American Baptists, United Methodists sign insurance agreement Sept 22, 2004
|
A UMNS photo by Donnie Reed The Rev. Roy Medley and the Rev. Jerome Del Pino sign the cooperative insurance agreement.
|
The
Rev. A. Roy Medley, a top offical of the American Baptist Church, and
the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, top executive of the United Methodist
Board of Higher Education and Ministry, sign a cooperative insurance
agreement. The pact will give American Baptist schools the option of
buying insurance against lawsuits. The American Baptist Church has 26
colleges, universities and seminaries. Witnessing the signing are Wanda
Bigham, a staff member of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education
and Ministry, and Siri S. Gadbois, president of Educational &
Institutional Insurance Administrators Inc. Photo #04-411 A UMNS photo
by Donnie Reed, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
Accompanies UMNS story #431, 9/22/04. |
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
(UMNS)-American Baptist college presidents will have an opportunity to
protect their institutions from lawsuits thanks to a new cooperative
venture with the United Methodist Church.An
agreement signed Sept. 3 by officials of both denominations offers
group buying power to the 26 colleges, universities, and seminaries
affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA through the insurance and
risk management services of Educational & Institutional Insurance
Administrators Inc. The president of each American Baptist institution
will be offered the option of joining the program. The
Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, top executive of the United Methodist Board
of Higher Education and Ministry, welcomed the American Baptist
institutions. The insurance and risk management agency is a
board-related organization. EIIA,
headquartered in Chicago, was formed in the 1960s to provide group
purchasing and administration of insurance programs for United Methodist
schools. "The
services of EIIA," Del Pino said, "ensure that each school has access
to protection, and relieve some of the burden of seeking individual
coverage. Its existence represents the ongoing core values of United
Methodist higher education" by maintaining each school’s ability to
continue its relationship with the church and Christian higher education
overall, he said. The
Rev. A. Roy Medley, top staff executive of the American Baptist
denomination, based in Valley Forge, Pa., praised the agreement. "This
is the church’s expression of equal opportunity. It is a major factor in
helping schools in underserved areas, where access to such coverage has
been limited." Del
Pino and Medley agreed that the insurance administration agency offers
the schools better stewardship of resources through favorable group
rates. In
addition, Del Pino said, "The agreement expresses ecumenicity and the
community of Christ. The theological implication is this: Higher
education is not something that is an optional luxury. It is God’s will
that the human predicament be enriched. Christian higher education is
one way we accomplish (and) carry out that enrichment." "The
founding in the early 1960s was a response to the desperate need of
historically black colleges and universities that were refused coverage
by most insurance companies during the latter days of legal racial
segregation," Del Pino said. "Its continuation attests to the fact that
the denomination has maintained a vital interest in providing such
access." Incorporated
in 1976, EIAA has since expanded its services to provide comprehensive
coverage to schools affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America and the Presbyterian Church (USA). Also
attending the signing of the agreement were Siri S. Gadbois, president
of the insurance organization, and Wanda D. Bigham, staff executive of
schools, colleges and universities, representing the Division of Higher
Education of the United Methodist agency.
Through
the partnership, schools affiliated with the four denominations benefit
from the combined insurance purchasing strength of more than 150
Christian liberal arts schools in 40 states.
The
United Methodist Church has 123 preparatory schools, colleges,
universities and theological schools, and one professional school. For more information, go online to http://www.eiia.org or call Marina von Bergen of EIIA at (312) 648-0914, Ext. 201.
Information
for this report was provided by Terri Hiers, executive director of the
Office of Interpretation at the United Methodist Board of Higher
Education and Ministry. News media contact: Linda Green, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
|