In 1935, William A. Benjamin, Adventist insurance professional, made his way to the General Conference headquarters in Takoma Park, Maryland with a unique proposal tucked in his briefcase. He'd long felt that, if the church could become more involved in the protection of its properties, much money could be saved. His solution was simple: The General Conference should own and operate its own insurance company.

After many debates and a lot of number crunching, General Conference leadership accepted the proposal and allocated $25,000, the minimum mandated capitalization needed to form a licensed insurance company in the state of
Maryland. This venture gave birth to the International Insurance Company of Takoma Park, Maryland, and Adventist Risk Management. Inc. (ARM). Throughout ARM's history new insurance companies and agencies have been formed to meet
the needs of the church.

Through the work of William Benjamin, a visionary in his own time, the Adventist Church set in place standards for developing risk management principles that are still in use today. He became the denomination's first risk manager, personally visiting every Adventist conference and institution throughout the United States, counseling leaders on how to best protect their properties and their people.

Though the size and scope of the church has changed since its inception in 1863, the message of God's love for the world remains the same. Adventist Risk Management, Inc. works hard to ensure that no business crisis can derail the ever-expanding outreach of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Timeline

• 1860 – Seventh-day Adventist Church established
• 1935 – William Benjamin recommends the establishment of an insurance program
• 1936 – General Conference appropriates $25,000 to establish International Insurance Company of Takoma Park, Maryland (IIC)
• 1958 – Gencon Insurance Services, Inc., established as a nonprofit property/casualty insurance broker
• 1969 – Gencon Agency, Inc., established as a for-profit life and health insurance agency
• 1986 – Gencon Insurance Company of Vermont formed as the successor of the International Insurance Company 1995 – Adventist Risk Management, Inc. recognized as a General Conference institution of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• 2000 – UNIBRÁS joins the ARM family as an insurance agency to serve denominational organizations in South America
• 2003 – Gencon Insurance Company International, Ltd. began operations