Tomorrow 4th Quarter, 2011
- Introduction from Sumner Grant
- Revamped MMBB.org scores Big with Members!
- MMBB’s Support for Fair Compensation and Human Rights
- Don’t Throw Away That Envelope Just Yet!
Introduction from Sumner Grant
Dear Members,
As we wrap our last issue of Tomorrow for 2011, we also pause to consider what 2012 may bring. This year has been a challenging year for us—and for you—as we continue to navigate through persistent, ongoing global economic volatility. And yet the year brought its rewards, too, as we began celebrating 100 years of serving church workers, launched a new website, and expanded our mission into new and underserved populations.
This issue of Tomorrow touches on a few of these topics. We continue our series on MMBB’s first 100 years by highlighting our history as advocates for the “better maintenance of the ministry.” In our case this refers both to fair wages and to an important civil rights legacy. We also walk you through our new website; it provides a level of detail on our funds very few financial organizations can match.
Those of you who know me have likely heard me say that ministry is our business—and business is our ministry. As you look through our website and see new language, a new logo and stronger references to “financial service,” I want to reassure you that our ministry focus is still paramount. We believe that those serving churches and faith-based organizations have a fundamental right to live in dignity, and our commitment to those who serve Him is stronger than ever.
I cannot predict what 2012 will bring, except the one thing time always brings as it moves inexorably on: change. I know that the stability and peace of mind we offer is of prime importance, and I want you to know that we will always be there for you when you need us.
As always, I encourage anyone with questions or concerns to reach out to me personally at sumner@mmbb.org. Our ministry is to serve you.
Sumner M. Grant
Executive Director
Revamped MMBB.org scores Big with Members!
New look, new logo, new navigation – and new content. What does the new MMBB.org offer you?
New fonts, new logo—and new content
We enlarged our fonts for easier reading and refreshed our logo to reflect our calling as a financial services ministry. We also sought your feedback on the content you find most helpful—and the results are reflected in every aspect of the redesign, from the detailed explanation of how our annuity works to the increased information on each of our nine investment funds.
Easier navigation
Every single page at MMBB.org has new “bread crumb” navigation, which means
that the upper left portion of every page at MMBB.org shows the path back to the home page. The benefit of this kind of navigation? It shows you exactly where you are on the site—and allows you to return to a page you already viewed. You’ll never again wonder: how did I get to this page?
Hear from those who serve
One of the most refreshing and rewarding additions to MMBB.org are written, video and picture testimonials from you, our members. You can see these on the home page, throughout the site, and in the “Hear from those we serve” section at MMBB.org. Employers, retirees and current members tell their stories better than we ever could, and share their reasons for joining the extended MMBB family.
Interactive information
The new MMBB.org offers a virtual treasure chest of information on our funds, along with quizzes and calculators to help you test your investment risk tolerance and financial fitness, figure out how much to save for retirement and more. Clickable pie charts illustrate the asset mix and investment style for each of our nine investment options. You can now click your way through each fund’s asset allocation, opportunities (and risks), historical returns and more. The level of fund transparency we provide is almost unheard of—and we’re proud of it!
Continuing updates to better serve you
The best websites are organic and dynamic, always changing to meet the needs of its visitors—and MMBB.org is no exception. We continue to refresh content and refine the site, and are always open to your feedback. Please take a virtual walk through www.mmbb.org today and let us know what you think at tomorrow@mmbb.org.
MMBB’s Support for Fair Compensation and Human Rights
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles exploring the history of MMBB as we celebrate our 100th anniversary.
From its inception, MMBB has advocated to increase compensation for ordained and lay church staff in order to improve the quality of life and long-term security of these workers and their families. Advancing the quality of life of church workers inevitably included civil rights and support for women in ministry.
Compensation advocacy highlights
In 1951, MMBB began advocating for churches to establish a separate budget to cover professional expenses, rather than expecting the pastor to pay these costs out-of-pocket. And in 1956, MMBB proposed a minimum salary. To encourage member churches to meet the minimum level of compensation, MMBB offered a salary support program to supplement what the church could pay. When the supplement ended, the church was expected to pay the full premium.
Social Security created an interesting dilemma. Did participation in Social Security by ministers violate the separation of church and state at the center of Baptist belief? By the 1950s, MMBB had decided that it did not and initiated a two-pronged campaign to bring members into the program. In conjunction with the Church Alliance, MMBB educated the federal government on the need to extend Social Security benefits to clergy. Once this effort succeeded, MMBB worked with ordained members to participate and with church employers to contribute to Social Security taxes.
Support for civil rights
MMBB’s support for the civil rights movement was rooted in the spirit and ministry of its founder, Henry L. Morehouse. His support for civil rights ultimately included founding Shaw University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College.
When the movement to achieve civil rights for African-Americans claimed national attention, it was natural for MMBB to play a leading role. At its September 1963 meeting, MMBB expressed deep concern for American Baptist pastors who faced trouble as a result of their pastoral and prophetic leadership on civil rights. MMBB executive director Dean R. Wright acted on this concern. In a letter to American Baptist pastors, Wright expressed MMBB’s determination to use MMBB’s endowment to provide financial support to pastors dismissed because of their stance on civil rights and to assist them in finding new positions.
In 1963, MMBB’s southern field representative, J. Martin England, spoke briefly with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. after his arrest in Birmingham. Dr. King passed along a hastily written statement. England immediately sent the paper to Dean Wright in New York, who had it published under the title “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”
Despite his father’s membership in MMBB, Martin Luther King, Jr. always demurred when approached about joining. He was concerned that the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta could not afford the premium. After the bombing and fire at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, in which three young girls were killed, Dr. King finally signed up. Following Dr. King’s assassination, MMBB support his family for over 30 years.
The Ministers Council and Women in Ministry
When The Ministers Council was organized in 1935 to foster greater professional fellowship among ministers, MMBB provided the money needed to pay for organizational expenses. Asked to staff The Ministers Council in 1954, MMBB provided staff and organized seminars, publications, and professional development opportunities.
In the 1970s, the role of women in work, professional, family and community life came into broad focus. Examples of ordained women serving ABC churches, missions or programs dated back to the nineteenth century, but the numbers were small. In 1972, MMBB assumed an advocacy role for women in ministry among American Baptists by promoting gender inclusive language in its by-laws and publications. Beginning in 1975, MMBB began underwriting the formation and operation of Women in Ministry. To this day, Women in Ministry plays a central role in promoting the leadership of women within the American Baptist Churches USA and its churches.
Special thanks to historian Rev. Dr. Everett C. Goodwin for excerpts from “100 Years of Benefits: The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board, 1911-2011,” expected to be published in the fall of 2012. For more information—and to be alerted when the book is published—feel free to contact Rev. Dr. Goodwin directly at ecgoodwin@aol.com.
Don’t Throw Away That Envelope Just Yet!
We’d like to remind you that ACS, A Xerox Company, BNY Mellon and State Street Bank are all business partners of MMBB. ACS, A Xerox Company and BNY Mellon assist us in providing loans and distributions to our members—and State Street Bank issues monthly checks to our annuitants. Please take care to open mail from them as you would MMBB!