Church in Wales - Representative Body

Who we are

The Representative Body was established by Royal Charter in 1919 and is responsible for looking after the assets of the Church in Wales to ensure that resources are available for the benefit of the whole Church. The buildings it owns enable church members to meet together for worship and other occasions and provide housing for the Church’s clergy. The income from the investments it holds is used to provide grants to support the work of the Church in each diocese, and to pay towards clergy pensions.

The Representative Body works in partnership with the dioceses and parishes where a combination of central expertise, resources, local knowledge and people is the best way of achieving something. A good example of this is the maintenance of church buildings and churchyards: these are owned by the Representative Body, looked after by local parishes, and the RB provides help through advice on obtaining grants for repairs, or on compliance with legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act and other health and safety requirements.

The Representative Body itself meets three times a year, and once with the Bishops and diocesan representatives. Much of its detailed work is carried out by a number of committees, in areas such as investment, property, and human resources.