The 403(b)(9) Retirement Plan for Southern Baptist Churches provides ministers and employees who serve Southern Baptist churches, church-related schools and associations a way to invest tax-sheltered money for their future retirement years. While similar to other 403(b) and 401(k) plans, this 403(b)(9) plan is not subject to certain ERISA requirements, such as annual 5500 reporting.

In this plan, eligible participants can receive two valuable protection benefits and a matching retirement contribution provided by their Baptist state convention and GuideStone. Additionally, our retirement plans offer the designation of some or all of a retired minister’s retirement benefit as a housing allowance, providing a significant tax advantage over traditional retirement plans.

If you are a pastor of a Southern Baptist mission or church and your annual church budget receipts are less than $75,000, you may be eligible to receive additional retirement account contributions. Qualifying churches may receive $3,000 in retirement contributions over 60 months (five years). This program works in conjunction with the Church Retirement Plan. The Mission Church Assistance Fund contributions are made possible by a gift from the Wyndolyn Royster Hollifield family.

Who can participate?

Ministers, office personnel, maintenance staff, musicians, church-school teachers and others who receive W-2 taxable income from a Southern Baptist church, church-related school or association.

Types of plan contributions

• Participants can elect to have their employer to withhold money from their paycheck that can be contributed as a tax-sheltered, after-tax or Roth elective deferral contribution.
• Employers can make a tax-sheltered contribution on behalf of their employees.
• Baptist state conventions and GuideStone provide two protection benefits to eligible participants — Disability benefit (as much as $500 a month) and Survivor benefit (as much as $100,000).
• Baptist state conventions may also provide eligible participants with matching retirement contributions of as much as $210 annually.

Eligibility

• To be eligible to make participant or employer contributions to the plan, persons must receive W-2 taxable income from their Southern Baptist employer. Participants can be part-time, full-time or bi-vocational.
• To be eligible for protection benefits and matching convention retirement contributions, participants must meet their convention’s eligibility requirements and the church must meet any state convention Cooperative Program giving guidelines.

Potential tax advantages

• Retirees who are ministers may have retirement benefits designated as a tax-free housing allowance within legal limits.
• Employer contributions are not subject to Social Security tax and income tax at the time of contribution.
• Tax-sheltered participant contributions are not subject to income tax until distributed.
• Tax-sheltered participant contributions by ministers are not subject to Social Security tax.
• Rollovers from other eligible retirement plans or Traditional IRAs are possible without tax consequence.
• Contributions, earnings on all contributions and rollovers are tax-deferred.
• Earnings on Roth elective deferral contributions can be withdrawn tax-free if certain conditions are met.

Many ways to enroll

• Call 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433) to enroll by phone, or; 
• Use our online Enroll/Rollover form or;
• Download and complete a Plan Application, and mail, or;
• Download and complete a Salary Reduction Agreement, and mail, or;
• Download and complete a Rollover Application, and mail.

Questions?

• Email us your question.
• Call 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433) Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST.