Catholic Health plan not a “church plan” exempt from ERISA

A Magistrate Judge in Colorado has held that a pension plan established by Catholic Health Initiatives is not a “church plan” and is therefore subject to the rules of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.  The Magistrate, following several recent decisions, said the ERISA statute requires a plan to be established and maintained by a church or convention of churches if it is to be exempt from coverage.  Since Catholic Health Initiatives admitted it was not a church, its plan could not be a church plan exempt from the ERISA requirements.  This was true, the Magis