The Church of England plans to appoint an investment director as the credit crisis cuts the value of its 5.7 billion pounds ($8.5 billion) of assets.
“It’s not essential that the successful candidate is religious,” Louis Henderson, a spokesman for the church, said in a telephone interview today. “What would be expected, though, is they are sympathetic with the aims of the Church of England.” The Church will pay the holder of the newly created post a “six-figure” salary, he added.
The director will invest money accrued since King Henry VIII broke with the Papacy in the 16th century and seized its English assets. The Church of England uses the 305-year-old fund to pay the salaries and pensions of about 16,000 clergy and workers. The investment director will coordinate the fund’s investments in stocks, bonds, private equity, and real estate.
[blockquote] It’s not essential that the successful candidate is religious.[/blockquote]
Why start now?
Whoa! Being a hierarchical church shouldn’t we return all this good stuff back to Rome? Now, we did decide to come under them at Whitby, even though we existed before that, more or less.
““It’s not essential that the successful candidate is religious,â€
Is this a broad statement for all positions in the episcopacy of the ‘more advanced’ Western churches including presiding-bishop/primate/bishop/priest/deacon?