MAA and Brotherhood Mutual give Safe Ministry Reward to church.

A "Safe Ministry Reward" for the year 2009 has been received by the Church of the Brethren denomination from Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company. The Mutual Aid Agency (formerly the Mutual Aid Association of the Church of the Brethren--MAA) is the sponsoring agency for the program.

The reward check of $156,031 to the denomination was received in person by Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger, in a ceremony in Kansas City, Mo., last week.

Executives of the agencies that relate to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, along with the Conference officers and the general secretary, together considered the distribution of the funds, Noffsinger reported, and agreed by unanimous consent.

Ten percent or $15,603.10 will be given to the Brethren Mutual Aid Share Fund, with 15 percent or $23,404.65 going to Brethren Disaster Ministries designated for use by the Brethren in Haiti as they respond to the earthquake. The bulk of the distribution--75 percent or $117,023.25--will be used to reduce net losses of last year's Annual Conference, and will help offset the negative effects of the recession on the denomination's annual meeting, Noffsinger said.

He thanked MAA and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance for sharing resources that in many insurance companies "would simply be used as profit." In his letter of thanks to the two organizations, Noffsinger wrote that the gift "is a remarkable statement of your foundational ethics."

MAA provides property and other insurance to Church of the Brethren congregations, members, and church-related organizations. For more go to www.maabrethren.com.

Source: 3/10/2010 Newsline