Worldwide Church
Connectional work rooted in faith and guided by service worldwide
Work Rooted in Faith and Guided by Service
For more than a century, we have supported the people and organizations serving Methodist ministries by responsibly managing financial resources and benefit plans and programs. Our faith calls us to care for those who serve — ensuring that their dedication to ministry is supported with stability, compassion and stewardship.
Strengthening the Connectional Church
As part of The United Methodist Church (UMC), Wespath manages benefits through the Church’s connectional structure, supporting annual conferences, general agencies and regional conferences around the world. This connection enables us to deliver sustainable benefits, invest with purpose, and provide resources that care for those who serve in every corner of the worldwide Church.
UMC Pensions Outside the U.S.
UMC Connections
General Conference
Our Commitment in Action
Caring for Clergy and Retirees Outside the U.S.
Through its Connectional Pension Support program, Wespath helps provide financial stability for retired clergy and surviving spouses in Africa, the Philippines and Europe, ensuring that their lifetime of ministry is honored with dignity and care through retirement benefits.
Connectional Support
Wespath collaborates with other UMC agencies and annual conferences to inform and engage the entire UMC connection regarding benefit programs, initiatives and services.
We also work with these organizations to ensure that the five dimensions of well-being—physical, emotional, social, spiritual and financial—are supported so that clergy, their ministries and communities can thrive.
As part of this work, Wespath provides trusted research and information about health trends in the UMC and across the United States that are applicable to clergy health concerns.
Convening Clergy Across the Connection
Wespath also convenes church leaders and facilitates listening and collaboration, gathering diverse clergy voices to understand changing needs across the Connection and sharing them with Church leadership. Recent examples include:
- Wespath and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) partnered to engage leaders and changemakers in the UMC to address systemic issues affecting clergy well-being.
- Wespath hosted The Tapestry Gathering, a first-of-its-kind event that brought together a group of 50 part-time, bi-vocational, and lay roles of pastoral and congregational leaders serving the UMC, along with several leaders from the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.
Faith and Governance—General Conference
At each UMC General Conference, we reaffirm our commitment to the Church’s values of stewardship, transparency and service. Wespath influences policy and advocates for financial stewardship and clergy well-being, with the following key responsibilities:
Our Investment Impact
The Positive Social Purpose (PSP) Lending Program is Wespath’s longest-running impact investment initiative, launched in 1990. Its core mission is to generate market-rate returns while creating measurable social benefits, particularly in underserved communities. It demonstrates that investors can “do well by doing good,” combining financial performance with positive societal impact. Key objectives and focus areas include:
- U.S. Affordable Housing:
The program primarily invests in loans for multifamily rental housing, including units for families, seniors, and individuals with special needs. These properties often include supportive services such as health care and job readiness programs. More than 52,000 affordable housing units have been created or preserved across all 50 U.S. states. - International Microfinance:
The program supports entrepreneurs in emerging markets, providing financing for small businesses and promoting economic empowerment globally. - U.S. Community Development:
Investments extend to facilities like homeless shelters, clinics, health centers, and charter schools, improving access to essential services for low- and moderate-income communities.
Faith, Stewardship and Service — A Living Mission
Faith and service are not separate from Wespath’s financial mission: they define it. Through stewardship, we strengthen the worldwide Church’s ability to serve others. Through responsible investment, we reflect our shared values. And through connectional support, we help sustain the ministries and people who translate faith into action.
Our work is one expression of a larger calling, to serve faithfully, manage resources responsibly, and ensure that those who have dedicated their lives to ministry can continue to serve with confidence and peace of mind.