Church Property Help
Custodian or holding trusteeship
Custodian or holding trusteeship
Some churches want another organisation to hold the legal title to their property, while the church keeps beneficial ownership and remains responsible for managing it.
In these situations, Church Growth Trust may be able to act as custodian or holding trustee for the property.
This means Church Growth Trust holds the legal title to the property while the local church and trustees continue to manage the building and ministry locally.
How this works in practice
Under a custodian or holding trusteeship arrangement:
- Church Growth Trust holds the legal title to the property
- Day-to-day responsibility for the building remains with the local church
- Local church leaders and trustees continue managing church life and ministry
- Church Growth Trust stores the property deeds securely and makes them available to view online
This arrangement can also make future trustee changes simpler. If a property is registered in the names of individual trustees, the Land Registry details must be updated each time those trustees change. This can take time and involve additional costs.
When Church Growth Trust holds the legal title, the registered owner remains the same, even when the church’s local trustees change. This means the Land Registry details do not usually need to be updated.
Why churches choose this arrangement
Churches and property trustees may consider custodian trusteeship because they want to:
- Reduce the cost and administration involved when local trustees change
- Keep their property deeds secure and easy to access
- Have access to helpful guidance when property, trusteeship or charity queries arise
- Reduce administrative responsibilities that are becoming difficult to manage
- Provide greater continuity for the church’s property arrangements
- Plan for the long-term future of the building
The arrangement allows churches to continue using and managing the building locally while benefiting from ongoing trusteeship support.
Your church remains in control
Custodian trusteeship does not remove responsibility for the day-to-day care and management of the building from the local church or trustees.
Churches are still typically responsible for:
- Managing the building locally
- Day-to-day maintenance and repairs
- Ensuring the building is safe and meets legal requirements
- Supporting the ongoing ministry and use of the property
A helpful guide
If you would like to understand custodian trusteeship in more detail, our guide explains how these arrangements work in practice.
Explore your next step
If you would like to understand your situation in more detail, we would be glad to help. You can:
Talk through your situation with Church Growth Trust
Download our guide to explore the options in more detail
Different trusteeship arrangements suit different churches and property situations.
