Editor: This is not anonymous to me, but comes from a friend who shared the information with us. This information was given in a worldwide town hall meeting, so details can’t be completely private. My reaction is that this is VERY generous and whatever you think of the VRI, the IMB is demonstrating that it cares deeply about those who have served Southern Baptists.
IMB President David Platt addressed both field personnel and Richmond staff on Wednesday morning in order to present plans for the upcoming Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI). Richmond staff work under slightly different policies due to labor laws and such, so separate town hall meetings were held for each type of worker.
The upshot of it all is that the IMB has rolled out the basic framework under which the VRI will function for field folks. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on the program’s generosity and wisdom.
Who?
All missionaries who are at least 50 years of age and have 5 years of service will be eligible for some form of the VRI. Field workers must be active (not leave of absence) and career status to qualify.
The key to understanding the basics of the VRI lies in grasping four basic areas: Basic, Bonus, Additional, and Transition.
Basic
– Each retiring unit will receive a buyout for their earned, unused Stateside Assignment (STAS) time, with a cap of 14 months. Instead of taking your STAS time, you’ll receive the equivalent of a paycheck for that time and be done.
– Each unit will receive a retirement grant to be figured on a formula utilizing length of service as the key variable.
– Medical insurance will continue with the plan set out by www.onesureinsurance.co.uk for the unit and their dependent children for a set period.
Bonus
Feedback from field units revealed two major concerns upon retirement: cash and medicine. Specifically, how could retiring workers make ends meet and see the doctor while searching for new jobs.
Therefore, the IMB has created a point system. Each retiring unit will receive 12 points to spend on either a monthly paycheck or on medical coverage. Units with more than 25 years of service will get an extra point.
One point = one month’s salary
Or
One point = three months of medical coverage.
Divide it up as you will. Once you opt for cash, that’s the end of the line; you can never change your mind. If, however, you choose the insurance option, you will have an opportunity to revisit that decision in November 2016 and change your mind.
Additional
All MKs who would normally receive funds for college will continue to be eligible for those funds even if they have not reach university age. Workers with more than 20 years of experience will receive the full package for their kids. Those with less than 20 years will receive some prorated funds based on years of experience.
All retirees with 15 years of experience will move to Emeritus status. As well, everyone will receive help in figuring out their taxes for all of this for 2015 and 2016.
Transition
Everyone will receive paychecks through December 31. An additional 3 months of salary will be paid as assistance during the unemployed transition period. Everyone will have to buy a car, find a home, etc., and transition costs are prohibitive.
The organization as usual will pay to ship home a single container of goods, or will pay the approximate value of that container to the worker. This is fairly consistent with freighting policies: container or cash. Those who opt for the cash can try to ship home their belongings on the cheap and keep the funds, or just sell out and replace everything.
D-Day Approaches
Next week those eligible workers will receive a personalized, tailored package that fits their specific situation. They can respond as early as September 21st with a clear yea/nay response. However, no responses are need until November 2. On that day, your “yes” will mean yes and your “no” will mean no. Once you say “No thanks,” the die is cast. No going back. However, if you accept the package, you will enter into the transition process.
In early December, those who accepted the deal will sign official letters. Despite that signature, everyone will have 7 additional days to back out, no questions asked. At that time, everyone who continues with their retirement plans will officially become “volunteers on the field” instead of IMB employees.
While the outline I’ve given here is light on specifics, rest assured that everyone will get a very precise, detailed explanation of their potential package.
A Few Thoughts and Notes
I know I said I would allow you to formulate your own opinions without outside influence, but I lied.
I think it’s generous.
No, it is not enough to cover the heartache of this decision. Nothing will be enough save the grace and strength of God. If He calls for this, then He will comfort. Even so, the IMB intends to honor its commitment to care for those who are stepping down voluntarily.
At the end of it all, Vice President Sebastian Traeger said (essentially), “Everyone is expected to leave the field by January 31. If you have platform you can turn into a job, or you just want to stay – no problem.” He went on to add that the IMB might even be able to help you find a house or car. Seems to me this is part of that missionary force that partners with the IMB but is not paid by them.
