The Corporation for Relief of the Widows and Children of Clergy

Clergy canonically resident in the dioceses of Maryland, Washington and Easton are eligible to join The Corporation for Relief of the Widows and Children of the Clergy of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Maryland.

The Corporation extends benefits to spouses, "domestic partners” and economically dependent children of deceased members who have been canonically resident for at least five years in one of the three dioceses (Maryland, Washington and Easton).

The $50 a year membership dues, with membership paid up after 15 years, offer extraordinary benefits:

$8,000 promptly paid upon a member's death
$1,000 annuity to beneficiaries.
Additional payments, termed “gratuities”, which are need-based to insure a decent standard of living for beneficiaries. Currently, gratuities range from $2,000 to $20,000 annually. Gratuities also are available for special needs, such as medical emergencies, college costs, home repairs and other extraordinary circumstances.

Founded in 1783, the Corporation currently has over $16.5 million invested. A nine-member board of managers, with three members from each diocese, is responsible for administering funds. Washington board members are the Rev. Vincent Harris, the Rev. Richard Kukowski and the Rev. Anne Monahan.

In 2002 the Corporation revised its by-laws to include benefits to domestic partners (gay and lesbian life partners of members), with specific approval on a case by case basis by the Board of Managers.

For additional information, contact the Rev. James Crowder at jcrowder@bcpi.net or Juanita Fair at jfair@ang-md.org

One last thing, members are treated to a fine free dinner at the Corporation's annual meeting in May of each year. Spouses, partners and guests are invited at a reasonable cost. In 2007, the dinner is hosted by the Diocese of Washington, May 9 at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD.