ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Telling North American Mission Board (NAMB) staff “considerable change” is coming, President Kevin Ezell shared a retirement incentive with employees during a Sept. 30 meeting that will be the beginning of an overall reduction in force in the months ahead.
“There are a lot of changes and some things coming down the road. I don’t know what all of those are,” Ezell said. “Knowing that there are changes coming and not knowing who exactly that would involve, we wanted to offer an incentive to those who might already be thinking about retirement.”
Ezell described the incentive as “the first phase” in what will be a series of staff changes coming to NAMB.
“Is this it? No,” he said. “We don’t know the extent as to what will happen, but we do know that this will be the first phase. That’s why we want you to at least look and see.”
Under the plan, staff who are age 55 and older will be credited additional years of service in order to qualify for health insurance benefits. Additionally, a retirement incentive bonus will be paid, based on years of service. “To be sure, we are being very clear — this is the very best incentive we could come up with,” Ezell said. “It’s the best option that will be available.”
Ezell compared the changes coming to NAMB to a company that had been making washing machines and now will be making cars.
“There is going to be considerable change,” Ezell said. “A lot of the changes will not be directed to competency of people because we are going to be doing some things so drastically different. What does that look like specifically, I don’t know yet. But we are working on that as fast as we can.”
Currently, 258 people serve on NAMB’s staff in Alpharetta. An additional 34 direct-paid missionaries who serve throughout North America are among those eligible for the incentive. Those taking advantage of the plan will need to retire by Dec. 31, 2010.
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