Andrew Brown, Secretary of the Church Commissioners, announces retirement

07/06/2019

Andrew Brown, Secretary and Chief Executive of the Church Commissioners, has announced his retirement. Andrew will step down at the end of January 2020.

Andrew took up his current post in 2003 having spent the previous eight and a half years as the Commissioners' first Chief Surveyor.

Prior to joining the Commissioners, he was a partner in a private practice firm of chartered surveyors based in central London. Andrew sits on the boards of the William Leech charitable investment companies and chaired the Church Mission Society Pension Fund for five years.

Loretta Minghella, First Church Estates Commissioner, said: “Andrew has given a remarkable 25 years of dedicated, generous and unstinting service to the Church of England. The nature of the Commissioners’ work requires long-term thinking in all that we do. In Andrew, we have been fortunate to have had someone who has resisted short-termism in favour of sustainability and readiness for longer–term opportunities. 

“Under his stewardship the Church Commissioners have laid firm foundations on which much of the activity that is helping the Church to flourish is now being built. He will be greatly missed by Commissioners and staff alike.”

Commenting on his time at the Church Commissioners, Andrew said: “It has been a privilege to serve the Church and to work closely with exceptional people – the Estates Commissioners, Commissioners and my colleagues at the National Church Institutions. I will miss them enormously. After 16 rewarding years it is the right time, for myself and the Commissioners, for me to step down.”

An announcement regarding Andrew’s successor will be made in due course.