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  • The Church Commissioners
    • Key Facts
    • History
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    • Asset Management
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    • Pastoral Reorganisation and Closed Churches
    • Organisation and governance
      • The Church Commissioners
      • Church Commissioners' staff
    • Resourcing Mission
    • Bishop's Office and Working Costs Reports
    • Church administration
    • Mineral registration programme
  • Church of England Pensions Board
  • The Corporation of The Church House
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  • Dioceses Commission
• Facts and stats
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• Work with other faiths
• Vacancies

The Church Commissioners at March 2013

 

Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (Chair) biog

Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York biog

 

Appointed by Her Majesty

Andreas Whittam Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner biog

Sir Tony Baldry MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner biog

Appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury

Andrew Mackie, Third Church Estates Commissioner biog

 

Elected by the General Synod:

House of Bishops

Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dr Richard Chartres, Bishop of London (Acting Chair) biog

Rt Revd David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham biog

Rt Revd Mike Hill, Bishop of Bristol biog

Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster, Bishop of Chester biog

 

House of Clergy

The Revd Canon Bob Baker biog

The Revd Canon David Stanton biog

The Revd Stephen Trott biog

 

House of Laity

April Alexander biog

Canon Peter Bruinvels biog

Gavin Oldham biog

Jacob Vince biog

 

Elected by the deans

Very Revd Jonathan Greener, Dean of Wakefield biog

Very Revd John Clarke, Dean of Wells biog

 

Nominated by Her Majesty

Harry Hart biog

Canon John Spence biog

John Wythe biog

 

Nominated by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York

Vacancy for QC Commissioner

Jeremy Clack biog

Vacancy  

Brian Carroll biog

Hywel Rees-Jones biog

Emma Osborne biog

Ex Officio

The First Lord of the Treasury

The Lord President of the Council

The Lord Chancellor

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Speaker of the House of Commons

The Speaker of the House of Lords

Governors' biographies

Justin Welby
Archbishop of Canterbury and ex officio Commissioner from 2013.  Former oil industry executive; ordained in 1992; curacy and incumbencies in Coventry diocese 1992-2002; Residentiary Canon at Coventry Cathedral 2002-05 and Sub Dean 2005-07; Dean of Liverpool Cathedral 2007-11; Bishop of Durham 2011-13.  Expert in the politics and history of Kenya and Nigeria, Archbishop Justin has done extensive reconciliation work, most notably in Africa.  Member of Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards.
Chair Church Commissioners 

John Sentamu
Archbishop of York and ex-officio Commissioner from 2005. Ordained 1979; curacy/incumbencies at Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and Brixton (Southwark) 1979-96; Bishop of Stepney 1996-2002; Bishop of Birmingham 2002-05.  Member, General Synod 1985-96 and again from 2002. Served on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry1997-99 and the Damilola Taylor Murder Investigation Review 2002.
Board

 

Andreas Whittam Smith
First Church Estates Commissioner from 2002. Former city editor of the Guardian and Daily Telegraph, co-founder of the Independent 1986 and editor to 1993. Director, Independent News and Media (UK); President of the British Board of Film Classification 1997-2002; chair Financial Ombudsman Service 1999-2003; vice-president National Council for One Parent Families.
Board, chair Assets Committee

Tony Baldry
Second Church Estates Commissioner from 2010.  Practising barrister specialising in construction law. Entered parliament 1983. Former Under Secretary of State in Department of Energy (1990); Department of the Environment (1990-94); Foreign & Commonwealth Office (1994-5).  Minister of State in Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1995-97).   Knighted in 2012 for political and public service.
Board and entitled to attend and speak at any committee

Andrew Mackie
Third Church Estates Commissioner since 1 January 2013.  Director of Legal Services and General Counsel for Oxford University since December 2012.  Andrew began his career in the corporate development department at  Unilever before training as a lawyer.  He was a corporate partner in the New York, Hong Kong and London offices of the international law firm Linklaters LLP before taking up his current roles.   He has significant professional experience of a variety of industry sectors, particularly energy and financial services.
Board; Chair of Bishoprics & Cathedrals, Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) and Pastoral Committees.

