Our Founding Vision

Promote Interest in the Better Maintenance of the Ministry

The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board (MMBB) was shaped by a mandate “to promote interest in the better maintenance of the ministry.” The incorporators defined “maintenance” in monetary terms. They sought to provide benefits to aged and disabled ministers and missionaries who were qualified by worthy service, and their dependents. To accomplish this goal, the founders understood the need to build a sound financial base.

Over its century of service, MMBB has remained focused on that goal by providing pension, disability and, later, health benefits for ordained and lay staff alike. Initially focused on institutions associated with the Northern Baptist Convention (later renamed the American Baptist Convention and then American Baptist Churches USA), MMBB now offers benefits to any church or faith-based organization with similar faith and practice of ABCUSA.

The last century also saw an expansion in the definition of “maintenance.” It has come to include emergency assistance to those in need, administrative support for churches, and advocacy for civil rights.

From H. Pearson Hammond, MMBB’s first actuary:

“Prior to 1900 pensions were generally considered as charity. During the early years of this century some formal plans were established but few were scientifically financed. It was in the late ‘20s that plans sound in principle began to be developed in any volume. A generation ago churches in particular and people in general were not pension conscious. The fund, therefore, was a pioneer in this field of endeavor.”

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Henry L. Morehouse: The Man with the Vision

Beginning in the 1880s, Henry L. Morehouse was a lone voice addressing the need for support for aging ministers. He had been a pastor in Saginaw, Michigan and Rochester, New York. In 1879, he was elected Corresponding Secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, that society’s chief executive position. This gave him a platform to address many church and denominational gatherings.

During the 1880s and 1890s, Morehouse frequently raised concerns about the needs of Baptist ministers. His original vision for supporting aging ministers focused on the establishment of retirement homes, and he declared “the blessings of heaven would rest upon the generous donors who would provide them.” He soon discovered that most ministers wanted to stay in their own homes.

In the early 1900s, Morehouse was inspired by Andrew Carnegie’s effort to establish a pension program for Cornell University faculty. He believed this approach could be applied to ministers.

Morehouse’s vision conformed to the emerging standards of philanthropy in offering a pioneering benefit. It was communal in character, business-like in approach, potentially scientific in application, and sought to address a universal problem at its core. He often gained a sympathetic response for this vision, but for a long time there seemed no possibility to implement it.

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A New Denomination, A Man from Pennsylvania and the Oil Baron

Henry Morehouse’s early, persistent and prophetic voice to support aged ministers gradually achieved a foundation of sympathy and agreement. But fulfilling the dream required more than compassion for those in need; it required sponsorship, organization and money. The creation of the Northern Baptist Convention in 1907 in response to a need for greater unity and cooperation provided Morehouse a more effective platform from which to raise his vision.

At the 1911 meeting of the Northern Baptist Convention, Morehouse received a telegram. A layperson who wanted to be known only as “A Man from Pennsylvania”—later identified as Milo C. Treat—pledged $50,000 to create “a permanent committee whose duty shall be the collecting and dispensing of funds for the relief of superannuated and disabled ministers and missionaries…” There was one condition: an additional $200,000 had to be raised by noon on Christmas day. As Morehouse read the telegram, the convention broke into applause—and then passed a resolution to authorize such a committee. In spirit, MMBB was born.

Raising $200,000 required organization. Morehouse recruited Everett T. Tomlinson to lead the effort. They organized committees in each state, pioneered the use of direct mail and reached out to individual ministers. At the end of the first week of December, however, the effort was still $100,000 short.

A few days earlier, Morehouse received a letter with instructions not to open it until noon on Christmas day. At noon on Christmas day, still $18,000 short of the goal, Morehouse opened the letter. It was from John D. Rockefeller. He offered to contribute as much as $40,000 to complete the campaign. More than enough to close the gap, the real work of MMBB could now begin in earnest.

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Everett T. Tomlinson: Pastor, Educator, Fundraiser Extraordinaire

As MMBB’s first Executive Secretary, Everett Tomlinson was the perfect choice to solidify MMBB and its role in helping pastors. As pastor of Central Baptist Church of Elizabeth, New Jersey for 23 years, Tomlinson understood the unique challenges facing aging ministers.

Tomlinson faced a formidable challenge of his own. He needed to turn a noble vision into an effective structure, to serve a Board without institutional or legal charter, and to offer pension grants for which there were no funds. To achieve the goal, Tomlinson worked with denominational leaders to set up a funding mechanism including the transfer of funds from state home societies to MMBB.

In the darkness following Henry L. Morehouse’s death in 1917, Tomlinson boldly proposed that “another million dollars should be added to the fund and when raised it should be his [Morehouse’s] monument.” The “Morehouse Million,” as it came to be known, was an astounding success and ultimately resulted in MMBB having resources of more than $2 million… an amount that, according to Tomlinson, Morehouse had once believed was the ultimate goal.

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Stable leadership across 100 years

1911 – 1926: “Those intimately acquainted with [Everett T. Tomlinson] know well how unstintingly he has given his best. Years were passed without a vacation. Personal convenience has been put aside. The anxieties and responsibilities incident to pioneer work in a new sphere have been borne as by one who clearly sees a great goal. [He] has brought to his leadership a kind and sympathetic heart, a clear insight, an intuitive discretion, and a personal winsomeness…” Excerpt from The Ministry, June, 1926

1926 – 1940: Peter C. Wright drew on his seven years under Tomlinson to help move MMBB into the modern investment era by establishing what became The Retiring Pension Fund.

1940 – 1961: During his 21 years as Executive Director, M. Forest Ashbrook oversaw dramatic increases in membership, an expansion of benefits, development of strong, reliable accounting procedures, and unparalleled stability.

1961 – 1990: As MMBB’s longest serving Executive Director, Dean R. Wright grew the field staff to meet the needs of plan members and of an organization expanding into new markets. His commitment to diversity allowed MMBB to play an important role in civil rights and promoting women in ministry.

1990 – 1997: Gordon E. Smith positioned MMBB for growth by streamlining processes, incorporating technology, and increasing the ability to serve members efficiently.

1998 – Present: Sumner M. Grant has reinvigorated MMBB’s evangelical spirit. His focus on promoting interest in the better maintenance of the ministry by extending benefits to those without them redefines Morehouse’s vision for the 21st century.

Each leader has carried MMBB’s mission forward, reinterpreting it in terms of the challenges and opportunities they faced.