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New charitable status for CCX
The Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication (CCX) is entering a new phase of its life as it becomes a charitable company on 1 April 2023.
By David CornishApril 2023
While this marks an important change in its entity, its purpose remains the same: To help the Church reach new people, in new and renewed ways.
The new charity has appointed trustees including Bishop of Islington, the Rt Revd Dr Ric Thorpe, who will continue to lead the work of the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication (CCX) team.
Bishop Ric has had a remit for church planting in the London Diocese since 2012 when the previous Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, appointed him as Adviser for Church Planting. Since becoming Bishop of Islington in 2015, this work has continued and grown, both within the diocese and increasingly across the Church of England and the wider Church to support the mission of church planting. The work is shaped within the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication – formerly the Centre for Church Planting and Growth.
Bishop Pete Broadbent, the former Bishop of Willesden, will chair the new CCX board of trustees. Also serving as trustees will be Archdeacon Sally Gaze, a specialist in rural mission, Jacquie Driver, Chief Operating Officer at SAINT Church, Mark Wood (CBE), former chair of the NSPCC and Bishop Tedroy Powell, National Presiding Bishop of the Church of God of Prophecy.
As CCX’s work has developed both nationally and internationally, becoming a separate charity is both appropriate and exciting at this time.
Bishop Ric said: ‘This is an exciting step for CCX, as we look to serve the wider Church more effectively and one which reflects the growth and influence of the centre. I’m so thankful to the Bishop of London, Bishop Sarah, for enabling this change and to Bishop Pete Broadbent for agreeing to chair the board of trustees. As a charity, we are now positioned to support the Church in its mission to this nation and beyond to the nations of the world.’
The move to charity status means that CCX will no longer be operationally a part of the London Diocese from 1 April 2023. Bishop Ric continues to be a member of the London College of Bishops and CCX will continue as a major partner in delivering key areas of the Diocese’s 2030 vision, specifically the Creative Growth Ambition, through a service level agreement.
As well as being a resource in the London Diocese, nationally CCX has become involved in supporting diocesan strategies, working with Resource Churches throughout the country, in parish revitalisations and, under the Myriad initiative, in the development of lay-led communities.
CCX works with and beyond the Church of England, offering training and strategic facilitation in a wide variety of contexts and across all denominations. Bishop Ric has been invited to advise and work with leaders and episcopal teams in most parts of the country and in this way CCX is also working with communities and leaders beyond the UK context.
The change to charitable company status was proposed and approved by the London Diocesan Bishop’s Council on 9 November 2022. This included agreement in principle to the work of CCX to be transferred to the new charity, subject to due diligence and satisfaction that all other arrangements were in place including consultation with CCX staff and TUPE for staff previously employed by the London Diocesan fund.
As a result of the consultation, CCX staff who were previously employed by the Diocese will transfer their employment to the charity on 1 April 2023
For press enquiries contact: communications@ccx.org.uk
Find out more information about the London Diocese’s Vision 2030 Creative Growth Ambition.
Frequently Asked Questions
General questions around CCX’s change of entity
As the work of the Centre has developed and the area of operation for CCX has moved well beyond the Diocese of London we need to be able to support a nimble and growing team. Charitable status will allow us the flexibility we need to respond to changing needs in the work we are involved in. We believe that this change will enable us better to serve not only the London diocese but the whole Church, nationally, internationally and across all contexts and denominations to reach new people in new and renewed ways with the good news of Jesus.
For several years there has been an ongoing discussion within the London Diocese and with CCX as to the best structure of our relationship. After much consultation, growth in the scope of CCX’s work and with several years of funding secure, it was agreed that in 2022 the transition to charity status and plans to put the charity in place would begin. We anticipated this would be finalised at the end of last year (2022), however, delays in the process pushed it back to early 2023.
Yes, Ric Thorpe’s role as a Bishop within the Church of England reflects our Anglican foundations. Currently CCX works mainly within the Anglican communion but we work increasingly with churches, communities and networks across all denominations. One of the reasons for a move to charity status is that this will enable us better to serve the whole Church.
The purpose of the Centre remains the same under its new charitable status: To help the Church reach new people in new and renewed ways.
Our vision also remains the same: To see the whole Church built up and sent out in love, to plant and grow churches that equip all Christ’s people for his work. We long to see a thriving church in every community, reaching every person with the good news about Jesus.
In the context of our purpose, our work therefore continues towards the key milestones which we want to achieve towards our vision:
- To champion the mixed ecology vision of the Church of England by supporting the planting of 10,000 new, predominantly lay-led churches by 2030, reaching one million new people with the good news of Jesus Christ. The Myriad* initiative is a major part of this latter (lay-led) work.
- To inspire a parallel movement in partnership with other church networks, to see the re-evangelisation of our nation.
- To deliver the Creative Growth ambition for the Diocese of London by helping each church to grow in depth, impact and number through the Grow Course and equipping them to multiply by starting a new congregation to reach new people in their parish. Through growing existing parishes and starting 400 new worshipping communities, we hope to help fulfil the vision to see every Londoner encounter the love of God in Christ.
*Myriad – find out more information about Myriad.
CCX will continue to be based in the basement of the Old Deanery, having moved to this location in 2022 from its previous ‘home’ at St Edmund the King and Martyr Church, near Bank. We are grateful to Bishop Sarah and the Church Commissioners for making this possible. The move to office space instead of church space has led to a better way of working for the CCX team and also facilitates working with the Bishop and Two Cities Episcopal Area offices.
CCX continues to be funded in various means:
- Course related fees
- Supporters, who donate services and funds to the work of CCX
- Sponsors, who donate services and funds to specific CCX events
- The generous investment of private trusts and philanthropic donors
- Grants allocated by the Church of England and the Diocese of London for specific projects
After a period of TUPE consultation, CCX employees have transferred to the new entity.
Who’s Who at CCX
CCX Trustees
CCX Team Leads
