Minister Debt Relief

Supporting ministers' financial well-being

For Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ministers, personal matters, such as financial planning, often take a back seat to serving their congregations. As a result, many ministers struggle with financial debt. With these concerns weighing on them, they cannot bring their best gifts to ministry.

The more financially responsible we are, the greater our well-being. To help alleviate financial burden and support the wholeness of PC(USA) ministers, the Board of Pensions provides Minister Debt Relief.

Amount

A one-time grant of up to $10,000 is available.

Note: A minister cannot receive more than $25,000 in combined awards from Minister Educational Debt Assistance and Minister Debt Relief if awarded a grant after Jan. 1, 2022.

Eligibility

To qualify, you must:

• be enrolled in Pastor's Participation or Minister's Choice [as of Jan. 1, 2025, be a PC(USA) minister enrolled in the Medical Plan and/or the Defined Benefit Pension Plan]
• have an effective salary below $80,000, excluding manse value
  
• have a total household adjusted gross income of less than $134,200 in 2024 (less than $140,000 for 2025)
• have net assets below $125,000 (excluding primary residence and car)
  
• have completed the Personal Financial Planning Series and Terms of Call Series online education learning paths, available through Board University via Benefits Connect
  

Once accepted into the program, you will be connected with Ernst & Young Employee Financial Services for individual debt-specific financial planning, at no cost to you.

Ministers who received a Healthy Pastors, Healthy Congregations award between 2017–2021 may apply for an additional $5,000 through a modified Minister Debt Relief grant. Educational modules and coaching through Ernst & Young is not required. The coaching is available for past recipients.

Guidance on online education modules

Minister Debt Relief applicants must complete the Terms of Call and the Personal Financial Planning learning paths on the Board of Pensions e-learning site. Learn more about these e-learning offerings and how to access them through our benefits management website, Benefits Connect.

After completing the learning paths, you can download certificates of completion to attach to your Minister Debt Relief Application.

• While in the Board of Pensions e-learning site, select Achievements in the main menu at the top of the page.
• A transcript of your e-learning content completions will load, displaying them from most recent to oldest.
• Click Certificates, where you can download a PDF of a certificate for any learning path or course you complete that has one available.
• We recommend renaming each file, adding your name to them, before attaching the PDF files to your Minister Debt Relief Application.

How to apply

• Complete the Minister Debt Relief Application.
• Email the application and required documentation to memberservices@pensions.org for review and decision.