Wespath Benefits and Investments

Wespath, The United Methodist Church’s retirement-benefits agency, is now excluding investments in the bonds of multiple nations because of their human rights records. The move expands on the scope of a resolution approved at last year’s General Conference. Image by shark_749 via iStock with elements furnished by NASA.

Wespath intensifies its scrutiny of bonds

In response to General Conference action, the United Methodist retirement-benefits agency now excludes investments in the bonds of multiple nations based on their human rights records.

General Church

In an effort to combat climate change, participants at the California-Nevada Summit on Fossil Fuel Divestment approved a resolution recommending halting fossil-fuel related investments. “We agree that fossil fuels continue to drive climate change and that their production and usage harms the planet, especially poor and minority communities and countries,” the statement reads. The resolution now goes before annual conference voters. Image by Ralf Vetterlem, courtesy of Pixabay.

Conference moves toward fossil-fuel divestment

In an effort to combat climate change, participants at the California-Nevada Summit on Fossil Fuel Divestment approved a resolution that will now go before annual conference voters.

Social Concerns

Clay Apartments in Detroit consists of one two-story building with an elevator and will include 42 one-bedroom units for formerly homeless men and women with special needs. Wespath, the denomination’s pension and benefits agency, invested $805,000 in the building. United Methodists see a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on homelessness as a reason to increase efforts to build more affordable housing. Photo courtesy of Wespath.

US Supreme Court ruling puts focus on housing

United Methodists see reason to increase their efforts to care for homeless people, including building more affordable housing, after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld ordinances that make sleeping outside a crime.

General Conference

Resolution opposes investment in Israeli bonds

General Conference has approved a resolution asking that United Methodist institutions not buy government bonds from Israel and two other nations that have engaged in long-term military occupations.

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