered from an unexpected and life-threatening brain hemorrhage.

“It struck suddenly—really only five minutes from being in good health until I was in big trouble,” says Darrell. After two emergency operations and extended hospital stays, Darrell was on the mend.

Then the $160,000 of medical bills began rolling in. Darrell’s health insurance covered $100,000, leaving him responsible for the remaining $60,000. But Darrell’s medical burden turned out to be a story of mutual aid and Christian love.

A medical billing professional from a congregation in Franklin Conference agreed (with proper authorization) to take over all the accounting on Darrell’s medical bills.

“She negotiated for me and got the $60,000 liability reduced to $28,000,” says Darrell. “That was wonderful.”

A deacon in Franklin Conference also raised money from other church members to cover the costs.

“People came to my rescue,” says Darrell. “The bills were all paid.”

Darrell believes The Corinthian Plan is a way to provide health coverage while also helping our brothers and sisters in Christ when medical needs arise.

“We’re foolish to think we don’t need it,” says Darrell, “because in five minutes, any of us could be vulnerable.”

A life investment:
Juanita Nuñez, moderator of Iglesia Menonita Hispana, and her husband, Eligio, were fortunate to escape serious injury in a December 2006 car accident. But the experience brought them face-to-face with their vulnerability.

The couple doesn’t have health insurance. The main reason for going without coverage is the financial situation of the congregation they co-pastor, Ebenezer Christian Church in Apopka, Fla.

“Even though we have 80 members, some of our people are low-income,” says Juanita. “They have a hard time paying for coverage.”

Juanita and Eligio try to live healthy lives. For the past 25 years, they’ve gone to a community health clinic that bills patients according to income.

“We try to get our regular checkups done, and we go to the dentist every year,” says Juanita. “We take care of ourselves.”

But even those who are responsible stewards of their health can find themselves in unforeseen situations, such as the Nuñez’s car accident. Juanita believes The Corinthian Plan is vitally important because many Hispanic and other ethnic leaders in the denomination don’t have insurance.

“We work hard for the church and the kingdom and invest our lives in the ministry,” says Juanita. “This is a great opportunity for pastors to get
coverage.”

To whom much is given, much is expected:
Community. That’s what brought Greg Lacher and his wife to the Blooming Glen (Pa.) Mennonite Church 35 years ago. The couple, who had not grown up with an Anabaptist background, had recently moved and was searching for a faith community.

“The sense of community we experienced immediately was something unique,” Greg says. “We were drawn to the closeness.”

It’s that feeling of community that excites Greg about the broader Mennonite church—specifically the dynamic and growing multicultural congregations within the denomination.

But Greg, a semiretired financial services and insurance professional, also understands the realities that many of these smaller ethnic congregations are facing.

“There are pastors who don’t have health insurance,” Greg says, “yet they’re a vibrant part of the church.”

Larger, more established congregations such as Blooming Glen don’t have to worry about health insurance. The 725-member congregation employs nine people, and staff members are covered under a group health plan. Yet Blooming Glen is willing to participate in a denomination-wide health plan, such as The Corinthian Plan, in order to help support the broader church.

“Blooming Glen adheres to the saying, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected,’ ” says Greg. “We have a generous spirit of helping others.”

Living out our values:
The face of Mennonite Church USA is changing. More and more people from varied spiritual and cultural backgrounds are feeling called to join and participate in Mennonite congregations.

“It’s enriched the church in many ways,” says Terry Shue, pastor of Kidron (Ohio) Mennonite Church. “And it is also a constant opportunity to teach who we are and our values as a church committed to Anabaptist principles.”

Kidron Mennonite, a 70-year-old congregation with a history of connecting with the work of the larger church, is committed to reaching out to new members while also sharing their core values.

That’s why Terry is excited about The Corinthian Plan.

“It’s a possibility for us, as a denomination, to practice and continue to teach—as we’ve taught all along—the principle of mutual aid,” he says.

Terry feels The Corinthian Plan is a huge opportunity for the Mennonite Church. Not only will it provide health coverage for pastors and church staff participating in the plan throughout the denomination, but “it’s going to give a commentary on who we are as a people—our commitment to mutual aid, our ability to stand together,” says Terry.

“Ultimately, it’s not about insurance. It’s about theology. It’s about living out our values in a real, practical way.”

Widening the circle:
Portland (Ore.) Mennonite Church is accustomed to reaching out. The congregation started as a mission 85 years ago, providing outreach programs for children and Portland area neighborhoods. In the 1960s, Anabaptist men fulfilling their 1-W alternative service came to the area, started families, and settled down—and the mission became a church.

Today the congregation is just one of three English-speaking Mennonite congregations in the Portland area, according to Rod Stafford, Portland Mennonite’s pastor.

“Often an English-speaking church and Spanish-speaking church share a facility,” says Rod—a relationship he knows well, since his congregation shares space with Ministerias Restaurcion. And in building relationships with his colleagues, Rod has noticed some inequities.

“I get a full salary, fringe benefits and the full health coverage for me and my family,” says Rod. But he’s certain some of his Spanish-speaking colleagues can’t say the same.

“The inequities are evident and personal,” says Rod. “It can’t be right that we’re brothers and sisters in Christ, and one has so much and one has so little.”

That’s why the Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference took steps to set up a task force, pool resources and begin subsidizing some pastoral health costs.

It’s no surprise, then, that The Corinthian Plan feels like a move in the right direction.

“We’re really heartened by the denomination’s efforts,” says Rod. “It’s a way of widening the circle of coverage to include pastors who are uninsured or are difficult to insure. It’s a central commitment of ours for mutual aid.”