May 7, 2012

ELGIN, IL – Honoring the Church of the Brethren's historic peace stance can be accomplished in many ways, and Brethren Benefit Trust chooses to do so through its investments.

BBT compiles lists of publicly traded US Department of Defense contractors each year and prohibits its investment managers from investing BBT funds in them.

Two lists are produced: One includes the top 25 publicly traded companies with defense contracts; the other includes all publicly traded companies that earn more than 10 percent of their revenue from defense contracts.

This year, some of the nation's largest companies made it on the two lists produced. For example, shipping giant FedEx was added to the top 25 list in 2011 at number 24; this year, it has moved up to the 23rd spot. The list showing companies that earned more than 10 percent of their revenue from the department lost 20 companies and gained 19 new ones for a total of 78.

The firms on the lists are screened from BBT investment portfolios, along with firms that receive more than 10 percent of their revenue from abortion, alcoholic beverages, firearms and other weapons, gambling, pornography, or tobacco. BBT also avoids using the services of any of these companies – most notably FedEx.

The lists and more information can be found at http://www.brethrenbenefittrust.org/screening/.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 123,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

Newsline: Church of the Brethren New Service
Brian Solem, publications coordinator for Brethren Benefit Trust, provided this release.