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Personal Stories

Rev. Ishaku Vobeyere, Retiree, Nigeria

After serving as the pastor of 30 different congregations over his 44-year career, the Reverend Ishaku Vobeyere struggles to clothe himself, put food on the table and pay medical bills. “In our home, we use a 50-kilo bag of rice each month,” says Rev. Vobeyere. One bag of rice costs almost half of the pension he receives for the entire year. Rev. Vobeyere also suffers from chronic medical conditions, but a single doctor’s visit costs more than a third of his annual pension amount.

“In the past, pastors—active and retired—were able to get free medical attention at Zing Rural Health Center, a United Methodist hospital,” says Rev. Vobeyere. That free care is no longer available, however. While active pastors often ask their congregations to pay for their medical care, retirees, such as Rev. Vobeyere, often must go without care.

Rev. Vobeyere is grateful for the help he receives from the local conference. However, he acknowledges that it is never enough to make ends meet. “I wish that some kind of pension could be regular,” he says. “We do get a little each year, but we never know when it will come or how much it will be. Neither my district nor my children can help me.”

The Central Conference Pension Initiative was started to provide a retirement with dignity to retired pastors, such as Rev. Ishaku Vobeyere, and their surviving spouses. To find out more about the initiative, explore www.ccpi-umc.org or write to ccpi@gbophb.org. Donations can be made online or by calling 847-866-4230.