ABOUT THE EPHESIAN FUND
What is the Ephesian Fund?
The Ephesian Fund is a Fund that enables individuals and PCCs to fund evangelical ministries in England that hold to biblical and apostolic doctrine.
Donations to the Ephesian Fund can be earmarked for particular churches and ministries.
This fund provides a secure way for individuals to give to their local parish church but not to the diocese.
The Ephesian Fund derives its name from Paul’s encouragement to the Christians in Ephesus to root and build the church in and on the apostolic foundations they had received (Ephesians 2, verses 20-22). The Ephesian Fund is intended to provide a financial infrastructure that makes that possible at this time in the Church of England.
If you have questions, please see our frequently asked questions section below or contact us.
How the Ephesian Fund works
As an individual, when making your gift to the Ephesian Fund, you will be asked how you would like your money to be allocated. You can choose to give to your local church or another church that has endorsed the CEEC basis of faith.
Any unallocated gifts will go where the need is greatest among the churches that CEEC serves, to encourage and equip evangelicals in the Church of England to keep mission and evangelism as a permanent priority.
You can either give as a ‘guest’ or set up a regular direct debit with a Stewardship Giving Account or a Philanthropy Services Account.
All eligible donations will be boosted by 25% Gift Aid, so the Ephesian Fund receives more each time you give.
If your church or PCC would like to make a gift/pay voluntary parish share, please visit ‘Giving as a PCC/Church’.
Governance, Patrons and Trustees
An application has been submitted to the Charity Commission to receive Charity status.
In the meantime, the Ephesian Fund will be overseen by the CEEC’s trustees.
The Ephesian Fund Patrons
Anne Coles, Ambassador for the New Wine Network
Revd Canon John Dunnett, National Director, CEEC
Gabriel Chiu, Member of General Synod and Associate Pastor for Persians, St Philemon’s, Toxteth
Becky Harcourt, formerly of New Wine Leadership Team
Akeel Sachak, Partner, Rothschild & Co, Trustee of Oxford Centre of Christian Apologetics
Ed Shaw, Pastor, Emmanuel City Centre, Bristol & Ministry Director, Living Out
Bishop Keith Sinclair, Trustee of EFAC and Living Out
Elaine Sutherland, Vicar of Holy Trinity Leicester
Rod Thomas, former Bishop of Maidstone
Santhosh Thomas, Pastor, Dundonald Church
Revd Dr Chris Wright, Honorary Curate, All Souls, Langham Place
What the Bible says about giving
Giving is part of Christian discipleship. Jesus commended the sacrificial giving of a widow (Mark 12v43), and Paul writes that ‘God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians 9v7).
The discipline of Christian giving is something that should be practised after thought, prayer and measured consideration. It is appropriate that Christians give to causes and needs that are in keeping with their convictions. The Ephesian Fund is intended to help you in that discernment.
“But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still give to my local church?
Yes. You will be able to indicate when making your donation that you would like the Ephesian Fund to allocate your giving to your local church. In order to receive your gifts, they will need to confirm that either the Minister and/or the PCC has endorsed the CEEC Basis of Faith, including its declarations.
Can I make a regular/monthly donation?
Yes. You can set up a regular direct debit and regular financial gifts with a Stewardship Giving Account or a Philanthropy Services Account.
Can I Gift Aid my donation?
Yes, you can. All eligible donations will be boosted by 25% Gift Aid, so the Ephesian Fund receives more each time you give.
Why support the Ephesian Fund instead of my parish directly?
The purpose of the Ephesian Fund is to enable continued cheerful giving to local Church of England parish ministry and has been established to facilitate choice where evangelicals wish to support their local church but not their bishop or diocese.
If you would like your giving to the Church of England to be used solely to support orthodox churches and clergy you can now use Stewardship to support the Ephesian Fund.
Can we use the Ephesian Fund to pay our parish share?
Yes, it is possible for PCCs to make a gift in support of the Ephesian Fund and ask that it be allocated to pay Parish Share to their diocese. It is helpful if a PCC making such a donation is also able to ‘top this up’ with a (small) unrestricted donation so that the Ephesian Fund is not just a ‘post box’ account.
Who is Stewardship?
Stewardship is a registered charity, number 234714. They have a Board of Trustees and are registered with the Charity Commission. They have over 100 years of experience of supporting donations made to churches and operate under all the normal charitable and financial rules and laws of the sector.
Stewardship connects and serves Christian givers, workers, charities and churches in the UK and beyond to steward their resources well and create impact for God’s Kingdom. Founded over a century ago by a small group of Christians who partnered to release generous gifts and financial support to Christian ministries, today, Stewardship helps over 30,000 people experience the joy of being generous stewards, giving more than £85 million each year to over 6,000 charities, 4,000 churches and 2,300 Christian workers.
How will donations be managed and used?
Your allocated gifts will be assigned in accordance with your direction. Your unallocated gifts will go where the need is greatest among the churches that the CEEC serves to encourage and equip evangelicals in the Church of England to keep mission and evangelism as a permanent priority.
How will the costs of running the Ephesian Fund be met?
There are two costs associated with running the Ephesian Fund. First, gifts in support of the Ephesian Fund are received by Stewardship, who deduct an administration fee – full details on Stewardship fees on their website. Second, the Fund trustees intend to meet its costs from the donor support and trusts.
How will my data be managed?
Each time a new gift is made, you will be asked for your personal information so Stewardship can meet its regulatory responsibilities in accepting gifts. You will then be given the opportunity to either share your contact information (name, email and address) with the CEEC, or make the donation anonymous.
This allows you to remain in control of what information is shared. It also allows:
- Stewardship to connect donors to the partners they support in order to complete the transaction (anonymity is respected if requested).
- Partners the chance to reach out to our donors and thank them for their support if they want to share their details with the partners.
You can find out more by reading Stewardship’s Privacy Notice.