LEGACIES to “the Church of England” will in future be automatically deemed to be to the Archbishops’ Council. This and other legislative matters were finally approved through a Miscellaneous Provisions Measure on Tuesday morning.
The Archdeacon of Hertford, the Ven. Trevor Jones, introduced a take-note debate on the Draft Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure, which was, he said, “thoroughly miscellaneous”. No longer would the Church Commissioners receive gifts or grants of land for church sites from corporations: these would now be received by the diocesan boards of finance (DBFs). The Commissioners would no longer need to give their consent when land was being sold when it was no longer needed for its original purpose. Some of the powers of the Commissioners to acquire land for church purposes would also fall on the DBFs. Because the Church of England was not a corporate body, there had been difficulties when gifts were left to it; these gifts would now automatically be regarded as being given to the Archbishops’ Council. There had been some concern that English cathedrals could be seen as subject to the Charity Commission. To make it absolutely clear that they were not subject to the Charity Commission, a clause was included “for the avoidance of doubt” that cathedrals were ecclesiastical corporations and as such were not charities under the Charities Acts.
Christ Church, Oxford, uniquely a joint ecclesiastical-academic foundation, was brought into line with changes that had come into effect elsewhere after the 1999 Cathedrals Measure.
The Revd Hugh Lee (Oxford) welcomed the provisions, especially the changes affecting Christ Church.
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