Your Faith Your Finance: new website to connect church money to ethics

A new website has been launched to provide churches and religious groups with advice on how to invest in line with their ethical and moral values.

The website, yourfaithyourfinance.org, has been developed by the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) and Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) and will have facts, resources and religious parables about the use of money.

It has been set up to give individuals and organisations information on how to make more ethical decisions about their investments.

Its launch follows controversy over the Church of England’s investments, after it emerged in July that it had been investing indirectly in payday lender Wonga. The previous day, the archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby had declared war on such firms, saying, “We will compete you out of existence.”

It was also revealed that the church had £10m invested in General Electrics (GE), which develops technology systems for military aircrafts.

Speaking about the new website, John Arnold, director of the ECCR, said, “As Jesus said, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Between them, the UK’s churches, congregations and individuals own billions of pounds in investments and their bank accounts.

“Many Christians want to use their money in a way that witnesses to the Gospel but lack the information and resources that will help them to do so; ‘your faith your finance’ will help fill the gap.”

The website is the latest in a long line of campaigns and initiatives that demonstrate to religious groups the benefits of investing alongside their values, in response to a changing world.

Further reading:

Quakers: fossil fuel investment ‘incompatible’ with Christianity and low-carbon goals

Church of England ready to help launch new ethical bank from RBS division

Christian charity launches fossil fuels divestment campaign for churches

Church of England under fire for £10m arms investment

The modern day parable of the Archbishop and the money lenders