THE next Chief Executive of the Church Commissioners for England will be John Worth, who has held senior posts in the banking and insurance sectors, it was announced on Tuesday.

Mr Worth will take up the post on 29 September, replacing Gareth Mostyn, who left the Commissioners earlier this year after five years as Chief Executive (News, 11 October 2024).

The Church Commissioners generate about 20 per cent of the Church of England’s annual expenditure from the investment of its £10-billion in-perpetuity endowment fund. The amount paid out to the Church increased by 50 per cent during Mr Mostyn’s tenure.

Mr Worth was most recently the Chief Financial Officer of Hastings Group, an insurer. He has also held posts at the insurers Hiscox and Prudential, Barclays Bank, and the consultancies EY and PwC.

Church House said that Mr Worth would be “responsible for managing one of the nation’s leading endowment funds, with a 320-year legacy. Operating at the crossroads of capital markets, government, and the Church, the Commissioners’ mission is to steward the fund responsibly and sustainably in perpetuity.”

The Archbishop of York described the appointment as “a recognition of John’s significant abilities”. He said: “We are eager to see the positive impact he will bring.”

The First Church Estates Commissioner, Alan Smith, said that Mr Worth would bring “considerable commercial and financial expertise, and a depth and breadth as a leader which are an ideal match for the Church Commissioners in the next stage of our mission”.

Mr Worth has volunteered for the NSPCC for almost 25 years, which has included being a board trustee and honorary treasurer.