Joint Ventures/Different Church Affiliated Entities

[Guest jgferrei]

Organizations A and B are each separate, unrelated church-affiliated health organizations (different religions); their respective plans have been recognized and acknowledged by the various agencies to be church plans (and the qualified plans are non-electing). A and B get together to form a joint venture to offer certain health-related services. The plan is to have all the Venture employees participate in A's plans. Question: Is the fact that the Venture is a joint venture of two church plan sponsors sufficient, in and of itself, to assure A that having Venture employees in, e.g., its qualified plans will not cause them to lose their church plan status? Is this so clear that nothing would be gained be seeking a letter ruling?