Supporting the Church of England: all over the
country
The Church Commissioners play a vital role in supporting
the Church of England as a Christian presence in every
community:
Managing an investment portfolio of £5.2bn
derived from the Church's historic resources
Looking after a long-term resource for both current
and future generations
The Commissioners:
- contribute 15p in the pound to the cost of the
Church of England's mission - most of the balance comes from the
extraordinarily generous giving of today's parishioners.
- operate a distributions policy that 'smoothes'
fluctuations in the financial markets thus providing
stable support for beneficiaries.
- manage their investments within ethical
guidelines, supported by the Church of England's Ethical
Investment Advisory Group (click here to read about
the EIAG).
- pay for all clergy pensions earned up to 1998
- pensions earned on service since then are paid for by dioceses,
largely from money donated by parishioners.
- pay the stipends and workings costs of all the Church
of England's bishops - and the housing costs of all
diocesan bishops - in support of their local and national
ministries.
- provide more than £40 million each year in support for
parish ministry, primarily to less well-resourced dioceses
(click here for more information).
- support the mission of all of the Church's cathedrals by paying
the stipends of the majority of cathedral deans and two
stipendiary canons, as well as making other cathedral
grants.
- encourage innovative uses for churches no longer in
use for Church of England worship.
- support the administration of parish boundary
changes (click here) and
give grants to other Church bodies.