The Central Finance Board
of the Methodist Church
Deposit Fund
CLIENT NOTICE: DEPOSIT FUND CHEQUE REMITTANCES →
* A.E.R. as at 3 August 2020
A higher interest cash fund designed specifically for Methodist churches and charities.
Our Mission
Our mission, alongside the Church, is to seek practical solutions which combine Christian ethics and investment returns. We therefore aim...
- to provide a high quality investment service seeking above average returns
- to follow a discipline in which the ethical dimension is an integral part of all investment decisions
- to construct investment portfolios consistent with the moral stance and teachings of the Christian faith
- to encourage strategic thinking on the ethics of investment
- to be a Christian witness in the investment community
Ethics
COVID-19
The developing COVID-19 pandemic and the response to it has dominated events this quarter, and also impacted our ethical work. Many companies are receiving government, ultimately taxpayer, subsidies in the form of grants, including to maintain jobs, and guaranteed loans. Companies’ priorities have been ensuring their survival and the well-being of their employees. We recognise that and so we will not for the time being be voting against the re-election of board chairs and executive directors at AGMs, unless there has been particularly poor performance responding to climate change. This temporary policy will be reviewed at the end of Q2.
... Continue reading →Climate change - oil & gas companies
We have completed our review of 15 oil and gas companies, examining the extent of the alignment of their business models and investment plans with the Paris Agreement. We assessed climate change scenarios and looked at 25 metrics for each company. The Paris Agreement targets an average temperature rise of ‘well below 2°C’ but we were also mindful of growing calls for a 1.5°C target. A new development was the inclusion of companies’ Scope 3 emissions targets and ambitions in our assessment.
... Continue reading →Epworth Investment Management
Our sister organisation Epworth Investment Management provides our investment services to non-Methodist churches and charities.