Pastoral Pension

Definition and Meaning

Eungeup (恩給) is a Sino-Korean term meaning "a stipend bestowed by grace." It was originally an administrative term for the pension that public servants and others received after retirement. In the Korean church, the term refers to a system of living allowances paid to a pastor who retires or leaves ministry because of illness or accident, or, after a pastor's death, to the surviving family (the pastor's wife and children). Some denominations use the word "pension" (yeongeum) instead of eungeup.

Biblical and Historical Background

The following passages are commonly cited in support of pastoral pension systems:

• Numbers 8:25-26: the ordinance that the Levites, upon reaching a certain age, were to retire from service at the tabernacle of the congregation and assist their brethren in their duties
• 1 Corinthians 9:14: "they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel"
• 1 Timothy 5:17-18: the teaching that "The labourer is worthy of his reward"

On the basis of these passages, denominations teach that the community bears responsibility for the old age of ministers who have served the church throughout their lives. In Western Protestantism, Presbyterians, Methodists, and others are known to have operated funds for the relief of pastors and their surviving families from the eighteenth century onward. The pension systems of Korean denominations were developed with reference to this tradition and to national pension systems.

Practice in the Korean Church

Most major Korean denominations maintain a pension foundation (called either an eungeup foundation or a yeongeum foundation) under their General Assembly or Annual Conference. Typically, churches or pastors pay monthly contributions, and after retirement pastors receive a pension based on the length of their enrollment. How contributions are divided between church and pastor, and how benefits are calculated, vary by denomination.

• The Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap) administers its pastors' pensions through the General Assembly Pension Foundation.
• The Korean Methodist Church uses the term eungeup and maintains a pension foundation and a system of pension contributions.
• The General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong) also operates a pension foundation at the General Assembly level. Some of the foundation's projects have provoked controversy within the denomination.

Apart from denominational pensions, the livelihood of retired pastors depends heavily on the support provided by individual congregations. When a pastor is designated pastor emeritus, the congregation the pastor served may provide living expenses or housing. By contrast, pastors of churches that are not financially self-supporting often find it difficult to pay contributions consistently, and many therefore receive little or no pension after retirement. This disparity is frequently cited as a challenge facing the Korean church.

With the introduction of the taxation of religious workers in 2018, interest grew in income reporting and in participation in government programs. As a result, a growing number of pastors are enrolling in public pension plans such as the National Pension in addition to their denominational pensions. The financial stability of pension systems, transparency in fund management, and disparities arising from differences in church size remain ongoing topics of discussion at denominational general assemblies.