Compass is the new clergy retirement plan offered through Wespath Benefits and Investments.

Attendees at the 2025 Dakotas Annual Conference will receive information about the new clergy retirement plan, Compass. The 2024 General Conference approved this new defined-contribution retirement plan for active clergy in the United States. The new plan goes into effect January 1, 2026, and replaces the current Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP.)

"Passing the Compass pension plan was needed to ensure that we can continue to provide reliable and sustainable retirement income to those who have faithfully served,” explained Jim Ducker, executive director of finance and administration for the Dakotas Conference. “Compass will be a defined contribution plan (vs. defined benefit plan) like a 401k or 403b. This means that clergy own their account balances and can now designate a beneficiary (or beneficiaries) to receive the balance of their retirement account.”

Compass will have the same eligibility rules as the Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP). Clergy that are currently participating in CRSP will be automatically enrolled in Compass beginning January 1, 2026. Clergy will retain CRSP benefits earned through the end of 2025. The CRSP defined benefit (DB) accrued benefit will continue to increase by 2% per year until the clergy participant retires. CRSP defined contribution (DC) account balances will be transferred to Compass at a later point in time.

Compass will not change the benefits received through previous plans. Clergy who earned pensions through MPP or Pre-82 will retain these benefits. The move to Compass does not impact any benefits that have already been earned. The benefits of retired clergy are not affected by the plan.

There are three components to the Compass retirement plan that the church contributes.

1. $150 monthly flat dollar contribution (prorated for less-than-full-time appointments).

2. 3% of clergy’s total compensation (base pay plus housing allowance or 35% of base pay for clergy with a parsonage.)

3. $1 for $1 match up to 4% of total compensation. 

“Clergy will be setup to have an automatic 4% contribution beginning January 1, 2026,” explained JoAnn Early, conference benefits and human resources officer. “If a clergy is contributing more than 4% to their pension, their contribution will stay the same and clergy below 4% will be raised to match the 4% contribution.”

“If a clergy is contributing to more than one retirement account type (Before-Tax, Roth, After-Tax), they will be responsible for communicating with the benefits office to determine how they want their 4% matching contribution distributed,” added Early.mThose clergy that are currently contributing a flat dollar amount, Wespath will automatically convert that flat dollar amount into a percentage. 

To support this transition, Wespath developed a program called LifeStage Retirement Income that will guide Compass members in how much they can take out of their accounts without risking depletion of the funds they have for retirement.

Early, along with Peter Hang from Wespath, will be present at Annual Conference to provide information at both clergy session and the plenary gathering. They will also have a table in the display area to answer any questions. Additionally, both Wespath and the Dakotas Board of Pensions and Health Benefits will be hosting webinars this fall for clergy and spouses to attend and get to ask questions and receive information about Compass.

Wespath has created a Frequently Asked Questions document that outlines key information for clergy and churches.