March 30, 2020
Dear Parish Leadership:
I hope everyone continues to be safe and healthy. I want to provide several important updates that may benefit to your parish. This information is changing rapidly and the Diocese will continue to provide timely updates as we learn more.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE SALES TAX EXEMPTION
: The Diocese filed for continued Sales Tax Exempt status for parishes that responded to our request to be added to the list. I expected these exemption letters by mid-March. I was notified on Thursday that these letters have not been completed due to COVID-19, but the State has provided a blanket State sales tax exemption for all parishes in our Diocese.
CARES ACT:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed the House and was signed into law by the President on Friday. This Act may provide significant economic benefit to several parishes within our Diocese.
Pending verification that churches are eligible under this legislation, the Act may provide parishes a loan to cover payroll, mortgage payments, rent payments, and payments on any qualified debt obligations during March, April, May, and June of 2020. This loan would be forgiven (basically turning the loan into a grant) in the amount equal to the cost of maintaining payroll continuity during the covered period.
Until the specific details of the Act are interpreted, I recommend that parishes with full and/or part-time staff make NO changes to staffing if possible. If this is not feasible, please contact me directly at
clinder@diocesecpa.org
.
I believe these loans will be issued and administered through the banking system. Specific guidance will be provided to banks within the next 30 days. In the meantime, I will continue to monitor for any updates on the Act.
DIOCESAN LOANS:
Parishes that have loans with the Diocese may skip April, May, and June payments if needed. If you choose to skip any of these payments, the maturity of the loan will be pushed back an equal number of months. There will be NO interest charged during the period of skipped payments. The Diocese will reassess conditions in June to determine if this benefit needs to be extended.
GIFTS RECEIVED THROUGH THE DIOCESE GIVING PORTAL:
The Diocese has received numerous gifts through the giving portal
www.diocesecpa.org/stewardship
. At the end of each month, I will be sending parishes a check for the gifts received through this site. I will also include a list of the individual donors so that you can properly record on your books and send out the appropriate correspondence. For those who have contributed via Credit Card, the charge will appear on their statement as the Stevenson School. We the Diocese set up our processing vendor several years ago; it was primarily to receive tuition for the School. We have corrected this, and charges will now appear as Episcopal Dio CPA.
CHURCH PENSION GROUP ANNOUNCEMENTS:
REMINDER:
A two-month reprieve from paying clergy pensions is available to parishes with the bishop’s permission. Please email the Bishop at
ascanlan@diocesecpa.org
to apply for this. She will be sending the applications in to CPG on a weekly basis.
NEW:
90-Day Extensions on Benefits and Insurance Payments: Until June 30, 2020, we will not be cancelling any group benefits or property & casualty insurance coverages or charging interest for failure to make timely payments.
Institutions that can afford to make full or partial payments for pension assessments, health benefits (including individuals on extensions of benefits), property & casualty coverage, life insurance, and disability policies offered through a Church Pension Group company should continue to do so, but we are temporarily implementing a 90-day hardship grace period for those who cannot make timely payments.
This means that parishes, dioceses, individuals, and institutions in the Episcopal Church and IARCA, as applicable, can make pension and other benefits and insurance payments up to 90 days after the date of invoice without disruption of coverage or any accrued interest.
God Bless,