Something added in at the end, after all the bombshells, was that the IMB will change its retirement package for the future. It will not be as generous. Sounded to me as though that was one more incentive to retire now, but that’s just my view.
I’m begging you, folks, to do a few things here:
– Pray. This is not an easy decision for those who have poured themselves into their lives and roles on the field.
-Respect. Remember that those who take the money and run are not quitters; they have chosen this as the wisest route for them, personally. We don’t often challenge those who say, “God called me to missions!” so why be skeptical at those who claim God is calling them home?
-Remember. IMB leaders are no more enamored of cutting personnel than we are in being cut. As distasteful as this process can be, sometimes we have to trust that this is necessary.
Play nicely, guys.
I may sound like a broken record, but the leadership David Platt has shown at the IMB has been wonderful.
I am not thrilled that we ran a 210 million deficit over 5 years (duh) and that it was not really dealt with. And there are some issues being raised in the way trustees handled this. Fine.
But Platt has come in and is dealing with things. He is leading. He is balancing the budget, but he is taking care of our people. This is a generous golden parachute. “Anonymous” has some good suggestions.
Please do not refer to this as a golden parachute. That implies that people are getting a huge cash “buyout”. For my analysis of what the real benefit is, see my other post below.
The IMB has zero debt and while it has been working on 4 months of contingency (for some years I might add) and there is no pending foreclosure. The previous administrations have been trying to deal with the cash flow problem by lowering the number of missionaries to reflect a decrease in giving. They have decreased the mission force significantly in the past six years and were on track to continue decreasing the number of missionaries on the field.
The IMB will continue to liquidate properties because strategies have changed and it finds itself holding significantly valued properties in areas it is no longer working. It would have (and should have) sold these even if there was no VRI.
Thank the Lord that the properties that have been sold have been able to sustain the mission field and will continue to in the coming years. Significant dollar amounts of properties will be sold over the next few years.
Back to the golden parachute – when the salary for a career IMB missionary couple is about $2200 per month with a $200 per month longevity bonus every five years, it is hard to think of people who have lived overseas for 15, 20, or 25 years financially being ready to move back to the US with three months notice.
Please pray for those making difficult decisions right now. I am not here to argue pros and cons – just pointing out my own comments. Agree or disagree – it will not change anything. I agree – play nice.
I assume that the IMB has a normal retirement program for all its missionaries. Is the VRI in addition to normal retirement benefits?
This is a retirement incentive. Any sort of pension, retirement planning, etc would apply once you hit the proper age and all of that.
I would like to clarify some of what you are saying related to the Voluntary Retirement Incentive. Many of the items you list as benefits of the VRI are already earned under the previous retirement plan. They are not additional benefits as they were already the retirement plan that was offered.
1) For people who are retiring, final stateside is already a benefit you receive for up to 14 months (you earn 12 months of stateside assignment for every four years on the field). This is not new and only applies to people who have “saved” up to 14 months. Many will not have this because they were not planning on retiring. Also this is not a year or 14 months “salary” – if you have any time saved, it is paid into your GuideStone retirement. They are not leaving you on salary.
2) MK college funds amounts to $5000 per year (before taxes) for people with 20 years. This is not a new benefit, it has always been this way. It is not paying for college, it is a $5000 tuition assistance paid for current missionaries or those who retire after 20 years. The new benefit portion is the prorated part that will be paid for people with 5-20 years. Normally they receive nothing.
3) Retirement grant – This is not new for people who can already retire, this grant is already paid to missionaries to help towards purchase a car, house, furniture, etc… For some who retiring with only a few years of service who would not have already qualified, this is a small new benefit. For those who have served a career with the IMB – this is not a new benefit.
4) Tax Help- Previously emeritus missionaries received tax help for life. Now it is only for 2 years. Hardly a new benefit.
5) Life insurance is $10,000. Already a benefit.
6) Airfare home. Seriously? This is listed as a benefit?
What are the new benefits?
1) A point system. You can choose between additional four years of insurance or 1 year’s salary.
