Who is eligible to receive a church pension? 

The Evangelical-Lutheran Church Pensions Act (KiEL) covers a person

1. employed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, its congregations or parish unions
2. who has concluded a commission or consulting contract with an employer as referred to in section 1, and the work is not performed in the name of a company or other corporation; as of 1 Jan 2005
3. works as an elected official for employees as referred to in section 1; as of 1 Jan 2005. For elected officials, pension accrues from compensations for lost income and from separate fees paid for a fixed term.
4. employed as a minister or a lector by an association, other incorporation, foundation or institution and granted the right to work in this position by the diocesan chapter, provided that the said organisation has concluded an agreement on the pension with the Central Church Fund
5. who, as her primary occupation, works as a deaconess in a lecturing position at a deaconess institution, provided that the deaconess institution has concluded an agreement on the pension with the Central Church Fund
6. employed by an inter-church or similar organisation or engaged in work among expatriate Finns and employed by another Evangelical Lutheran church or its congregation, or is or has been engaged for at least eight years in missionary work outside Finland, provided that s/he has concluded a pension agreement with the Central Church Fund.

The Evangelical-Lutheran Church Pensions Act (KiEL)

The Evangelical-Lutheran Church Pensions Act (KiEL) entered into force on 1 Jan 1967 and the associated Survivor’s Pension Act (KiPEL) on 1 Jun 1970. The new Evangelical-Lutheran Church Pensions Act entered into force on 1 May 2008. The new law includes provisions on the employee’s entitlement to a pension and on his/her beneficiaries’ entitlement to a survivor’s pension. However, the content of pension provision remains essentially in compliance with the State Employees’ Pensions Act.