Ministerial Pension Plan (MPP)

The Ministerial Pension Plan (MPP) is a 403(b) retirement plan administered by Wespath that provides benefits to eligible United Methodist Church clergy with service from 1982 through 2006. MPP is part of the Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP).

Who Can Participate?

MPP was closed to new enrollments and no contributions were made after December 31, 2006. MPP was replaced by CRSP on January 1, 2007. The accounts of clergy who participated in MPP continue to be invested, and benefits are available at retirement or at age 62 for terminated clergy.*

How Does MPP Work?

MPP requires that 65% of the account be annuitized and the remaining 35% must be taken as a one-time distribution. The one-time distribution can be rolled over into the United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP), which offers several distribution options, or is automatically distributed through LifeStage Retirement Income. As an alternative option, you may choose to roll over the remainder into another qualified plan or individual retirement account (IRA), or you may receive it in a lump sum payout.

MPP Alternative to Annuitizing—General Conference Proposal

Video: Determining MPP Benefit Payment Amounts

Chief Investment Officer Dave Zellner discusses Q1 2022 market declines and how they affect the Ministerial Pension Plan (MPP) accounts of participants. Dave explains that market performance is only one factor that will determine an MPP participant’s monthly benefit payment at retirement—the second element is the annuity payout rate. Dave follows with an overview of the annuity payout rate and detailed examples of how an MPP participant’s monthly payment is calculated (given pre- and post-market volatility scenarios).

Benefit Bites: Ministerial Pension Plan (MPP)

What is MPP? Where does MPP fit in your retirement plan? How are benefits provided through MPP? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this short video.

Your Benefits

If you participated in MPP, your MPP balance will remain invested and will be part of your retirement portfolio. Get a full picture of your retirement portfolio by viewing all of your Wespath retirement accounts online through Benefits Access. Information about your MPP account is also available on your quarterly account statement.

You can apply for your benefits online through Benefits Access.

If you have questions about MPP, call a Wespath representative at 1-800-851-2201 business days from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Central time.

* Active clergy who terminate under ¶360 of The Book of Discipline are treated as terminated vested participants. Monthly lifetime benefits in CRSP, and Pre-82 are converted to an equivalent account balance, which is transferred along with any account balance in CRSP and MPP, to UMPIP.

MPP