Stewardship is a registered charity whose primary aim is to ‘advance the evangelical Christian faith’.

Therefore, when a Stewardship giving account holder makes a donation request to another charity using the Gift Aid scheme, these funds must serve to actively promote our charitable objectives and not conflict with our primary aim.

Occasionally, we are asked to register an organisation that has historic Christian roots or connections but is now non-creedal, or incorporates the advancement of other religions in their activities.

In order to determine the eligibility of a potential recipient in these cases, we rely on a common agreement and acceptance of the Nicene Creed of AD 381, recognised as the most universally accepted Statement of Faith for the Christian church.

If the organisation agrees with, and signs up to the wording of this creed, we would expect to be able to make grants to them that have been funded by gifts made within the Gift Aid scheme*. However, if the organisation does not adhere to the Nicene Creed, we regret that we will be unable to make grants that have been funded in this way.

Organisations that we are unable to support, based on this need to adhere to the Nicene Creed, include: the Quakers (The Religious Society of Friends); the Christian Science movement; Christadelphians; Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons).

If there is any aspect of this policy that you wish to query with us, please contact our Giving Services Team on 020 8502 8560, asking to speak with one of our compliance staff.

Our charitable objectives can be viewed in full from the Charity Commission’s website.

 

The Nicene Creed of 381 AD

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen