Christian Churches Pension Plan

What Christian Churches Pension Plan does

Christian Churches Pension Plan (CCPP), founded in 1969 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a nonprofit, church-based defined benefit retirement plan qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a). It serves ministers, missionaries, Christian college faculty and staff, and employees of faith-based nonprofit organizations within the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ fellowship — a bounded denominational addressable market of 'hundreds of churches, missions, colleges, and non-profit ministries' supporting 'thousands of participants.'

The plan's core product is a unit-based defined benefit structure: employers contribute $750 per unit per year on behalf of enrolled participants, with participants able to subscribe to multiple units (typically several) up to age 60. Retirement income is predetermined by enrollment age and paid as monthly income starting at age 65 for life, with 50% survivor benefits and parsonage allowance treatment for ordained persons. Benefits vest after one year and are portable across ministry positions within the fellowship.

CCPP operates without a proprietary technology platform and manages approximately $55M in plan assets through a roster of external institutional asset managers (US Bank as Trustee, plus Baird, T. Rowe Price, BlackRock, Merrill Lynch, Capital Group, Copeland Capital, James Capital Alliance, and Diamond Capital). Annual actuarial review is conducted by USI Consulting Group, with ERISA/tax legal counsel from Foulston Siefkin LLP. Go-to-market is sales-led via referral: enrollment applications are submitted by elders, authorized spokespersons, or institutional officers of adopting churches, colleges, and ministries. A small administrative team (1–10 employees) runs day-to-day operations under a Board of Governors nominated by adopting organizations.

Name

Christian Churches Pension Plan

Legal name

Christian Churches Pension Plan

Website

https://ccpension.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Christian Churches Pension Plan is a nonprofit, 401(a)-qualified defined benefit retirement plan serving ministers, missionaries, Christian college employees, and faith-based nonprofit staff within the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ fellowship, charging $750 per unit annually for a pre-determined lifetime monthly income starting at age 65.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Church Pension Plans

NAICS

Pension Funds (525110)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Defined benefit pensions
• Ministry retirement plans
• Church employee benefits
• Faith-based retirement plans
• Minister pension plan

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pension Contributions: Annual contributions of $750 per unit made by churches or institutions on behalf of ministers and employees. Contributions are tax-deferred until retirement. The defined benefit amount is determined by age at enrollment, providing a predetermined monthly income starting at age 65.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Christian Churches Pension Plan is a church-based defined benefit retirement plan qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a) that delivers a pre-determined monthly income starting at age 65 and continuing for the participant's lifetime. Employers (churches, missions, Christian colleges, seminaries, and faith-based nonprofits) make recurring annual contributions of $750 per unit on behalf of ministers, missionaries, and employees, with the retirement benefit determined by the participant's age at enrollment. The plan features one-year vesting, portability across ministry positions, professional multi-manager asset management, tax-deferred contributions, and optional lump-sum payouts at retirement.

Product overview

Christian Churches Pension Plan is a single, unified defined benefit retirement plan specifically designed for ministers, missionaries, church employees, and employees of faith-based non-profit organizations affiliated with Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. The plan operates on a unit-based contribution system ($750 per year per unit) with defined benefits calculated based on age at enrollment, providing lifetime monthly income starting at age 65. The plan is portable across ministry changes, vests after one year, and offers partial lump sum payment options at retirement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Christian Churches Pension Plan (Defined Benefit Retirement Plan) A church-based defined benefit retirement plan qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a), designed for ministers, missionaries, church employees, and faith-based nonprofit personnel affiliated with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. Provides a pre-determined monthly income starting at age 65 and continuing for the member's lifetime, with benefits determined by age at enrollment.
• Pension Units The denomination-level contribution vehicle that allows participants and their employers to subscribe to pension units at $750 per unit per year, with the resulting lifetime retirement benefit scaled by the number of units and the participant's age at enrollment. Additional units can be added at any time before age 60.

Quantifiable outcome

• Enrolling at age 25 with 1 unit provides $9,600/year annual retirement benefit; 4 units provide $38,400/year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• USI Consulting GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides annual actuarial review of plan assets and distribution to participants. USI Consulting Group is a premier provider of defined contribution and defined benefit plan consulting and administration services. Their Central Region Office in Knoxville, TN handles the annual review.
• Foulston Siefkin, LLPsupportingOthersJames P. Rankin, Partner, provides legal counsel focused on employee benefits law, ERISA, tax law, and regulatory compliance for pension and retirement plans. Specializes in tax qualification issues and insurance regulatory compliance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TIAA: Large-scale retirement provider serving the academic, medical, cultural, and nonprofit sectors. While CCPP's customer base (church workers) overlaps with TIAA's broader nonprofit/educational footprint, TIAA operates as a broad incumbent across multiple verticals rather than specializing in a single fellowship.

Direct peers

• GuideStone Financial Resources: Southern Baptist-affiliated retirement, insurance, and investment provider. Operates a defined benefit pension plan alongside 403(b) options for ministers and church workers. Highly comparable in serving a specific Protestant fellowship, but at materially larger scale than CCPP.
• Portico Benefit Services (ELCA): Benefits administrator for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, providing retirement, health, and wellness benefits to clergy and rostered leaders. Directly comparable denominational pension model to CCPP, though serving a larger Lutheran constituency.
• Wespath Institutional Investments: United Methodist Church's pension and benefits administrator, managing retirement plans for clergy and lay workers. Similar faith-based defined benefit structure and customer base to CCPP, operating at substantially larger AUM.
• Ministers & Missionaries Benefit Board (MMBB): Ecumenical Protestant pension and retirement plan serving ministers, missionaries, and church employees across multiple denominations. Closest comparable in mission, customer base, and defined benefit structure to CCPP, though operating at larger scale and broader denominational scope.
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Pension Plan: Administering denomination-specific defined benefit pension plan for PCUSA ministers and church workers. Direct comparable in product structure and target customer, with similar fiduciary and tax qualification framework to CCPP.
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Pension Fund: Denominationally-aligned pension resources for Disciples of Christ clergy and lay workers, which historically overlaps with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ fellowship that CCPP serves. Highly comparable target customer and product offering.
• Church Pension Group: Provides pension, health, and related benefits to clergy and lay employees of The Episcopal Church. Directly comparable faith-based defined benefit pension administrator serving a single denominational fellowship, with similar model and customer profile to CCPP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccpension
• Facebookfacebook.com/ccpension
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christian-churches-pension-plan

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Christian Churches Pension Plan