Church of England

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND (also known as “the Anglican Communion”) is a Protestant offshoot of the Catholic Church that shares most of the latter's structure, liturgy, and beliefs, though it adds some Protestant beliefs of its own. Christianity had been practiced in Britain since the 2nd century. In the 16th century, however, Pope Clement VII refused to annul King Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, who had not borne him any heirs.

Henry prevailed upon Parliament to “divorce” the Church of England from the Catholic Church and to make the English king the head of the new church. Other than that—and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine—Henry envisioned no changes in church belief or ritual, though some specifically Protestant reforms were introduced after his reign.

In 2002, the Church of England had approximately three million members in Great Britain. Worldwide, many churches and denominations are affiliated with the Anglican Communion, but membership numbers are not available.

The Church of England's antipoverty efforts follow the same general outlines as those of the Catholic Church, combining material aid for the poor in this world with a spiritual focus on living to prepare for the next world. Some specific areas of church antipoverty work are the Church Urban Fund, the Children's Society, the Church Board for Social Responsibility, the Make Poverty History Coalition, and the Trade Justice Movement.

The Church Urban Fund was founded in the 1980s to help direct financial and other aid to the poorest residents of British towns and cities. From its inception until 2005, it distributed £54 million (about $90–100 million) to more than 4,000 local antipoverty organizations. The fund attempts “to be a Christian organization that makes a significant and lasting difference in the lives of individuals and communities blighted by enduring poverty.” In addition to providing poor relief, the fund attempts to identify the causes of poverty and engage in poverty prevention as a long-term strategy. For example, the fund attempts to help women and children who are abuse victims, not least because they are at great risk for lifelong poverty.

The Children's Society was founded in London in 1881 as the Church of England Central Home for Waifs and Strays. In 1946, it changed its name to the Church of England Children's Society, and again in 1982 to simply The Children's Society. Through this program, the church focuses specifically on the problems of child poverty in the United Kingdom. It provides food and shelter, education, daycare, nutritional counseling, and other social or family services as needed. In each church diocese, the program works with local groups to help identify the problems faced by poor families and find solutions. It helps runaways, abuse victims, and youthful offenders, and campaigns for legal changes to help poor children.

The Church Board for Social Responsibility is the church's organization that campaigns for social, political, and legal changes to improve the condition of the poor in Britain. It spotlights problems such as income inequality, low pay for working Britons, and unemployment. It supports solutions such as tax credits, minimum wage legislation, housing benefits, and exemption from tax for the poorest Britons. The board also focuses on the problems facing poor families, such as child poverty, and tries to find solutions.

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