Many pension funds may be struggling, but ours is thriving. Dennis Sullivan, president of the Church Pension Fund, reported Monday that the fund’s assets have topped $8 billion as of March 31 of this year, thanks to 16.9 percent annualized growth over the past triennium.

There’s a happy result from that performance. Benefits will be expanded, beginning July 1. Surviving spouses and those at the lowest end of the pension-benefit scale will be among the major beneficiaries. Also, the clergy resettlement benefit has been dramatically increased for those newly retiring, making the transition from active ministry much easier financially.

Add all that together and it’s a no-brainer who receives our support for election as Church Pension Fund trustees. Center Aisle endorses all nine incumbents for re-election. We also recommend the election of three other nominees, two of them former trustees, whose gifts complement those of the incumbents.

To help keep the strong financial trends going, we need continuity among the trustees. Proven expertise will also provide the base for an important initiative contained in Resolution A147: the Church-wide Healthcare Feasibility Study. The increasing strain on dioceses and parishes from ever-increasing, health-care costs might be mitigated by a denominational health-care benefits program. It’s worth a look.

Overseeing the critical data-gathering for such a study requires a strong, diverse and experienced team of CPF trustees. Their role is crucial, given the financial possibilities. Studies through the CREDO Institute, which support programs for clergy wellness, also indicate that raising the level of health-care benefits leads to healthier and more productive clergy. At the national level, the Episcopal Church Medical Trust estimates a Church-wide plan could produce $3 million to $4 million of savings per year through leveraged contracts. This would be passed through in lower premium payments by parishes across the church.

In the balloting today, we endorse the following incumbents for re-election to six-year terms: the Rev. A Thomas Blackmon, Dallas; the Rev. Randall Chase, Massachusetts; Barbara B. Creed, El Camino Real; Deborah Harmon-Hines, Western Massachusetts; the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, Virginia; the Rt. Rev. Claude Payne, Texas; Quintin E. Primo III, Chicago; Katherine Tyler Scott, Indianapolis; and Cecil Wray, New York.

We also recommend the following nominees for election to six-year terms: Vincent Currie, Central Gulf Coast, who has significant experience at all levels of responsibility in the Episcopal Church; the Rev. Gary Jones, Virginia, a rising leader in clergy wellness; and Diane Pollard, New York, who brings a breadth of experience in large pension organizations. Currie and Pollard are both former trustees.