CBA Topical Interest Committees

Join a Topical Interest Committee and make a difference. You'll benefit too!

Our association topical interest committees are the backbone of the organization. Committee members work together to help run and shape the association.

By getting involved, you'll gain knowledge and insight into the church benefit industry through the exchange of ideas and interaction with fellow colleagues.

Learn more about CBA Topical Interest Committees here...

CEO

This committee consists of the CBA members' Chief Executive Officers.

CFO

This committee consists of the CBA members' financial officers (or those with financial responsibilities) and is formed to assist one another as regards financial reporting legislation and technical pronouncements, and any other financial topics that might impact the CBA members. Where appropriate, this includes, but is not limited to possibilities of collaboration, best practice sharing, benchmarking, etc.

Church/Synagogue Relations

This committee is one of the newest topical interest committees, having been organized in 2014. It meets annually during the CBA December meeting, and shares in conference calls during the year. Its purpose is to provide a forum and information for CBA members regarding:

Challenging trends and concerns among those we serve, examining the adaptive changes in our work that the future will demand.
“Best practices” in meeting these demands, and in building, sustaining, and widening relationships with those we serve.
Theological values and their impact in our business and ministry decisions. In addition to such forums, this group also meets together to share support and encouragement among those who serve in church/synagogue relationship positions in their respective benefit associations.

Communications, Marketing & Education

This committee welcomes CBA members who work to give their organization’s audiences the clearest, most accurate picture of employee benefits for church workers. We support communicators, marketing staff, and educators at all levels and in all disciplines to develop skills, expand their professional knowledge and business relationships, and advance the stature of communications, marketing, and education in the church benefits profession

COO

The Operations Committee of the CBA was formed to leverage our operations experience and knowledge to better support the missions of our organizations.

We do this by:

• Sharing ideas and information pertaining to initiatives in each of our organizations
• Conducting periodic meetings as a forum for our discussions
• Providing opportunities for networking among ourselves and others within our respective organizations

Customer Service

This committee was formed to leverage our combined experience and knowledge related customer service practices. This would include but is not limited to the following: technology, training/quality programs & practices, and employee engagement practices all to better support the mission of our organizations. This will be accomplished by:

Sharing ideas, programs and practices in each of our organizations
Discussing and evaluating customer service trends
Evaluating customer service innovations that could add value for our organizations objectives
Conducting periodic meetings as a forum for discussions and touring our organizations service centers
Sharing customer service best practice learnings from training/seminars/conventions attended and/or invite guest experts on service topics related to new and emerging areas for customer service
Collaborating on new programs/initiatives related to customer service in our organizations.
Sharing common challenges and brainstorming possible solutions

Health & Wellness

Fundamental to the mission and ministry of the CBA member organizations is exploring and enriching wholistic health and wellness, which is not just identifying disease and improving human function, but identifying the despair and deepening human faith. Wellness efforts will seek to go beyond health plan and programmatic interventions; to include systemic interventions that seek to create cultures supportive of well-being throughout member denominations. As we embrace national health care reform the wellness topical interest group will focus beyond health benefits to consider health, productivity, and energy and vitality for ministry.

Health Benefits

The Healthcare Committee of the CBA provides a forum for CBA members that sponsor health benefit plans to discuss the issues and challenges of managing a modern health benefits plan. The committee has existed for over 20 years and for most of that time activities have consisted of holding semi-annual discussion meetings. In 2001 we formed purchasing coalitions to negotiate two pharmacy benefits contracts on behalf of CBA member organizations. Currently, more than 20 plans are purchasing prescription drugs through what is now the merged Express Scripts or Medco Health entity and enjoy more favorable pricing than any single plan could have achieved on its own. In 2002 we also formed a coalition to purchase PPO administrative services from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. We have also developed coalitions for purchasing both Mental Health services and Disability Administrative services.

Currently, we continue to closely monitor federal Healthcare Reform regulatory activity, determine the impact on church plans and, working with Core Lawyers Working Group (CLWG), identify and advocate changes to regulations and/or legislation beneficial to CBA Healthcare plans and the individuals to whom they provide coverage.

Human Resources

This committee was formed to leverage our human resources experience and knowledge to better support the missions of our organizations.

We do this by:

Sharing ideas and information pertaining to initiatives in each of our organizations as well as common challenges and brainstorming possible solutions.
Sharing processes and solutions related to employment practices compliance and regulatory challenges.
Discussing and evaluating human resource best practices, trends and innovations that could add value for our organizations' objectives.
Soliciting outside expertise to further augment our knowledge in new and emerging practices relevant to human resources.
Conducting periodic meetings as a forum for our discussions.
Providing opportunities for networking among ourselves and others within our respective organizations.

If you are interested in joining this committee your primary role should be the senior most human resource professional employed by the CBA member organization.

Information Technology

This committee was formed to leverage our technology experience and knowledge to better support the missions of our organizations.

We do this by:

Sharing ideas and information pertaining to initiatives in each of our organizations.
Discussing and evaluating technological trends and innovations that could add value for our organizations' objectives.
Soliciting outside expertise to further augment our knowledge in new and emerging technologies relevant to our operations.
Conducting periodic meetings as a forum for our discussions.
Providing an Internet website forum where our discussions and information can be shared.
Providing opportunities for networking among ourselves and others within our respective organizations.

Investments

This committee meets annually at the Church Benefits Association meeting to discuss various issues of interest to those involved in managing, administering, and providing fiduciary oversight of investment programs that support religious retirement plans. Those participating in the group discuss various topics of mutual interest that includes asset/liability management, new asset classes, socially responsible investing practices, investment manager selection, alternative investments, best practices for fiduciaries, participant fund options, and various other investment related topics. Participants network and learn from each other based on our respective organizations’ challenges, opportunities, and initiatives.

Legal

The Legal Committee of the CBA provides a forum for in-house lawyers and compliance professionals employed by, and outside counsel retained by, CBA members to discuss the legal and compliance issues and regulatory challenges facing church plans. The committee has existed for over 15 years and focuses on continuing legal education and information sharing among peers.

Planning

The Annual Meeting Planning Committee (the "Planning Committee) shall consist of at least six persons representing a cross-section of the Members who need not be a chief executive officer or chief administrator, nominated by the Nominating Committee for approval by the Members at the Annual Meeting. The Chair and Vice-Chair shall be either a chief executive officer or chief administrator who is eligible to serve as a Director.

The Planning Committee shall be responsible for running the Annual Meeting and planning future Annual Meetings, including preparing the budget for the event for submission to the Board, inviting speakers and guests and retaining support for the logistical arrangements and meeting events.

Retirement Benefits

This committee provides a forum for CBA members to discuss the challenges of managing a modern retirement plan for clergy and other church employees. Committee sessions focus on issues of plan design, funding, member services and compliance for defined benefit and defined contribution plans.