Ministry life is filled with daily rhythms and planning but also many unexpected events. Ministry leaders can plan for some but for others, they cannot. Geneva understands the importance of ministerial wellbeing and guides ministry workers through the complexities of financial planning and benefits so that they can focus on their calling.
One simple, but often overlooked, key to planning for the future is ensuring that beneficiary information remains up to date.
Individuals often select beneficiaries when they are opening a retirement account or a life insurance policy. Account holders can choose a single beneficiary or multiple beneficiaries. They can even choose qualified charities like the Relief Fund as primary or partial beneficiaries. Selecting beneficiaries is necessary to ensure that assets that remain in those accounts are transferred to the correct person(s) or entities upon the death of the primary account holder.
It is common for individuals to not review or update their beneficiary information for decades, but just as with seasons, life’s circumstances change. Regular review of beneficiary information can ensure retirement and life insurance benefits are transferred to the correct person upon the death of the primary account holder. We recommend individuals set regular reminders to take this important action every 3-5 years.
Over the past 50 years of ministry, we have encountered heartbreaking situations where retirement account balances were paid out to a former spouse instead of the deceased participant’s current spouse. More recently, we were legally required to pay an account balance to a deceased pastor’s children instead of his newly married spouse. Because the Designated Beneficiary Form is a binding agreement, we are required to pay account balances to the individuals listed therein. For this reason, we want to share some practical steps to help ministry workers understand benefits and planning for the future.
Practical Steps
- Beneficiaries listed in the Beneficiary Designation Form will always supersede beneficiaries listed in wills and trusts. We recommend that individuals periodically (every 3-5 years) check their beneficiaries on file and update them as needed.
- The Beneficiary Designation Form should be reviewed and potentially updated after major life events like marriage, remarriage, divorce, death of a spouse, and the birth, adoption or death of a child. If a charity is listed as a beneficiary, periodically make sure the charity is still active and carrying out the desired mission.
- Don’t forget to update all estate planning documents every 3-5 years. This includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, etc.
Participants in Geneva’s Standard, Enhanced, and Dependent Life Insurance Plans are eligible to have an attorney draw up a will for participants and their spouses at no additional cost. This includes testamentary trusts set up for children. This is the best way to sync up beneficiaries across all estate planning.
Keeping beneficiary designations current is important to any family’s future wellbeing.
Questions? Contact a Benefits Advisor by phone at 800-789-8765 or email benefits@genevabenefits.org for assistance.
For more than 50 years, Geneva Benefits Group has been committed to serving those who serve the Church. Established by the PCA General Assembly in 1973, Geneva was entrusted with a clear and enduring mission: to care for pastors, ministry workers, and their families—not just in seasons of flourishing but in moments of real need.
At the heart of that mission is the Relief Fund.
The Relief Fund exists to provide financial assistance and compassionate support to PCA pastors, widows, and ministry families facing hardship. Whether the need arises from illness, loss, or unexpected crisis, the goal is simple: to ensure that those who have given their lives to ministry are not left to carry those burdens alone.
This work is overseen by the Geneva team and guided by people who understand ministry life firsthand. Many on our team are pastors themselves and have spent years walking alongside ministry families. Financial planners, staff members, and committee leaders bring both professional expertise and pastoral care to every situation.
Because behind every application is a real story.
A Thoughtful and Pastoral Application Process
The Relief Fund is available to PCA pastors, widows, and ministry families experiencing financial hardship. The circumstances vary, but often include medical crises, disability, loss of income, or the death of a pastor—leaving a spouse or family navigating both grief and financial uncertainty.
Applying for assistance is designed to be a private, respectful, and pastoral experience. Applicants are invited to share their circumstances in a way that helps Geneva understand both the financial need and the broader context of their situation. Financial information is gathered but always with an emphasis on dignity, confidentiality, and care.
No one is treated like a number. Every application represents a person, a family, and a story that matters.
How Relief Fund Grants Are Prayerfully Distributed
Once an application is submitted, it is carefully reviewed by Geneva’s Financial Assistance Committee. This team includes financial leaders, pastoral staff, and experienced advisors who bring both wisdom and compassion to the process.
Each request is approached with prayerful discernment. In many cases, applicants also meet with a Geneva financial planner to gain a clearer understanding of their financial picture and to receive guidance on next steps. This ensures that assistance is not only timely, but also thoughtful and sustainable.
Several factors are considered in determining how relief is given:
- The nature and urgency of the need
- The applicant’s available resources
- The long-term impact and sustainability of support
Support may come in the form of a one-time emergency grant or ongoing assistance for more extended situations. Each case is handled individually, with care taken to tailor support to the specific need. Relief is delivered as quickly and practically as possible—meeting people where they are, when they need it most.
How Your Generosity Changes Lives
Every dollar distributed through the Relief Fund begins as a gift.
Donors make this work possible by giving generously to support pastors, widows, and ministry families they may never meet but with whom they share a deep bond in Christ. These gifts are carefully stewarded by Geneva to ensure both immediate impact and long-term sustainability.
Supporting the Relief Fund is relational, not transactional. To give to the Relief Fund is to participate in the care of the Church. It’s a way of saying, “You are not forgotten.” It’s a tangible expression of gratitude for those who have spent their lives serving others.
The impact of your generosity is literally life-changing:
“My wife and I would not have made it financially for the last few years without the help from the Relief Fund.” -Scott, PCA Pastor
“When I got the call that I was going to be given help, I cried for 20 minutes straight on the phone…It felt like a miracle and that the Lord saw me.” -Jen, Widow
“Without the Relief Fund, I don’t know where I would be. I could very well be homeless. I have no family that can help. I can’t say enough good things about this ministry.” -Kimberlee
Time and again, these gifts become lifelines—helping families stay afloat, covering essential expenses, and providing stability in seasons that might otherwise feel overwhelming.
A Growing Need
As the PCA continues to grow and mature, so do the needs within it.
More pastors are reaching retirement age. More widows are living longer and requiring ongoing care. At the same time, rising healthcare costs and financial pressures are increasing the strain on ministry families.
The need for the Relief Fund is growing.
And with that growth comes an opportunity for the church to respond–to live out its calling as a connected, caring body, and to ensure that those who have faithfully served are, in turn, faithfully supported.
How to Get Involved
At its core, the Relief Fund is a bridge.
It connects those in need with those who are able to give. It reflects a shared commitment to care for one another across churches, cities, and generations. It honors the service of pastors and ministry families by ensuring they are not alone in times of hardship.
“You often don’t know the struggles and trials your pastor, his family, and other ministry workers endure. They often put on a great public face while having many internal struggles and weariness in the ups and downs of hard ministry work. Being able to provide relief is essential for helping those who serve the Lord openly and, in their calling, when they have extraordinary need.” – Relief Fund Monthly Sustainer
This is what it looks like to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). And it is an invitation:
- To pray for those in need
- To give to the Relief Fund as you are able
- To apply for help
As we support one another in times of need, the Church becomes a clearer picture of Christ’s love and care for His people.
Geneva Benefits Group serves those who serve others, providing practical support for the financial, physical, and mental wellbeing of people who work in full-time ministry.
