Charities increasingly make up the body politic of the Church of England. They include parochial church councils, diocesan boards of finance and national institutions. By April 2024 every chapter of a cathedral will be required to register as a charity. Faithful parishioners put their collection money in gummed envelopes which call for them to add Gift Aid to their donations. Individual churches run foodbanks, drop-in centres, baby and toddler groups, and a whole range of charitable activities. The general public could be forgiven for thinking that ‘the Church of England’ is a national charity. However, it has not always been the case that the work and mission of the Church of England has been through charities, and for much of its history the Church has remained largely independent of charity law. What are the consequences of increasing reliance on charities and where do the boundaries lie between ecclesiastical and canon law on the one hand and charity law on the other?

慈善机构越来越多地构成了英国国教的政治主体。它们包括教区教会理事会、教区财政委员会和国家机构。到 2024 年 4 月，大教堂的每个分会都必须注册为慈善机构。忠实的教区居民将他们的募捐资金放入涂胶的信封中，要求他们在捐款中添加礼品援助。个别教堂经营食品银行、临时中心、婴幼儿团体以及一系列慈善活动。公众认为“英格兰教会”是一个国家慈善机构是可以原谅的。然而，英格兰教会的工作和使命并非总是通过慈善机构进行的，在其历史的大部分时间里，教会在很大程度上独立于慈善法。