Two conference leaders were elected to serve on the new Wespath Benefits and Investments Board of Directors at their Sept. 7-9 meeting in Glenview, Ill. Bishop Robert Schnase will serve as Chair of the Wespath Board of Directors from 2016-2020. Teresa Keese was re-elected to serve on the board by the General Conference.  

Wespath, formerly known as the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, will have 32 members on the board. All were elected by either the Council of Bishops, General Conference or a Jurisdictional conference.

According to a press release, Wespath, “which has been in existence for more than 100 years, focuses on ‘caring for those who serve’ by providing benefits and investment services that enable over 100,000 clergy and lay workers to be secure during life’s transitions. 

Bishop Robert Schnase reflected on his election with the following statement:

"I count it a rich privilege to be invited to serve with the Wespath Board of Directors, formerly the Board of Pensions.   The Wespath staff are excellent, the mission clear, and the responsibilities immense.   Wespath provides for the financial security of over 92,000 clergy, lay church workers, and their surviving family members in the US and for another 8,000 clergy in conferences around the world, and they do so with excellence, with compassion, and with a conscientious commitment to the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.  I look forward to working with General Secretary and CEO Barbara Boigegrain and Wespath Board of Directors during these next four years.”

Teresa Keese expressed her re-election with the following statement:

“I am thrilled to have Bishop Schnase serve as Chair of the Wespath Board of Directors this next quadrennium.  His leadership these past four years as Vice Chair has been essential in helping us have the larger conversations and keep a critical focus on the mission and needs of the church in all that we do.  He has the ideal gifts and talents needed to guide this important organization in managing the health and pension plans along with $21 billion in church assets.  Under Bishop Schnase’s expert leadership, Wespath will help lead our denomination into a brighter and more hopeful future of making disciples of Jesus Christ through caring for those who serve.”