The operations of the Church Pension Fund are considered to have begun in 1991, when the Church Pension System was partially transferred to a funded pension contribution system. Assets not used to pay pensions were invested in the pension fund to cover future pension liabilities.
In 1999, the Central Church Fund’s pension fund became a restricted fund was formed as a self-sufficient fund. The Church Pension Fund operated in connection with the Central Church Fund, but the assets of the Pension Fund were invested separately from the other assets of the Central Church Fund, and the income of the Fund was directly allocated to the income of the Pension Fund.
The implementation of the pension cover in accordance with the Church Pensions Act was transferred to Keva on 1 January 2012. Keva is responsible for the employment pension services of the local government, central government, Evangelical Lutheran Church and Kela personnel.
Kirkon eläkerahasto (KER) eriytyi keskusrahastosta itsenäiseksi julkisoikeudelliseksi oikeushenkilöksi 1.1.2016, jolloin tuli voimaan eläkerahastoa koskeva kirkkolain 22 luvun 6 §. Tämän pykälän voimaantulosäännöksen mukaan Kirkon eläkerahasto jatkoi kirkon keskusrahaston eläkerahaston toimintaa ja kirkon keskusrahaston eläkerahaston varat, oikeudet ja velvoitteet siirtyivät 1.1.2016 Kirkon eläkerahastolle.
The Act on the Pension Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland entered into force on 1 July 2023. The Act has merged the parts of the Church Act, the Church Ordinance and the Act on the Financing of Pensions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, for the parts that concern the Church’s pension fund. The Act clarifies the regulation of the Church Pension Fund and is in line with the regulation for other public pension actors.
