Article 13 of the Church Order deals with the retirement of a minister of the Word because of age or because he is rendered incapable of performing the duties of his office and, furthermore, makes the church that he serves last responsible for providing honourably for his support.

Since a minister typically serves several churches during the course of his career, it was thought fair and appropriate that this financial responsibility should be shared, at least to some extent, by the churches in common.  This led to the formation of what is now called the Retirement Assistance Fund of the Canadian Reformed Churches (“the Fund”) in 1959.  All churches in the federation, including the American Reformed Churches, are participants in the Fund.

The churches are assessed a fee based partly on whether or not they have an active minister and partly on the number of communicant members they have.  The seminary is assessed on a flat rate basis that correlates to the typical church assessments.  The funds collected are pooled and used to fund the benefits that the members are currently entitled to.  More specifically, the assessment we levy is not attributed to the church or its minister.  Any shortfall in the funds needed to cover the benefits owing is drawn from our investment account and its attendant revenue.

When a church retires its minister, with the approval of classis and deputies of regional synod, it becomes entitled to receive a pre-established benefit from the Fund.  The amount of the benefit is the same for all churches, regardless of length of service, the age of the minister, or contributions made through assessments.  The only limitation is that the amount of financial support paid by the church must not be less than the amount of the benefit paid.  If the full amount of the benefit is not required by the church then the excess must be repaid to the Fund.

It is important to note that the Fund does not operate as a pension plan.  The benefits paid to a church are for their use in fulfilling their obligations in supporting a retired minister.  No payment is ever made out of the Fund to a minister; instead, benefits are paid directly to the supporting church.

The governing Board of the Fund consists of the councils of the Cloverdale and Langley Canadian Reformed Churches.  The Fund is operated by a Management Committee that is appointed by and reports to the Board and the members of the Management Committee retire on an established schedule.

The Management Committee meets with the Members of the Fund on an annual basis.  This meeting is held online, usually in early June, and the Members are encouraged to appoint a liaison, who need not be a member of their council, to represent them on a longer-term basis so that the liaison can become acquainted with the Fund and participate more fully in the discussions and decisions at the annual meeting.

If you are a newly-appointed liaison then we encourage you to explore our website for more detailed information.