2) 1 year medical. Although if someone was 62 and retiring, they already had retirement until 65 and then a medical allowance for medicaid supplemental.
3) Three months of salary.
4) If you have been a missionary for 25 years, you get 1 extra point to purchase another month of salary or three months of insurance.
I may have missed something but this is a general analysis of the VRI.
Please pray for those who are making difficult decisions, selling all they own, and will have to find housing, furnishing, cars, jobs, and schools in the coming months. Most of these people were not planning on retiring and this will be a gut wrenching process of seeking the Lord’s will.
I have no way of knowing what this will mean for those serving.
I suppose the IMB is expecting a big, one time charge and predictable short term costs. I am curious if many field personnel will choose to remain on their own and continue in some unpaid but closely cooperative relationship. I wonder if any of these would transition on some basis to a ‘faith’ status with direct church/individual support from the states?
In another month, guess we will see how attractive this is.
William,
I would think that the statement by Vice President Sebastian Traeger “‘If you have platform you can turn into a job, or you just want to stay – no problem.’ He went on to add that the IMB might even be able to help you find a house or car. Seems to me this is part of that missionary force that partners with the IMB but is not paid by them.” would answer your question.
It almost sound like the IMB might be in a position to sell you a vehicle or a house if you were staying.
Most missionaries globally are living in rented properties. Missionaries must leave their houses by January 31, 2016.
Missionaries may be able to take on the lease at their own expense or purchase a vehicle. Most missionaries will not have any means to do this.
While missionaries have been supported financially by the IMB in the past, they have been prohibited from raising support outside of that for the IMB as an entity. Few have managed to save much money. Most do not have much savings and their actual salary each month is quite low.
I know it sounds great that people would be able to afford to stay after January, for the vast majority it is not a possibility financially. It isn’t as simple as tightening the belt and living on a reduced budget. That happened when they went overseas.
I doubt anyone, outside of IMB leadership, knows how many IMB personnel are over 50 with 5 years of experience. In other words, how many potentially could take advantage of the IMB’s generosity. My best guess would be somewhere between 1500 and 2000. I am wondering what would happen if most, if not all, of those who were eligible were to take the offer.
Also, as I am thinking about this, I am wondering how this will affect the work that we have going in the countries that would most heavily be affected. Again, purely a guess, but I would think that some fields might be more heavily affected than others. I am thinking that Latin America, Asia (outside the 10/40 window), Europe, and maybe parts of Africa might find themselves heavily depleted of missionaries.
The transparency in all of this is refreshing.
http://www.imb.org/updates/storyview-3516.aspx#.VfHaFZ3BzGd?cid=95916
In that link Platt addresses the suggestion that a freeze on new appointments be made. That would be worth its own article.
Here is something I’m not understanding. Platt says “The voluntary nature of the plan also applies to new missionaries the IMB already has committed to send in 2015 and 2016. “We did not want to say to those new missionaries, ‘You don’t have a choice,’” Platt said. “In light of our commitment to them, we want to give them the same voluntary choice we’re giving everyone else.”
Why would first termers and those about to be appointed not already know that they could voluntarily resign or withdraw? There are no incentives offered to them. Is there some commitment that they have made from which imb is now releasing them? Just curious.
Its great to see this type of leadership! Very refreshing…. and I hope many more guys/gals like this populate the posts within the SBC. Things would change of the better!
Chris,
This is a lack of leadership. If you had ever risked your life or the lives of your small children you would see that.
We are affirming the new approach and the leadership shown – it’s of little benefit to throw the leadership that got us here under the bus – and keep running over them. I do not think they acted immorally or nefariously or absent a love for the gospel, the great commission, and the IMB.
Now though, we’ve got to right the ship, get us on a path toward financial stability, and lastly put policies in place to keep us there.
I, at this point, am very satisfied to Dr. Platt and his leadership are just the ones to do that.
Here’s the full IMB statement: http://imb.org/updates/storyview-3516.aspx#.VfHtAvlVhBd
IMB FAQs http://imb.org/updates/storyview-3490.aspx#.VfHtQPlVhBf
Thanks for this post.
Very informative.
