Please call Fidelity at 1-866-NAZARENE (629-2736) to obtain this form.
A century of seving those who serve – From a small mutual aid society in 1919 to a comprehensive benefits program supporting nearly 17,000 ministers and families, the story of Nazarene Benefits USA.
On October 4, 1919, the Fifth General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene created the General Board of Mutual Aid, an expression by a young denomination to collect and distribute donations to assist pastors and families caught off-guard by illness or death. What began as modest monthly grants of $5–$25 has grown into a fully administered retirement, insurance, and benevolence program that today touches the lives of thousands of Nazarene ministers across the United States.
The Fifth General Assembly created the General Board of Mutual Aid and the General Board of Ministerial Relief on October 4, with E. J. Fleming leading early relief efforts for ill, retired, and widowed ministers.
The General Assembly authorized the Ministers' Contributory Reserve Pension Plan — requiring 500 ministers to commit to 2.5% salary contributions — but the Great Depression prevented it from ever launching.
The NMBF was adopted, funded by general budget allotments and 1% of local church giving. Within two years, 1,359 churches were participating and checks were being issued to 75 ministers and 83 widows.
The 1952 General Assembly created a money purchase pension program with a 5% minister and 5% church contribution match. T. W. Willingham was elected as executive secretary.
An optional defined contribution plan under IRC Section 403(b) was offered to pastors — the precursor to today's Nazarene 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan.
The Basic Pension Plan launched in April 1971, providing monthly retirement benefits based on years of active service back to 1908. Nearly 500 people enrolled in the first nine months.
The department's name was updated to reflect the shift away from benevolence toward structured pension and benefits programs. The Board of Pensions was renamed accordingly.
The Basic Pension Plan was frozen to new entrants. All eligible ministers after this date joined the new Single Defined Contribution Pension Plan, placing individual 403(b) accounts at the center of retirement savings.
Fidelity became the service provider for the Nazarene 403(b) Plan in December 2000, giving ministers 24/7 access to investment options, account management tools, and educational resources.
NBUSA celebrated its 100th anniversary on October 4, 2019. Kevin P. Gilmore was elected executive director by the Board of General Superintendents in September 2019, beginning a new chapter for the organization.
Active and retired ministers served
Distributed annually in benefits
Years of faithful service
Founded by the General Assembly
Dive deeper into a century of Nazarene history — the people, the struggles, and the faithful giving that built what NBUSA is today.
Please call Fidelity at 1-866-NAZARENE (629-2736) to obtain this form.