Religious charities are increasingly opting out of federally insured pension plans, raising concerns among workers and retirees that their benefits will not be protected if the organizations undergo serious financial problems, reports The Star Ledger of Newark, N.J.

Faith-affiliated nonprofits can switch to so-called “church plans” that are exempt from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or Erisa. The federal law requires organizations to pay insurance premiums on pensions in the event they fail.

Eric Loi, an attorney with the Pension Rights Center, said more religious groups are using the church plans as a refuge from potentially onerous pension obligations. The Internal Revenue Service lifted a moratorium on such switches in September but imposed a requirement that organizations notify workers of the change.

Current and former employees at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Jersey were told in November that it had changed to a church plan. The Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, D.C., also planned to switch but reversed course amid employee protests.

Phil Hartman, a spokesman for Saint Peter’s, said the hospital will continue to follow Erisa guidelines, including insuring premiums “above and beyond the [federal] protections.”