We are thrilled to announce that the Lilly Endowment has awarded The Alliance funding to develop and deploy new programs to support pastors financially and address the unique economic challenges our workers face in life and ministry. The first phase of the program will roll out at Council 2025, with additional phases implemented annually through 2028. Many of you helped in our research to create and submit our proposal to Lilly this past spring. Thank you!

We now have the green light to proceed. Meanwhile, in celebration of this good news, we will be highlighting an opportunity made possible by a generous donor and our partnership with the National Association of Evangelicals. You may have received information in the past about honorariums for completing financial education courses. We have $90,000 earmarked for this purpose—specifically to be awarded to licensed workers in The Alliance.

Until funds are depleted, or until November 27, 2024 (whichever comes first), we are able to offer official workers honorariums of $500 and/or $1000 after completing certain financial health courses online.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to receive this generous funding upon completion of the course(s). This is a first come, first served opportunity, and when funds are depleted from our generous donor and the NAE, the window will close. However, at Council 2025, we will be ready with new opportunities for licensed workers to benefit from programs and education funded by Lilly’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders.

Thank you for your service and passion for bringing all of Jesus to all the world as part of the Alliance family!

 

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must be a licensed worker, sign up at the NAE financial health website, take a financial health or education course of your choice, and complete our honorarium request application. Details on how to apply and receive these honorariums are outlined below, and at naefinancialhealth.org/cma.

There are two opportunities available to receive up to a total of $1,500 in honorariums simply by completing courses in the Personal Finances (PF) and/or Church Generosity (CG) sections on the website. PF courses are for personal financial education for pastor couples. CG courses are intended to edify leadership teams regarding stewardship in the church. Honorariums can be awarded by completing courses as outlined below:

  • Licensed workers who apply and complete the Bless Your Finances (PF1) course may receive a $500 honorarium.

  • Licensed workers who apply and take at least half of their church governance authority team through one of the Church Generosity (CG) courses may receive a $1,000 honorarium.

  • There is a limit of a $1,500 total award per licensed worker.

To apply and receive your honorarium, please follow these steps:

Review the options at the naefinancialheath.org/cma landing page and think about which course(s) you might want to take. Please note: You must complete a different course if you have already completed a financial health course in the past.

  1. If you haven’t done so already, create an account at naefinancialhealth.online. Once you create an account, you will have access to complete a training course.

  2. You must submit a grant application, found at naefinancialhealth.org/cma.

  3. Complete a course at naefinancialhealth.org/cma. The C&MA National Office will be notified of your completion of that course.

    To qualify:

    1. You must be a licensed worker.

    2. You must complete the course(s) in full.

    3. Personal Finance (PF) courses must be completed within two weeks of applying.

    4. Church Generosity (CG) courses must be completed withing four weeks of applying.

  4. The C&MA National Office will contact you regarding the $500 and/or $1000 honorarium. If you do not hear from the C&MA National Office within two weeks following the completion of all of the steps above, please email us at [email protected].

 

Available courses:

  • Complete Personal Finances (PF) course—for licensed workers (qualifies for $500 honorarium)

    • Bless Your Finances (PF1)—one session

  • Choose and complete one Church Generosity (CG) course—for church leadership teams (qualifies for $1000 honorarium)

    • How Christians Become Generous (CG2)—one session

    • Bless Your Church Legacy Bequests (CG1)—one session

    • Transformational Generosity for Churches (CG4)—one session

    • Best Church Generosity Practices (CG6)—one session