2025 Retirement Information

To the 2025 Class of Missouri Conference Retirees:

We look forward to the 2025 Annual Conference and the special activities related to your retirement. This letter is to provide information and details as they pertain to you and the activities both before and at Annual Conference. Even if you are continuing to serve past July 1, we would like to honor your ministry this Annual Conference!

We will recognize your ministry during the Service of Recognition worship service at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, at the St. Charles Convention Center. Worship is preceded by an 8 a.m. rehearsal. As always, the service will be livestreamed.

Before we get to St. Charles in June, there are some events and deadlines specific to retirees. Read about them below.

Retirement Seminar

As a resource to you, the Clergy Support Team will be hosting a Retirement Seminar at the Conference office on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Fellowship and snacks begin at 9:30 a.m. with the seminar running from 10:00 a.m. to approximately 3:30 p.m. YOU and your spouse are invited to attend this event! Please RSVP at the info form linked below by March 25.

We will have a Wespath representative here to provide information on completing your retirement pension elections. You will be receiving a retirement letter/packet from the Wespath soon, and you will want to bring that packet with you to this seminar as they will refer to it. Please make sure you have logged into your Benefits Access account and bring your laptop, if possible. Retirees may contact the Wespath retirement team to request printed forms if you would rather use the paper forms. Lunch will be provided, and there will be a discussion on issues to consider in retirement. We will end our time together with a greeting from Bishop Farr and Holy Communion.

If you will be age 65 or older at the time of your retirement and have been on the Conference health insurance, you will need to purchase a Medicare supplement plan (Part B) and Part D coverage to begin July 2025. If you are not age 65 at the time of your retirement and have been on the Conference health insurance, you can remain on the insurance after July 1 at your own expense. You will receive a separate letter in May to confirm your intentions on insurance continuation.

We hope that you will be able to attend the seminar on April 1. If you are unable to attend, you may contact the Wespath Retirement Team directly at 800-883-4078 to help you with your pension questions. Wespath will also be hosting online retirement webinars that you can register for at www.wespath.org/events.

Workbook Materials

In the Annual Conference Workbook, we include a section for a 150-word written statement of expression towards the Missouri Annual Conference from each retiree. Each statement is as individual as the person writing it. You can offer thanksgiving, offer words of wisdom, share one story that defines your ministry or whatever you wish. Please do your best to edit your statement to about 150 words. Your statement is subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Your statement along with your service record will be printed in our Annual Conference Workbook. Click here to view examples of past statements. Deadline is April 23. Submit your statement using the form linked below.

Retirement Video

To celebrate your retirement and the wisdom of your years of ministry, we create a video compilation of interviews with our retiring class and play it as part of the worship service at Annual Conference. You can view the 2024 video here. It’s important to me that we capture your story and legacy of ministry. We will be filming video interviews during the Retirement Seminar on April 1. Our communications team makes it really easy! They will send you a list of questions, and doing the interview is just like having a conversation. Please indicate on the form linked below if you would like to be included in the video.

Appointment History Information

After we play the video, we will recognize the retiring class on stage and read your names. We’d like to project your name, years of service and a Missouri map highlighting the localities you have served. Please add this info to the form using the button below by April 23. Please start the form below by March 25,
specifically indicating your attendance at the Retirement Seminar. You will be able to return to this form to make edits and add information throughout the spring as other deadlines near.

Times and Dates to Remember

So, to recap, here are the times, dates and deadlines to mark on your calendars:

• March 25 - Deadline to indicate attendance at Retirement Seminar

• April 1, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Retirement Seminar in Columbia, including interviews for class of 2025 retiree video to be shown at Annual Conference

• April 23 - Deadline to submit appointment history and statement for Annual Conference Workbook

• 8 a.m. on June 7 - Service of Recognition Rehearsal

• 9 a.m. on June 7 - Service of Recognition

• 12:30 p.m. on June 7 - Retirement Luncheon

Thank you for your ministry and your creative response to this service of recognition! Let me know if you have any questions. I’m here to help and make this as easy as possible!

Best,
Trudy McManus
Benefits Administrator and Clergy Relations
tmcmanus@moumethodist.org
573-777-1211