CFB

What CFB does

The Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church (CFB) is a statutory body established under the Methodist Church Funds Act 1960 to provide investment management services to Methodist churches and associated charities in Great Britain. Headquartered at Methodist Church House, London, CFB operates a common deposit fund plus five managed investment funds — Managed Equity, Managed Fixed Interest, Managed Mixed, and Medium- and Long-Term Connexional Council Funds — alongside an Epworth Multi-Asset Fund for Charities wrapper. As at 31 March 2026, fund historic yields ranged from 1.62% (Managed Equity) to 3.26% (Managed Fixed Interest), with the Deposit Fund at 3.75% AER as at 24 June 2026. The product platform is delivered via the CFB Online portal, operated in partnership with JTC Group since September 2025.

CFB's investment process is governed by the Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment (JACEI), with seven ethical pillars (Earth and Ecosystem, Labour, Equality, Conflict, Health and Wellbeing, Society, Fairness) underpinning all decisions; in 2021 CFB divested from all oil and gas holdings on Paris Agreement grounds, and CFB has commissioned annual carbon footprint analysis of its UK Equity Fund since 2009. The organisation holds FRC Stewardship Code signatory status, is a signatory of the Montréal Carbon Pledge, and operates under GDPR-compliant data handling.

CFB's go-to-market is direct, relationship-led sales targeting Methodist churches, Circuits, Districts, and associated charities; distribution is single-country UK only, with operations delivered in partnership with Epworth Investment Management (which serves non-Methodist churches and charities on shared staff and systems) and JTC Group (which provides client services and the new portal). Revenue is not commercially disclosed; the statutory mandate and £1bn+ combined AUM with Epworth indicate a not-for-profit, stewardship-driven model rather than a sales-driven commercial enterprise.

Name

CFB

Legal name

The Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church

Website

https://cfbmethodistchurch.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church (CFB) is a London-based statutory body that provides ethical investment management services — including a common deposit fund and five managed funds — exclusively to Methodist churches and associated charities in Great Britain, operating under a Christian ethical framework governed by JACEI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Management Fees: CFB generates revenue through management fees charged on investment funds and deposit funds managed for Methodist churches and charities. The organization manages over £1bn in assets under management for UK churches and charities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church provides ethical investment management services for Methodist churches and charities in Great Britain. Its core offering is a suite of unit-priced investment vehicles, including a cash Deposit Fund and five Managed Investment Funds (Equity, Fixed Interest, Mixed, Medium Term and Long Term Connexional Council), all invested under Christian ethical principles overseen by JACEI. Account servicing is delivered through a dedicated client service team operated in partnership with JTC Group and accessed via the new CFB Online portal.

Product overview

CFB offers a unified investment management platform for the Methodist Church comprising a Deposit Fund for cash management and five distinct Managed Investment Funds (Equity, Fixed Interest, Mixed, Medium Term Connexional Council, and Long Term Connexional Council). The platform is accessible via the CFB Online portal, and all offerings are grounded in Christian ethical investment principles guided by the Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment (JACEI).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Managed Equity Fund: Investment fund achieving returns through holdings in CFB UK Equity and CFB Global Equity funds over rolling five year periods.
• Managed Fixed Interest Fund
• Managed Mixed Fund
• Managed Medium Term Connexional Council Fund
• Managed Long Term Connexional Council Fund
• CFB Deposit Fund
• CFB Online

