Some of the lesser known casualties of the current recession are pastors who are being laid off because of budget cuts.

“We’re hearing more and more about churches who are cutting back, and pastors who are losing their jobs as a result of it,” said Gary Campbell, president of the PCA’s Retirement & Benefits, Inc. (RBI). “So we want to do all we can to provide immediate help.”

RBI recently announced Emergency Assistance as a new addition to its Relief Ministry, now providing financial assistance to teaching elders and missionaries who have lost their jobs as a result of the recession. “Assistance begins in the local church,” said Campbell, “so our goal is to work strategically with presbyteries and agencies to help in that process.”

Teaching elders and missionaries eligible for this benefit are asked to provide a budget when they apply. RBI will help map out a program for six months of support, primarily to help with food and shelter expenses.

Some churches have no resources to pay severance to laid-off pastors, and because churches are not required to take part in federal employment insurance, these pastors also are ineligible for unemployment benefits—creating a “real black hole” of financial need, according to Campbell.

“It shouldn’t be that way in the church,” said Campbell. “We’re a denomination who loves grace, so this is a fitting expression of grace to those who teach it.”

To learn more about the Emergency Assistance Ministry, visit http://www.pcarbi.org/relief/index.htm.