COGIC, Thrivent launch multi-year financial education partnership

The Church Of God in Christ and Thrivent are teaming up on a multi-year effort to bring financial education, purpose-based advice and generosity programs to more than 12,000 churches nationwide. The partnership aims to expand stewardship, retirement planning and charitable giving support across one of the country’s largest Pentecostal denominations.

Why it matters: - The partnership could expand financial education to pastors, clergy, administrators and lay members across more than 12,000 COGIC churches. - The effort targets long-term financial well-being in communities that have faced barriers to financial access and advancement. - COGIC and Thrivent are tying financial literacy to church life, stewardship and generosity.

What happened: - The Church Of God in Christ announced a multi-year partnership with Thrivent on June 7, 2026. - The collaboration builds on years of prior work between the denomination and the financial services company. - Thrivent will provide a virtual, faith-based financial education curriculum to COGIC members. - Thrivent will also support charitable giving through matched donations and a future endowment fund.

The details: - Thrivent will co-create a virtual curriculum for COGIC leaders that focuses on stewardship and personal retirement planning. - The curriculum will also cover debt, saving and spending. - Church leaders will receive the curriculum first, before it expands to congregants in 2027. - Thrivent will present financial education and purpose-based advice at COGIC conferences through mainstage sessions, workshops and one-on-one consultations. - Thrivent will match COGIC donations up to $65,000 per year. - Thrivent and COGIC will work to create a future endowment fund to amplify generosity. - Thrivent’s offerings of purpose-based advice, investments, insurance and generosity programs will be made available across COGIC’s network. - COGIC described the partnership as an effort to equip members with knowledge for informed, forward-looking financial decisions.

Between the lines: - The partnership gives Thrivent access to a large, trusted church network with deep community roots. - COGIC is positioning financial education as part of a broader mission that includes spiritual, physical and financial wholeness. - The move reflects a strategy to embed financial planning in faith communities rather than treat it as a separate service. - The arrangement also extends Thrivent’s broader emphasis on generosity alongside saving and investing.

What’s next: - Thrivent will roll out the leader curriculum first. - The program is set to expand to congregants in 2027. - COGIC and Thrivent will continue building the endowment fund framework and broader generosity support. - The partnership is likely to surface at future COGIC conferences, workshops and consultations.