Products and services

• CFB Deposit Fund A common deposit fund designed specifically for Methodist churches and charities in Great Britain, offering competitive interest rates (3.75% AER as at 24 June 2026) with deposits placed with banks meeting rigorous credit criteria. Interest is paid monthly by credit to accounts and no transaction charges are levied on deposits.
• CFB Managed Equity Fund An investment fund targeting total return equal to or in excess of the composite index, achieving returns through holdings in CFB UK Equity and CFB Global Equity funds over rolling five-year periods. Historic yield to 31 March 2026 was 1.62%. Designed for Methodist churches and charities seeking long-term equity exposure within a Christian ethical framework.
• CFB Managed Fixed Interest Fund An investment fund targeting total return equal to or in excess of the UK Government fixed interest market over rolling five-year periods. Historic yield to 31 March 2026 was 3.26%. Designed for Methodist churches and charities seeking fixed interest exposure aligned with Christian ethical investment principles.
• CFB Managed Mixed Fund An investment fund providing a good level of income over the long term with capital growth in line with inflation, investing solely in units of the Epworth Multi-Asset Fund for Charities. Historic yield to 31 March 2026 was 2.10%. Available to Methodist churches and charities seeking diversified mixed-asset exposure within an ethical framework.
• CFB Managed Medium Term Connexional Council Fund A medium-term investment fund providing income and preserving nominal capital value with some prospect of capital growth. Investment parameters are 15-25% UK Equity, 15-25% Global Equity, 40-60% Managed Fixed Interest, 5-15% Property, and 0-5% Deposit Fund. Historic yield to 31 March 2026 was 3.01%.
• CFB Managed Long Term Connexional Council Fund A long-term investment fund preserving real capital value with an expectation of income growth. Investment parameters are 30-40% UK Equity, 30-40% Global Equity, 5-25% Managed Fixed Interest, and 10-20% Property. Historic yield to 31 March 2026 was 2.77%.
• CFB Online An online portal for Deposit Fund account holders providing online access to statement information and enabling secure online withdrawal requests. Delivered on the JTC Group technology platform, it replaced the previous portal from September 2025 and requires registered login credentials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Managed over £1bn for UK churches and charities

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Epworth Investment ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organisation that provides investment services to non-Methodist churches and charities. Shares staff and systems with CFB. Both organisations follow the same ethical investment pillars and policies. The CFB Deposit Fund and Epworth Cash Plus Fund operate using the same staff and systems.
• JTC GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDedicated client service team delivered in partnership with JTC Group. JTC Group provides the technology platform for the new CFB Online portal, providing online access to statement information and secure withdrawal requests.
• Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes (TMCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerModel trust monies maintained in cash are forwarded to TMCP in Manchester. Such monies are invested in the Trustees Interest Fund, managed on behalf of TMCP by the CFB. TMCP handles credit income distributions via its system.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CCLA Investment Management: UK-based investment manager owned by charity and church investors, providing investment funds to Church of England entities, charities, and faith-based organisations. Directly comparable in mission (serving churches/charities) and product (managed funds and deposit-style vehicles) to CFB.
• CBF (Central Board of Finance of the Church of England): Statutory body of the Church of England providing financial services, investments, and parish resources to its member churches. Mirrors CFB's statutory structure, single-denomination focus, and remit to serve Anglican parishes with ethical, faith-aligned finance.
• Epworth Investment Management: CFB's sister organisation that delivers the same investment platforms, staff, and ethical framework to non-Methodist churches and charities. Operates the Epworth Multi-Asset Fund for Charities alongside the CFB funds, making it the closest functional peer despite shared ownership.

Broad incumbents

• abrdn (Aberdeen Asset Management): Global asset manager with a long-standing UK Charity and Faith Investor team offering pooled funds (e.g., multi-asset, fixed income, equity) to charities and faith clients. Overlaps with CFB on the charity/faith customer base but operates as a commercial asset manager rather than a statutory church body.
• Schroders (Charity Practice, ex-Cazenove): Global asset manager running a long-standing UK charities practice (formerly Cazenove). Provides pooled charity funds and bespoke charity mandates to UK religious and charitable clients, overlapping with CFB's investor base but with broader commercial scale.
• Rathbones Group: Large UK wealth and investment manager with a dedicated Charities, Education, and Religious Organisations practice. Serves many of the same UK church and charity segments as CFB but with broader wealth management scope, multiple asset classes, and discretionary mandates rather than pooled church funds.

Emerging players

• WHEB Asset Management: UK specialist impact investment manager offering listed equity and multi-asset funds aligned to sustainability themes. Overlaps with CFB on ethical screening and faith-aligned investor demand but serves a wider institutional and intermediary market.
• Triodos Investment Management: European sustainable and impact investment manager running pooled funds aligned to ethical and environmental criteria. Comparable to CFB's ethical investment pillars and target segments (faith-aligned/charitable investors) but operates across broader European retail and institutional channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-finance-board-of-the-methodist-church

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CFB