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.

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.

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Suggested Resources General Board of Higher Education General Council on Finance and Administration Educational and Institutional Insurance Administrators American Baptist Churches USA