Adventist Church Drops VALIC, Goes With Empowerment Retirement. The Seventh day-Adventist Church has chosen a new retirement company, Empower Retirement by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, to replace AIG subsidiary VALIC. Since 2000 when the church ceased operating its own retirement system, the Adventist Retirement Plans has grown to nearly $1.1 billion in assets and has 18,000 active accounts—and an additional 8,000 open accounts—at 150 different employers. From Institutional Investor, "On A Mission to Provide Retirement Security."
It seems like he still wants to, as he stated, be in politics. But was his main reason for pulling out due to, all of a sudden, realizing “his pastoral responsibilities must take first priority.”? Or because of the “legal challenge to his candidacy”?
i agree pastor goodman is most likely realizing that his inability to meet residence requirements means his candidacy is dead on arrival for this election cycle…
it’s good to see our church taking its retirement plans so seriously…the institutional investor article is saying the sda church provides retirements for its u.s.-based employees…no doubt this is a conflation of the sda church with nad, which presumably also looks after its canadian employees…
Given the counsel we have been given about associating ourselves with political parties, I find it disturbing that an Adventist pastor should run as a Democrat (or Republican). If he ran as an independent, that would be one thing, but how can an Adventist support the platform of either party? The Democrats appear to be pro-decadence, and the Republicans are opposed to separation of church and state.
The same dynamics are involved with the issues facing the church. In regards to WO, is it our “responsibility” to be true to the bible principles or is it a facade for “control” issues as @GeorgeTichy has argued? In regards to Male Headship, it it our “responsibility” to be true to the bible principles or is it a facade to “diminish” the value of the weaker sex? And on, and on, and on…We’re all guilty of “duplicitous” behaviors.
It’s interesting that the company I work for just recently (end of 2014) moved all retirement plans from Principal to Empower.
Empower is actually the former Putnam.
It is one form of egocentric thinking-- “It is true because it is in my best interest to be true!” (There is lot of that going around these days) Tom Z
They already understood that it’s safe to follow those whose prophecies are actually fulfilled…
Next prophecy: The Vote in SA will be a big NO.
Aftershock prophecy: Many Unions around the World will start ordaining their female ministers after SA.
A prophecy that I already made before: At some point in 2016, a new TOSC, the TOSC II, will be called for a comprehensive study of the WO issue, preparing for the GC Session in 2020.
And the best: Discrimination of Women will NEVER be abandoned by the GC. There will always be an efort to keep the status quo, despite the action taken by the Unions.
Truth be told, with 42 medical schools presently operating in the country, the Technical Committee on Medical Education (TCME, composed of professional medical educators) would rather close medical programs than open new ones. However, following three and a half years of persistent efforts and unceasing prayers, despite three rejections of our application by the Technical Committee on Medical Education and finally its approval by the Commission on Higher Education seems evidence of God’s will.
One major objection by the TCME is the inadequacy of charity services available at the Adventist Medical Center Manila. Another reason for the rejection of AUP’s application is the distance between classroom to either AMCM or the Batangas Medical Center (a government-run public hospital). Nevertheless, we’re plunging ahead with the blessing of the GC Department of Education and Loma Linda University.
Judging from the kind of responses to our conversation regarding the death by “poisoning” of the young Russian missionary at our Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), would sending him to AMCM instead of to any of the other private hospitals in the Philippines, in the opinion of his parents’ AIIAS colleagues, have really made a difference?
The major portion of my retirement funding is with Teachers Retirement Fund of Georgia. I haven’t checked recently but, at my first investment,I found that the fund was largely invested in Baptist Church mortgages. Very reassuring! first Baptist recently added an 11 million dollar addition and a nephew was part owner of the construction company. he is now building a 600,000 home for he and wife. We have one problem, the republican governor keeps wanting to raid these funds. he ran on fiscal accountability. Tom Z
Yes, I will let them know you’re able and willing to come if invited. However, if you also wish to continue blogging in Spectrum you might want to seriously consider, henceforth, using a pseudonym.
George/Elmer
Will be interesting to read Christianity Today and Christian Century magazines after SA.
With so much to write about, surely they can hardly wait.
I wonder if they will have their “spies” walking the halls and interviewing delegates?
