Introduction

The Church Commissioners’ mission is to support the Church of England’s ministry, particularly in areas of need and opportunity.

The Church Commissioners are responsible for managing the Church’s long term investment portfolio (endowment fund) whose value was over £10billion at the end of 2022, which is held in a diversified portfolio including UK and overseas equities, commercial, residential and rural property, and timberland. The funds are used primarily for clergy stipends and pensions, funding for deprived areas, grants for bishops’ costs and cathedral staff, as well as parish mission and ministry support and other responsibilities. In 2022 the Commissioners announced a £1bn indicative investment programme for 9 years (3 triennium periods), which included major investment in net zero commitments, racial justice and other priorities.

As part of their responsibilities, the Commissioners have a quasi-judicial role in relation to the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.

The Measure enables the following:

• Changes to the Church’s mission structures; the geography of parish, deanery and archdeaconry, and the benefice (office of the Incumbent who is given the ‘Cure of Souls’ for an area which is shared with the Diocesan Bishop).
• The closure of a church building which is no longer required for regular public worship.
• The disposal and re-use of a church building which is no longer required for regular public worship.
• The establishment of the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) to hold the most historically significant and important closed church buildings in trust for the nation.
• Later amendments added the ability for Bishops to introduce new mission initiatives through Bishop’s Mission Orders.

The Measure uses various legal instruments, known as schemes and orders, to enact the decisions when change is required. It operates in a similar way to the secular planning system, and generally requires draft proposals to be published, after some initial (informal) consultation, at which point people can comment in favour, or against, the proposals. If there are no comments against, then the relevant legal instrument is made and comes into effect, but if there are comments against (known as representations) those come to the Church Commissioners’ Mission, Pastoral and Church Property Committee (MPCPC) for consideration.

The Mission, Pastoral & Church Property (MPCP) Committee:

The Committee comprises the Third Church Estates Commissioner as Chair, two Bishops, six other clergy, and eight other lay members, one of whom is nominated by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. The members are lay and clergy people drawn from across the Church and a range of traditions so they can, working together, take a broad perspective on whether the proposals will further the mission of the Church. The Committee includes both Church Commissioners and non-Commissioner members, with the former in the majority.

The main element of the Committee’s business is adjudicating the representation cases which arise out of diocesan proposals for pastoral reorganisation and relating to clergy housing and glebe or from proposals to settle the future of closed churches. This may involve oral public hearings, which offer representors and diocesan teams the opportunity to address the Committee. The Commissioners exercise some public functions in dealing with representation cases, and so the Committee has to act impartially and transparently.

The Committee meets in London and online, typically eight times a year. Meetings vary in length depending on the number of representation cases. Some are half-day meetings mostly via Zoom, usually beginning at 10.30am and finishing at 1.00pm, but up to four are potentially all-day meetings involving hearings, starting at 11.00 am and possibly lasting until 4.00pm.

From time to time the Committee may decide to visit a particular area to assist in its deliberations on representations or to hear representations locally and this might involve an overnight stay. There is also usually an annual two or three day visit in June which enables Committee members to visit a selection of parishes or mission initiatives or closed or potentially closed churches in one or two dioceses. Non-Commissioner members of Committees are also invited to attend the Commissioners’ Annual General Meeting in June.

Practical Information:

The final decision on the term of appointment will rest with the Board of Governors but it is expected that the initial term will be for three or four years, with the possibility of renewal. The post is non-executive and unpaid but all reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed.

How to Apply:

To apply, please send the following to jess.rome@dcms.gov.uk

• A CV of no more than two sides;
• A Statement of Suitability of no more than two sides;
• The attached conflicts of interest form;
• Complete this diversity monitoring form.

Please do not apply, using the link below.

Closing Date: 31 May 2023

Interviews will be held in early June 2023

Main Responsibilities of the Committee

The Committee’s full terms of reference are made available to potential new members but its main responsibilities are:

• Taking decisions on casework brought to the Commissioners relating to the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011, and the Church Property Measure 2018.
  Considering any matters of general policy relating to the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 and related Measures.
• Deciding the future of closed Church of England churches involving disposal for alternative use, vesting in the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) for preservation, demolition and disposal of sites, and de-vesting from the CCT.
• Providing advice on proposals for the Church’s share of the CCT’s funding, which is approved every three years by General Synod.
• Overseeing the administration of the Closed Church Buildings Support Account to assist dioceses in maintaining closed churches whose future is yet to be resolved, and reviewing the rules governing its operation.
• Participating in occasional sub-committee visits and the Committee’s visit each June to (a) particular diocese(s).
• Considering any matters of general policy relating to the Mission and Pastoral Measure and Church Property Measure.
• Overseeing the budgets for the Commissioners’ housing loans for deserted clergy spouses.

Person Specification

On this occasion, the vacancy is for a lay person nominated by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).

Essential criteria

• Some understanding of the Church of England’s mission and role and knowledge of diocesan and parish structures
• Strong desire to help the Church to organise local worship, mission and ministry in the most effective way in the 21st century
• Knowledge of charity governance and finance practice and good practice in property and asset management
• Ability to analyse and balance conflicting views and to make judgements in relation to the resources available (people, financial and buildings)
• Able to be impartial and fair-minded in their approach to decision making
• Sympathy to, or experience in, the adaptation of historic listed buildings to enable them to secure suitable alternative uses and sustainable futures

Desirable

• Knowledge of property development, the heritage sector and secular planning regimes

Disqualifications

As a matter of best practice, the Commissioners apply the exceptions applicable to members of the Board of Governors to non-Commissioner Committee members. Accordingly, we will not consider for appointment to the Committee:

• any person who has served at any time within the last five years as a partner, consultant, associate or employee of the Commissioners’ actuaries, external auditors or other professional advisers
• any employee of any national, diocesan or cathedral body in the Church of England
• any person who has been convicted of any offence involving dishonesty or deception
• any person who has been adjudged bankrupt or sequestration of his or her estate has been awarded
• any person who has been removed from the offices of charity trustee or trustee for a charity or has been removed from being concerned in the management or control of any body
• any person who is subject to a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 or an order made under section 429(2) of the Insolvency Act 1986
• The successful candidate will be asked to make a declaration that he or she is not precluded by these conditions and a refusal to make such a declaration will be a bar to appointment.

The Commissioners’ Code of Conduct requires members to act with impartiality and integrity in transacting official business. The Board has adopted the seven principles of public life as elaborated by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, and the Commissioners maintain a register of all members’ relevant interests which is open to inspection on request.

All new Commissioners and Committee members are offered an induction programme whereby they meet the Commissioners’ key management staff with an opportunity for discussion and an insight into the work of departments.