Every organization in a similar situation would have to act.
I am glad the IMB has acted.
Very informative – very transparent – very refreshing –
Praise the Lord for our godly and principled leadership at IMB!
Potentially (per Thomas Law) 1500-2000 of our SBC international missionaries could leave the field by the end of the year and Adam, Chris, & Tarheel call the plan “refreshing”? I’m not saying the plan isn’t needed, or isn’t the right plan, but refreshing isn’t the term that comes to mind to describe what is happening.
Stephen, its refreshing to have leadership. It is also instructive to be encouraged as God does his work, which sometimes means doing something different. Those committed to mission work, will continue to be committed to mission work. So, although there will be disruption during this current time internationally….there is hope for the future for those that are committed to mission work.
It may be an opportunity for those that God has called into mission work to continue at the local level. There is great need for mission workers. We just filled our last open spot this year in Nashville, and I’m absolutely sure that more opportunities will be available to those committed to mission work!
Praise God that this type of leadership will keep the greatest amount of international workers in place. If it were left to continue as is….it would not have lasted much longer and would have ended much worse!
Mission work will always be needed. The practical questions are, “Is God calling me to this, and if so, how will I support myself?”
Bivocational ministry is an obvious answer. It is a wonderful, hard thing that relies on having a calling for ministry and a useful skill set that can be converted into cashflow. For many IMBers on the block, their primary skill set IS ministry. They have not had secondary jobs while on the field. They do not have part time jobs anywhere nor have they pursued, for the most part, back-up plans for employment through career development in other fields.
Moving into local ministry is something I expect to happen, but the financial side becomes very difficult, very quickly.
Ethan, I completely agree. We have both types of mission folks locally in our endeavors. Those that are employed full-time and are paid by the 501C3 organization, and others that raise a portion or all of their funding in order to serve in the mission.
There is no doubt that the older missionaries that have been involved in the IMB for many years will find the most difficulty, since they have not had the responsibility of raising the funding on an annual basis. Those are most at risk.
Its always good to be able to make a tent or two…. One prerequisite for missionaries, IMHO, should be a skill beyond the “profession” of missionary. I do not find any missionaries in scripture that entered into the “profession of missions” without the ability to work in order to eat or for necessities while in mission, whether they were expected to be taken care of by the churches or not. The Apostle Paul brings us a very clear pattern.
Chris
You say “it is refreshing to HAVE LEADERSHIP”. Help me to understand the statement. Are you saying we have NOT had leadership at the IMB in the past? Please clarify if you don’t mind.
D.L. Thanks for the question…and opportunity to clarify. My main emphasis in the statement is not the IMB has had bad leadership in general, but it is effective leadership to point out and change something that could have been swept under the rug again and manipulated for yet another year. I’ve experienced the SBC having a history of rug treatment…at least for the 30-40 years that I have been paying attention.
There are obviously good leaders in the IMB.
I’m encouraged by refreshing leadership on this issue -what I’m is apoplectic about potentialities and rank speculations.
We know that without strong, principled and painful leadership – the IMB is on a trajectory where they won’t be able to train, fund and send ANY missionaries.
I’m thankful for Dr. Platts leadership.
*What I’m not is apoplectic….
Tarheel,…I don’t like popsicles that much either!
🙂
“The transparency in all of this is refreshing.”
Could you show me where I called the cutting of missionaries refreshing?
That’s the kind of thing that really frustrates me.
You say, “Platt’s leadership style is really refreshing.”
Someone says, “I don’t know what’s refreshing about putting missionaries out of work.”
This is why I sometimes get grumpy. You were clear that it was Platt’s LEADERSHIP that was refreshing, not the sad task he was doing.
On the other hand, you are a Baltimore Orioles fan, so right now I hope people are unfair and mean to you. So, it all worked out.
I have unfortunately shifted my attention to the NFL much sooner than I anticipated this year. Hoping the Blue Jays can keep the Evil Empire away from the AL East crown.
