Perkins Fund Offers Helping Hand To NTC Retirees, Surviving Spouses
Deadline for quarterly applications is December 1
For more than 80 years, the Joe and Lois Perkins Fund has existed to help North Texas Conference retirees and surviving spouses. The fund was established in 1942 as an endowment "... to be so invested and managed that it may produce an income for distribution to retired ministers and widows of deceased ministers of the North Texas Conference, The Methodist Church."
The NTC Board of Pension and Health Benefits has been administering the fund. Based on the Trust documents, each fiscal year, 62.5 percent of the amount distributed shall be made available for the benefit of retired minsters of the Conference, and 37.5 percent shall be for the benefit of surviving spouses of deceased ministers of the Conference.
While distribution methods have varied over the years, since 2017 retirees and surviving spouses have had the opportunity to request assistance for unanticipated financial needs, both medical and otherwise, four times per year. The requests are vetted by the Joe and Lois Perkins Fund committee set up in the trust documents in 1942 and, once approved, are distributed by Wespath, our United Methodist Church Board of Pensions.
Since 2017, $280,872 has been distributed to North Texas retirees, and $112,526 has been distributed to surviving spouses. In that time, 165 different requests for 78 different clergy and surviving spouses have been granted.
Below are some of the thank you notes the Perkins Fund committee and Board of Pension and Health Benefits have received:
“Thank you so much for your message concerning the amount I'll receive from the Perkins Fund. I'll admit I shed some tears of joy! The wonderful news could not have come at a better time.”
“Thank you, once again, for your generosity and compassion in granting my request for Perkins Fund disbursement. It is beyond comforting to know that the NTC provides an opportunity of support to a surviving spouse like me. I am grateful, blessed, and appreciative.”
“I would like to thank the Perkins Fund Committee for the huge amount sent for my terrible bill. It is really appreciated.”
Retirees and surviving spouses will be contacted in November with the opportunity to submit requests, accompanied with receipts, by December 1 for the next quarterly distribution.
Published: Tuesday, November 7, 2023