Richard Chartres
Bishop of London. Commissioner from 1999. Ordained 1973, chaplain to Robert Runcie as Bishop of St Albans 1975-80 and Archbishop of Canterbury 1980-84, vicar St Stephen's Rochester Row and London diocesan director of ordinands 1985-92, Gresham professor of divinity 1986-92, Bishop of Stepney 1992-95. Dean of HM Chapels Royal and Privy Counsellor, chair of church heritage forum and founder St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace.
Acting Chair of the Commissioners' Board of Governors

David Urquhart
Bishop of Birmingham. Commissioner from 2009. Early career in commercial management, working for BP, ordained 1984, curacy/incumbency in York diocese 1984-92, vicar of Holy Trinity in Coventry City Centre 1992-2000, Bishop of Birkenhead 2000-06. Chair of trustees Church Mission Society until 2007. Archbishop of Canterbury's episcopal link with China from 2006.
Board and Bishoprics & Cathedrals Committee

Mike Hill
Bishop of Bristol. Commissioner from 2007. Early career in industry, ordained 1977, served in Canterbury and Oxford dioceses, Archdeacon of Berkshire 1992-98, Bishop of Buckingham 1998-2003.
Board and Assets Committee

Peter Forster
Bishop of Chester. Commissioner from 2009 and previously 1999-2004. Ordained 1980, curacy in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, senior tutor St John's College Durham 1983-91, vicar Beverley Minster 1991-96. President of Council, university of Chester.
Board and Pastoral Committee

Bob Baker
Team rector, Thetford (Norwich diocese). Commissioner from 2009 and previously 1992-2000.  General Synod member from 1985 to 2005 and Prolocutor (Convocation of Canterbury) from 2000 - 2005. Member of Church Heritage Forum from 2001 and Archbishops' Council 2001-05.
Board, Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) and Pastoral committees

David Stanton
Canon Precentor and Canon Pastor at Worcester Cathedral from 2005. Ordained 1985, range of parish and cathedral ministries (Rochester, Lichfield, Exeter) including Parish Priest, University Chaplain, Tutor, DDO and Rural Dean. Former Secretary of State Member: Dartmoor National Park Authority. Currently Non-executive at Wales Audit Office (Remuneration Committee & Governance Steering Group), Member: Oxford University Research Ethics Committee (Divisions: Social Sciences & Humanities), Bishops' Selection Adviser for Ordained Ministry.
Board and Assets Committee.

Stephen Trott
Commissioner from 1997. Ordained 1984, Curacies in Hull (York diocese) 1984-88, Rector of Pitsford with Boughton from 1988, diocese of Peterborough. CME Secretary 1988-93. Chair of Church Buildings Committee, member of Bishop's Council and DBF. General Synod member from 1995, Synodical Secretary of Convocation of Canterbury from 2010. Member of Ecclesiastical Law Society. Writer on theology and canon law
Board, deputy chair Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) Committee

April Alexander
Commissioner from 2009. Head of industry learning for the Pensions Regulator 2005-2009 and an executive director of its predecessor body, the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority1999-2005. Financial services industry from 1984. Financial Services Authority and predecessor body 1992-99. General Synod from 2000. Trustee Church of England Pensions Board 2003-2009. Lay chair Southwark diocesan synod 1997-2006.
Board, Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) Committee and Audit Committee

Peter Bruinvels
Public relations and media management. Commissioner from 1992. Trained as lawyer, MP for Leicester East 1983-87, many voluntary roles including member of General Synod from 1985, dioceses commission (1991-96), deputy chair of legislative committee (1991-96 and 2000 to date) and formerly clergy discipline review group (1999 to 2010), lay canon Guildford cathedral, Royal British Legion county field manager for Surrey and Sussex, member of Cathedrals Fabric Commission since 2005.  Vice President of Guildford Diocesan Synod since 2003. Ofsted Church Schools inspector from 1994, independent lay chair NHS complaints tribunal 1999-2004.
Board and Pastoral Committee

Gavin Oldham
Retail Stockbroker.  Commissioner from 1999.  Early career with British Aerospace; established Barclayshare 1986 and The Share Centre Ltd 1990.  Chief Executive of AIM-listed Share plc & The Share Centre.  Founder & Chair of The Share Foundation.  Member of General Synod from 1995 and of the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group from 1999.  Member of 'Resourcing Christian Community Action' Steering Group.
Board and Assets Committee.

