Charities increasingly make up the body politic of the Church of England. They include parochial church councils, diocesan boards of finance and national institutions. By April 2024 every chapter of a cathedral will be required to register as a charity. Faithful parishioners put their collection money in gummed envelopes which call for them to add Gift Aid to their donations. Individual churches run foodbanks, drop-in centres, baby and toddler groups, and a whole range of charitable activities. The general public could be forgiven for thinking that ‘the Church of England’ is a national charity. However, it has not always been the case that the work and mission of the Church of England has been through charities, and for much of its history the Church has remained largely independent of charity law. What are the consequences of increasing reliance on charities and where do the boundaries lie between ecclesiastical and canon law on the one hand and charity law on the other?
