The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Fund

The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Fund

The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Fund serves the retirement needs of clergy and lay employees across Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The fund operates under the authority of the General Synod / Te Hīnota Whānui, the church's governing body. Margaret Bearsley leads the organization as CEO, while Brendan O'Donovan chairs the investment committee. The board's chair, the Reverend Lawrence Kimberley, provides a direct link to the church's pastoral mission. The investment strategy spans direct holdings and external fund commitments across several asset classes. Direct assets include the Hapua Forest in Hawke's Bay's Tukituki Valley, a residential mortgage portfolio, and New Zealand Carbon Units — a position tied to the country's emissions trading scheme. Fund commitments target global buyout strategies via vehicles including LGT Crown Impact Fund, Crown Global Opportunities VI and VII, Legg Mason Brandywine GOFI, and the Pimco GIS Global Bond Fund, all domiciled in Ireland. This mix blends local real assets with global private equity and fixed-income exposure. The pension fund also oversees two related vehicles: the Christian KiwiSaver Scheme and the Retire Fund, broadening its role in faith-aligned retirement savings. A philanthropic layer includes the Supplementary Support Fund and a Welfare Fund, both designed to assist clergy in financial hardship. The fund operates from Wellington and maintains a lean governance structure typical of New Zealand faith-based institutional investors. The fund's dual structure as both a direct asset owner and manager of third-party KiwiSaver capital sets it apart from many denominational pension funds. It acts as a fiduciary for church workers while competing in New Zealand's retail superannuation market through the Christian KiwiSaver Scheme.