wfn.org | AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS FOR SEPT. 13, 1996

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American Baptist News Service_____________________
Office of Communication / American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320
Richard W. Schramm, Director (E-mail: RICH_SCHRAMM.PARTI@ECUNET.ORG)

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UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 13, 1996
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o  CIGNA will discontinue administering the ABC Medical/Dental Plan in most
stat es at the end of the year, according to an announcement by Dr. Gordon
Smith, executive director of The Mini sters and Missionaries Benefit Board
(M&M).  As a result, M&M will be forced to close the ABC Medical/D ental
Plan in all states on Dec. 31, 1996.  "Although M&M is compelled to go out
of the 'medical insurance b usiness,'" Smith said, "we are now able to
ensure members  continued access to medical care.  Every member of t he ABC
Medical/Dental Plan who needs medical insurance now will be able to obtain
it, without being denied coverage because of pre- existing conditions." The
Trustmark Insurance Company is in the process of deve loping a
medical/dental plan for pre-retired members and for retired and disabled
members who are not yet enr olled in Medicare.  ITT Hartford is committed
to providing a supplement to Medicare for retired and disa bled members
enrolled in Medicare.  Both plans, which will begin Jan. 1, 1997, will be
administered by Ki rke-Van Orsdel, Inc. (KVI).  Smith also reported on the
success of the Church Alliance s support of the Churc h Retirement Benefits
Simplification Act, a part of the minimum wage bill signed by President
Bill Cli nton on Aug. 20, 1996.  There are several provisions of particular
interest to M&M members.  The bill gu arantees that no SECA (Social
Security) taxes will be placed on pension benefits taken as housing
allowance by retired clergy.  It also clarifies the participation of
self-employed ministers engaged in special ministries, such as
institutional and military chaplains, in the ABC Retirement Plan, and
allows those persons to deduct person al contributions to 403(b) accounts.
The bill permits all church and non-church plans to delay pension dis
tribution until April 1 of the year following the year in which the
employee retires.  As a result of the bill, more than one salary reduction
agreement per year may be made by participants in The Annuity Supplement
(TAS).

o  At its annual meeting late last month at the American Baptist Assembly
in Gre en Lake, Wis., the Ministers Council Senate of the American Baptist
Churches USA sponsored a dialogue on homo sexuality and inaugurated an
annual award to honor individuals who have distinguished themselves in
pursui ng the Council's objectives.  Each year senators representing
professional church leaders from across the Unit ed States and Puerto Rico
meet to discuss ways to affirm and support the various ministries performed
by the Am erican Baptists.  This year s gathering took place under the
theme "Called to Community: An Ongoing Struggle T oward Wholeness." Sixty
members of the Senate, along with national American Baptist staff and memb
ers of the Ministers-at-Large program, heard Dr. Manfred Brauch, president
of Eastern Baptist Theological Semi nary, Philadelphia, and Dr.  William
Herzog, vice president and professor of New Testament at The Divinity Sc
hool, Rochester, N.Y., offer differing scholarly interpretations of several
biblical passages generally assoc iated with the subject of homosexuality.
Brauch saw in the texts a rejection of homosexuality because it was outside
"God s design for creation and for human sexuality."  Herzog invited the
audience to examine the t exts for their cultural and ideological biases,
and postulated that the evidence of Scripture did not warran t rejection
nor condemnation of faithful, committed, long-term same-sex relationships.
The scholars expressed r espect for one another and the hope that the their
dialog will further the conversation on the subject taking p lace in the
denomination.  The hour-long presentation was videotaped, and will be made
available later this year along with accompanying manuscripts and guides.
During its meeting the Ministers Council Senate also in augurated its first
annual president s award, the Ralph Garfield Schell Prize (in recognition
of the first president of the national Ministers Council).  In making the
presentation to the first recipient, the Rev.  Marvin J.  Bentley of
Corona, N.Y., current President Milton P. Ryder commended Bentley as "an
exemplary member of our Minis ters Council family."  He added: "We salute
him and hope to learn from him so that together we may diligen tly serve
the Lord in whose ministry Marvin has done so much."

o  Several colleges and universities related to American Baptist Churches
USA th rough Educational Ministries have been ranked highly by U.S. News
and World Report in its tenth an nual "America's Best Colleges" issue.
Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Mich., was rated by the magazine as among the
80 finest liberal arts colleges in the U.S.  A feature article in the
magazine also profil ed seniors at the school as they prepared to face a
challenging job market following graduation.  Other American
Baptist-related schools ranked by U.S. News as among the nation's top 160
liberal arts colleges were Franklin C ollege, Franklin, Ind., and William
Jewell College, Liberty, Mo.  In its category of best regional universit
ies, U.S. News cited the University of Redlands, Redlands, Calif., and
Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore g., as among the top five in the West.
In assessing 1,422 four-year schools in the U.S., the magazine survey ed
4,200 college presidents and administrators, and also considered factors
such as selectivity, faculty resourc es, financial resources and graduation
rate.

o  Dr. William E. Braisted Jr., former International Ministries medical
missiona ry in China (1938-1951) and South India (1955-1964), died Aug. 28
at age 90.  Following his resignation from missionary service in 1964,
Braisted and his wife, Doreen, were active in the U.S.  He served as
president o f the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society in 1965-1966 and
as president of the American Baptist Churches o f Connecticut from 1976-
1977.  Condolences may be sent to his wife and family at P.O. Box 215,
Achilles, VA 23001-0215.

96U913
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