Dave
I understand your point and it is spot on as it is stated. For what it’s worth I think we are seeing the same thing here we have seen on previous post re. this. The focus is on Platt’s LEADERSHIP again good/bad/refreshing/not refreshing. Is not the issue before us the PACKAGE that was rolled out by IMB? A great leader can roll out a bad package, and a poor leader can roll out a good package (a broken clock is right twice a day). There is still a “something” that is hanging in the air that causes us to focus on Platt himself and his leadership qualities or lack of same rather than on the issues he has proposed.
Okay, what else might he have done?
He walks in and realizes that they’ve overspent by 210 million in 5 years.
He says, we’ve got to deal with it.
He does. Its’ painful, but he deals.
Dave
Sorry i have not made my point clear. I am simply saying that we continue to focus on the kind of leader he is rather than on the issue before us, namely the plan.
I think it is helpful to focus on both.
But at this point, I am gratified to have a leader like David Platt at the helm.
Guys
I hate fact and figures. I hate the intricacies of detail etc. That is why God invented educational directors to handle such things for us Pastor types who are either to dumb or too smart to deal with such. So bear with me and help me on one point.
This is an offer to career missionaries. There are approx. 5,000 such on the field. One commenter stated that there could be perhaps as many as 2,000 who qualify for the plan. Does that mean that nearly half of our force could leave the field as a result of this? I suspect I am missing something here that will cause me to kick myself for being so dumb, but I am willing to take that chance…won’t be the first time.
In response to Thomas Law, DL Payton, and the 1,500 – 2,000 figure….
Studies show the average acceptance rate for VRI packages in the regular business world. According to numbers coming from IMB leadership, secular VRI packages have a 45% acceptance rate. Among Christian ministries, that acceptance number drops to 35%.
Platt already stated that we need to drop 600 – 800 field workers, with 800 being the preferred goal. From this point, the math is basic: 35% of ______ equals 800?
Stated without math, “How many people do we need to offer this to in order for 35% to work out to 800?”
It works out that 2,285 people need to be offered a VRI in order to hope for 800 retirees.
No one is hoping for 1,500 – 2,000 people to leave, but we know most folks (65%) will most likely turn the offer down, as is their right. Therefore we must offer this to roughly 2,000 people in order to reach our goal.
My assumption is that Platt’s team has looked at the age/service factors and tweaked the criteria in such a way as to get as close to 2,285 offers as possible. The closer we can get to our goal of 800 in this first phase, the better things will be. Getting a reduction of 800 right here, right now will eliminate phase 2 and 3. It will remove the uncertainty over the future somewhat for those who remain. It will bring to a close this unpleasant chapter so we can move onward.
Ethan
Thanks much for the info
Ethan, this is a good analysis. I would make one tiny correction. Dr. Platt was very clear in last week’s town hall meeting/broadcast to field personnel that Phase 2 was coming no matter how many accept the Voluntary Retirement Incentive offer. Assuming that Phase 1 (the VRI offer) results in getting the number of IMB personnel down to a sustainable level, Dr. Platt wants everyone in the IMB to reexamine his or her call and to be open to doing something different and/or going somewhere different (his “blank cheque” metaphor). Yes, there is a need to reduce the number of personnel that Southern Baptists support through the IMB, but even Phase 1 is as much a spiritual exercise as it is a financial exercise. God is Creator and Ruler and we find our identity in Him, not primarily in what we do or where we live and serve. In that light, those of us who are eligible for the VRI have been asked to make a decision.
I am curious about how overseas missions personnel view the “blank check” metaphor. Wish one of you guys would write on it.
Whether or not 600-800 missionaries decide to accept the VRI, a “Phase 2” is coming. In Phase 2, all us missionaries, regardless of age or years, will be asked to lay a “blank check” before God and ask Him whether we need to remain on the field or change directions and go home. There is no VRI for those that decide to go home during Phase 2.
Look, if people don’t want to take the VRI, they don’t have to take it. Keep working. Some people in their twilight years may think this is a good opportunity to finish their work. Unfortunately those same half dozen in the dark corners of the web are insinuating that Platt and co are placing some kind of sinister and immoral pressure on missionaries to take the deal even if they don’t want to.
It’s really getting into tin-foil hat territory.