We understand your ministry.
We understand employee benefits.
And we share your passion for the Gospel.
A retirement plan designed for faith-based organizations with advantages including competitive costs and administrative ease with access to industry-recognized faith-based investments
Quality health care coverage through nationwide networks and benefit-rich plans — all with a Kingdom perspective
Essential coverages to round out your employee benefit needs, such as life, dental, accident and disability insurance
Watch this training session for the GuideStone Employer Access® Program (EAP) for more information on:
GuideStone offers a variety of retirement plans based on the organization's needs. Specifically for Global Methodist Church, a 403(b)(9) retirement plan has been created which addresses the church's distinctive needs, such as minister's housing allowance.
Retirement distributions from the Global Methodist Church plan at GuideStone that were derived from contributions made while a clergy are eligible for the clergy housing allowance exclusion under resolutions adopted by the Transitional Leadership Council of the Global Methodist Church. This includes money contributed to the United Methodist Church plan at Wespath that has been rolled over into the Global Methodist Church plan at GuideStone.
Returns vary based on fund type, market conditions and various other factors. Performance information is available at GuideStone.org/Funds.
Yes, please contact a GuideStone Customer Solutions Representative at 1-888-98-GUIDE (8433) Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT for more information.
Your Covenant PIP accumulations that were contributed while you were enrolled in the Global Methodist Church’s CPIP plan will be automatically transferred to GuideStone after July 1. You will not need to do anything during this transfer process unless you have an outstanding loan from the CPIP plan. More detailed information will be provided when it becomes available.
After July 1, you have the option to roll over any UMPIP funds or other retirement accounts to GuideStone, assuming you have a distributable right to the money. While GuideStone does not provide rollover advice, GuideStone rollover specialists are happy to be your point of contact and guide you through the process of initiating a rollover: Rollover Consultation for GMC Plan Participant.
General rollover questions may be directed to Rollovers@GuideStone.org. However, it is important to note that Wespath requires that members with an outstanding UMPIP loan must first pay off any outstanding loan balance before closing out their UMPIP account.
Please note that if you are a minister with a distributable right to any money in your current account with Global Methodist Church, leaving your funds in the Global Methodist Church 403(b) retirement plan provides you the opportunity to claim your housing allowance benefit. The housing allowance benefit allows ministers to exclude a portion of compensation from gross income for federal tax purposes. If you are considering rolling your funds out of the church-sponsored 403(b) retirement account, we encourage you to consult with appropriate tax and financial advisors to carefully consider your options during this time of transition.
It may depend on the kind of investment, but GuideStone can accept most qualified retirement plans in a rollover. While GuideStone does not provide rollover advice, GuideStone has a team of rollover specialists that make it easy to do.
No. Your monthly annuity payment from Wespath is not eligible to be rolled over to GuideStone.
You have the option to roll over any UMPIP funds or other retirement accounts to GuideStone, assuming you have a distributable right to the money. However, it is important to note that Wespath requires that members with an outstanding UMPIP loan must first pay off any outstanding loan balance before closing out their UMPIP account.
Yes, there are retirement plan options available for your lay employees. Please contact us and someone from our team will reach out to you to start discussing your options.
Express Scripts for pharmacy, Cigna for dental and VSP for vision.
No. Any deductible amounts paid from January 1 through June 30 on your health plan through Wespath® will transfer to your new GuideStone® health plan. However, out-of-pocket non-deductible expenditures will not transfer toward annual maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) figures. This means you may still have out-of-pocket costs, even if you have met your deductible.
Example scenario: You are moving from a plan with a $5,000 deductible to a GuideStone plan with a $4,000 deductible and MOOP of $6,000. In your current plan, as of 6/30/24, you have met your $5,000 deductible and have accumulated an extra $750 toward your MOOP.
Example outcome for the transfer and remainder of 2024:
Deductible: When you move to a GuideStone plan with a $4,000 deductible, your claims will be treated as if you fully met your deductible for 2024. The $4,000 deductible accumulations transfer from your current plan to GuideStone. However, the extra $1,000 deductible spent under your current plan does not transfer.
MOOP: If the GuideStone plan requires an extra $2,000 to meet the annual out-of-pocket maximum, you will be responsible for the full $2,000. The $750 out-of-pocket expense does not transfer.
If you are close to your maximum out-of-pocket expenditures for 2024 and have additional questions, contact Benefits@GlobalMethodist.org.
| What transfers? | What does not transfer? | |
|---|---|---|
| Deductible | The amount you’ve paid toward your deductible from January 1 – June 30, 2024, up to the GuideStone deductible amount. | Any amount you’ve paid toward your deductible from January 1 – June 30, 2024, that exceeds the GuideStone deductible amount. |
| Maximum Out-of-Pocket | $0 | Any amount you’ve paid toward out-of-pocket non-deductible expenditures. |
We believe that GuideStone will offer excellent benefits administration and value for the GM Church constituency. GuideStone’s business model is a good fit for GM Church's lean organization. It will enable your Benefits Team to offer you better and more timely services without the immediate addition of staff or expensive technology.
Watch this webinar or view the presentation to learn more about the Global Methodist Church teaming up with GuideStone and gain important information regarding your retirement, medical coverage and insurance solutions.
Watch the Webinar
Download the Presentation
Download the FAQs
Yes. The GM Church Benefits Team will continue to serve you by addressing plan-related questions, such as eligibility requirements. GuideStone’s service teams will be available to assist churches with questions related to enrollment, billing and the usage of GuideStone’s secure online employer portal — the GuideStone Employer Access® Program (EAP). Questions from members related to their health coverage, retirement accounts and usage of GuideStone’s online secure member portal, MyGuideStone®, may also be directed to GuideStone’s service teams.
All eligible Global Methodist Church clergy will continue to be covered under the retirement benefits, health plans, and other benefits administered by GuideStone. Consistent with its longstanding practice, GuideStone has communicated that it will serve all clergy deemed eligible by the GM Church in our plan.
GuideStone has served like-minded, non-Southern Baptist churches since 2004. GuideStone has stated, “Some of the churches and denominations we serve hold differing beliefs on the offices in the church and who may fill those roles. While we may disagree on some beliefs and practices, we share far more in common than we have differences and are able to serve them effectively in their benefit needs.”
Be sure to consider all of your available options before rolling over your retirement assets. It is important to consider all of the potential advantages and disadvantages of rolling over your retirement assets to an IRA, including the different investment options that are available to you as well as the services, fees, expenses, withdrawal restrictions and tax consequences of rolling over your assets to an IRA. Other options are available besides rolling over your employer-sponsored retirement plan, including leaving the account with your previous employer. An employer-sponsored retirement plan may offer advantages investors can’t get if they roll the money into an IRA.
Resources