Jacob Vince
Following a successful career as a Director of a Chartered Surveying practice, Jacob changed in 2010 to work in the Charity sector as Chief Executive of an interdenominational Christian charity with a focus on Jewish/Christian relations. Church Commissioner since 2009. General Synod member from 2005 and former member of its Church Buildings Council. Served on Church Commissioners' Church Buildings (Uses and Disposals) Committee for two years. Church Warden for six years. Member of Bishop's Council (Chichester). Duke of Edinburgh Expedition Leader.
Board and Bishoprics & Cathedrals Committee

Jonathan Greener
Dean of Wakefield.  Commissioner from 2011.  Early career in industry.  Ordained 1991; curacy in Southwark (1991-94); Bishop's Domestic Chaplain in Truro (1994-96); Vicar in Chichester (1996-2003); Archdeacon of Pontefract Wakefield diocese) 2003-07.  Dean of Wakefield since 2007.
Board, Bishoprics & Cathedrals Committee and Pastoral Committee.

 

 
John Clarke
Dean of Wells.  Commissioner from 2011.  Ordained 1976; curacy in Newcastle (1976-79); Precentor St Ninian's Cathedral, Perth (1979-82); Advisor to general Synod of Scottish Episcopal Church (182-87); Philip Usher scholarship, Greece (1987-88); Vicar in Southwark (1989-96), Principal of Ripon College, Cuddesdon (1997-2004); Dean of Wells since 2004.
Board and Bishoprics & Cathedrals Committee

Harry Hart
Commissioner from 2011.  Founder and Managing Partner of Melford Capital (2002- ), a private equity real estate firm focused on special situations and turnaround opportunities in the London economy.  Formerly co-Founder and Director of Gilbran Group Ltd (1996-2002); a co-Founder and Director of Arcadia Land Plc (1991-1996) and an Investment Agent at Hart Lockhart Smith (1989-1991).
Board and Assets Committee

 

John Spence
A Commissioner from 2005, John left a healthy Lloyds TSB in 2005 after a series of managing director roles in order to have more time for family, community and church. Chairs Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance, where he is a lay canon; has chaired Action for Blind People and Vitalise, is deputy chair of Business in the Community and President of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland - and many more. Non-executive roles include Money Advice Service, CallCredit plc and Anglia Ruskin University; previously on Board of HM Revenue & Customs. John is Chelmsford's best-known blind motorcyclist.
Board and Audit Committee (former chair)

John Wythe
Commissioner from 2007.  Previously Board member of Prudential's property investment management subsidiary (PRUPIM) until 2010 where he was Head of Fund Management and Chairman of PRUPIM's Investment Committees in London and Singapore. Since then he has been appointed to serve on Boards or Committees for Norges Bank, Prudential/M&G, CBRE Global Investors, DTZ, Portman Estate and Pollen Estate and is a Trustee of Sue Ryder. John has a degree in Estate Management from Reading University and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. 
Board and Assets Committee. 

Jeremy Clack
Actuary Commissioner from 2012.  Senior Consultant at Towers Watson Ltd since 2003 advising companies and pension trustees on scheme funding and valuations among other things.  Fellow of Institute and Faculty of Actuaries since 2007.  Chair of Trustees of Keeping Health In Mind, a small charity in Coventry and Warwickshire focussed on reducing stigma associated with mental health issues within faith communities, and formerly a Trustee and treasurer of CPAS.  Married with one baby daughter.
Board and Commissioners' nominated member of Church of England Pensions Board

  
Brian Carroll
Commissioner from 2005 after retirement in 2004 from the John Lewis Partnership as Finance Director at Waitrose.  Earlier career (1966-78) was with HM Treasury including serving as Private Secretary to Treasury Ministers of State.  Interim Bursar Brasenose College Oxford 2009-2010.  Group board member L&Q Housing Association 2007-2012. Lover of singing in choirs and going to the opera.  Endures agonies and occasional ecstasies watching Ireland play rugby.
Board, Assets Committee, Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) Committee, Church Urban Fund Trustee.

Hywel Rees-Jones
Commissioner from 2009.  Managing Director with CDC, which supports economic growth by investing in funds and businesses in emerging markets, he has been responsible for debt, microfinance and global sector funds.  In his investment career he has worked in Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt and Thailand as well as the UK.  Churchwarden in his local parish church.
Board and Chair of Audit Committee

Emma Osborne
[photo to follow] Commissioner from 2004.  Chief Investment Officer for international assets and UK pension fund trustee, Chubb Insurance. Formerly director with Credit Suisse/CSFB.
Board and Assets Committee