Facing unemployment as a minister or support staff member is a harsh and stark reality of the near future, if not already. Through this COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian churches and ministries are beginning the process of laying off staff in light of reduced income. What now?

Income replacement is top of mind. In Canada, measures are beginning to be rolled out from federal and provincial governments. Here are some important items and websites to assist you as an employee.

• Employment Insurance (EI) – if you are laid off, employees will need to have a Record of Employment (ROE) issued by the church or ministry as the employer in order to apply for EI. It is important to follow the directions of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the federal department that will process claims.

• Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) - the CERB will provide up to $2,000 a month up to 4 months to qualifying individuals. Applications for the Benefit will be available in early April.

• Canada Child Benefit (CCB) - the Federal Government is proposing to increase the maximum annual CCB payment amounts, only for the 2019-20 benefit year, by $300 per child. The overall increase for families receiving CCB will be approximately $550 on average; these families will receive an extra $300 per child as part of their May payment.

Be sure to click here for the Canadian Government’s COVID-19 Economic Responses Plan for a list of resources.

For Alberta residents, the province is also offering information here that you can review and access or utilize in order to navigate the harsh reality of a layoff.

While churches and ministers would love to be optimistic and hopeful that the layoff is temporary, don’t dismiss the potential of this being a new normal of reduced staff. It could mean that finding a new place of ministry will become your unexpected truth. But your District Resource Centre wants to make sure you know there are resources available from us.  Feel free to connect with Pastor John Albiston at john@abnwt.com in the District Resource Centre for help on crafting a ministry resume, preparing for interviews, and finding opportunities for the next chapter in your story.

The upheaval in your life from a sudden layoff cannot be piloted alone. We want to be there. Or at the very least, let you know of the resources of counsellors we recommend. We encourage you to reach out to our Pastoral Care Coordinator Pastor Al Downey at al@abnwt.com along with his wife Yvonne at yvonne@abnwt.com . Feel free to contact our office by phone at 780.426.0018.

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