Church Commissioners

Church Commissioners, in the Church of England, organization established by vote of the church’s national assembly in 1947 that joined two corporations, Queen Anne’s Bounty and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (the actual merger took place in 1948); it helps with the expenses of poor parishes.

The Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the Poor Clergy was established by Queen Anne in 1704. Into this corporation were paid the first fruits (annates) and tenths (decimae) of the annual profits, originally paid by clergy to the papal exchequer and later appropriated for the crown by King Henry VIII. The income was used primarily for the upkeep of parish houses.

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners were created by act of Parliament in 1836. Subsequent legislation greatly extended their administrative powers and also vested in them a great deal of church property. The income from the property was primarily used to augment the clergy’s income.

The Church Commissioners took over all the rights, functions, and funds of the two corporations. The 33 commissioners include both clergy and laity; 6 ex officio commissioners are part of the English government.