Today, [June 16, 2026] the Church of England Pensions Board marks its centenary with a service of thanksgiving at Southwark Cathedral, attended by pension scheme members and stakeholders from across the Church and pensions sector.

“The Board was set up in 1926 to provide guaranteed income in retirement for clergy. A century later, we are still doing this, and now we provide pensions for more than 43,000 members who also work or serve in different roles for the Church – from clergy, to youth workers, to parish administrators, diocesan employees, and those in national bodies,“ said Clive Mather, the Chair of the Pensions Board. “We are immensely proud to have reached this milestone, with our pension schemes in robust health and still open. We also have exciting plans that will see us into the next century and beyond.” 

The Pensions Board stewards £3.5bn of pension savings in its care. The fund has almost doubled in size within the past 10-15 years, driven by investment returns of over 8% p.a. That strong investment performance has allowed the Board to implement a historic package of pension improvements. These new pension benefits – equivalent to an extra £1bn being paid out to members over their lifetimes – are being implemented in the Board’s 100^th year. 

Responsible investing is at the heart of the Board’s approach, drawing on Christian teaching to shape investment policies. The Board’s approach has the overwhelming support of members, and its latest stewardship report sets out how these are being taken forward in practice. These include launching a new Global Centre for Peacebuilding and Business in Cape Town which is shaping a new path for investor engagement in active conflict zones. 

Through its charitable arm, the Board is also launching an innovative suite of Financial Wellbeing services to support clergy with personal financial and retirement planning across ministry. That will include information, 1:1 support, and tailored products to help with saving and home ownership.

“It is all too easy to put off retirement planning” said CEO John Ball. “When we proposed our ideas about how retirement planning could be made easier for members, we received an enthusiastic response. These new services complement the support we already provide with retirement housing and seek to enable greater choice for clergy in their retirement planning.”

In addition to the centenary service, celebratory events are planned at the Board’s Community Living residential settings. A remarkable 27 pension scheme members are also celebrating their 100^th birthday this year, so we wish them and everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey over the years, a very happy birthday!

Notes to Editors

• The Church of England Pensions Board provides retirement services to those who serve or work for the Church. 
• The Board operates three regulated pension schemes which cover more than 43,000 members, in a variety of roles across 700 Church organisations. The largest is the clergy scheme with around 25,000 members, which is an open defined benefit scheme. The other schemes for Church employees are a mix of DC, DB and hybrid arrangements.
• Informed by recent regulatory change, and the updated Code of Practice, the Board is considering if a multi-employer Collective Defined Contribution scheme might work for Church employees. Further information will be shared as this work reaches conclusions. 
• More details on clergy pension improvements are available here: Clergy pension improvements agreed at July 2025 Synod
• The Board’s latest Ethical and Responsible investment report is available here. The report details revised investment priorities recognising a changing geopolitical and economic landscape. These five priorities have strong support from members:
  • Almost 4,000 members took part in our annual survey, part of which sought views on our revised investment priorities with:
  • 86% expressing support for the Board’s commitment to market ethics and partnerships that strengthen the voice of faith-based ethical investors.
  • 85% supporting strengthening responsible investment and governance practices within the UK.
  • 82% supporting our work and focus on peacebuilding and respect for human rights.
  • 83% supporting the focus on delivering real-world impact through our investments.
  • 73% supporting the focus on global system-wide risks – with feedback around the survey citing how climate change remains front of mind for many, and also showing a potential gap in member understanding around system-level stewardship.
• As a registered charity, the Board supports clergy retiring from ministry within the Church with retirement housing, with 2,400 residents within the Board’s housing portfolio.

The new services on Financial Wellbeing are supported by grant funding from the wider Church (as announced in June 2025 as part of a package of support towards clergy wellbeing). The package includes grants to encourage regular saving, provision of financial coaching, and support with access to financial advice.