Bishops Crossing Borders: Enlightened, Encouraged, Enriched
WINTER 2024
“It is a world of difference being in a room with someone and putting a face to the words.”— Bishop Lloyd Allen
Taking time from his busy schedule, the Rt. Rev. Lloyd Allen, bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Honduras, flew to New York to hear first-hand from CPG leaders about CPG’s products and services, and to be heard.
He joined four other bishops from Province IX and Iglesia Anglicana de la Región de Central de America (IARCA) and six bishops from dioceses in the United States at our annual Bishops Conference in November. The bishops gathered with CPG leadership to share insights on how our work could assist theirs as the heads of their dioceses.
Enlightened
With their busy schedules, bishops often find it difficult to stay on top of changes to plan benefits, policies, and programs in the International Clergy Pension Plan (ICCP), in which Province IX and IARCA participate.
“The Bishops Conference allows bishops to get an unfiltered view of how we support them,” the Rev. Samuel Borbon, International & Voluntary Relationship Manager at CPG, explained. Father Borbon spoke from experience. Coming from Mexico, he empathized with conference participants from other countries, who have fewer opportunities to hear from CPG in person. The Aha! moment for Bishop Allen came during a presentation about disability benefits for clergy. “With much more detail in front of me, I understood better that the ICPP can provide a source of income replacement for active clergy who become disabled and are unable to continue working.”
Encouraged
During breakout sessions, the bishops had the opportunity to share news and concerns from within their dioceses in more intimate settings. Open discussions were a window to what’s on the minds of the clergy and lay employees whom CPG serves.
“The bishops are responsible for the people and properties in their dioceses, and it’s important that they be heard by CPG. Coming together was a catalyst for building relationships with CPG’s senior leaders, especially for our bishops who came from Latin America,” Father Borbon said.
Enriched
Cross-border concerns bridged distances between dioceses. During the session on cybersecurity, the bishops’ questions acknowledged that system breaches and data theft are threats to Episcopal institutions regardless of where they are located.
“If it hadn’t been for the international bishops, I would have failed to translate all the challenges that CPG faces across domestic and non-domestic dioceses,” the Rt. Rev. Phyllis Spiegel, bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Utah, said. “Now, when we vote on things at General Convention, I look at it through the lens of, ‘Will it work for CPG and its international clients?’”
Father Borbon added, “I think sharing ideas and offering actionable feedback enriched the conference experience for all the participants. By the end of the conference, it was clear that they were all drawing inspiration from each other.”
Did You Know?
Last year, nearly 15,500 people in the Church participated in CPG-sponsored events or financial discussions.
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