Executive Committee Report
for 2004

Review of the Year

Our Website provides members with:

• up-to-date information on Group activities,
• a library of reference material specifically aimed at ethical investment in Christian organisations and by Christians,
• resumes of meetings shortly after they have taken place,
• a quick response to queries on ethical investment, and
• links to sites sponsored by our Corporate Members.

Please let us know what you think about the web-site and how we might improve it. Just e-mail us at info@ceig.org

* Note: We appreciate that not everyone has easy access to the Internet. If you would like copies of materials mentioned on the Internet through the post please contact :
The Secretary, 1, St. George's Close, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Bedfordshire LU7 1ZX.

Annual Meeting 22nd March 2004

Examining the parables: A small gathering – again just less than quorate (and thus ratified by mail) – and held at the offices of accountants Deloitte & Touche, the annual meeting led on to a discussion of parables with a business or investment context. A summary was included on the CEIG website, and attendees were had a useful debate on such parables as the Workers in the Vineyard and the Talents.

York Synod: as an EIAG fringe meeting had been planned for the York Synod (but unfortunately dropped due to lack of interest) we decided to distribute CEIG publicity with a particular focus on the need to apply ethical investment standards to environmental matters when investing. We are therefore pleased to see an environmental debate in February 2005. It is disappointing, however, to have to record that Synod interest in ethical investment is at somewhat of a low ebb.

On behalf of the Executive Committee

Gavin Oldham

Chair
Xth February 2005

Alcohol - produce or abuse? The EIAG considered this issue in September 2004, following our initiative and survey. A good, well-balanced research paper was prepared and it was acknowledged that the central problem was abuse rather than production per se. However due to the complexity of devising a more refined policy, and the concern that there may be a perception that the Church was weakening its stand on alcohol generally, the current policy was confirmed

There was no November General Synod, although planning took place for new initiatives in 2005 with St. Paul’s Institute and for the production of a new brochure extolling the case for ethical investment. We also agreed to build on our work in environmental aspects.

Our accounts for the year show an excess of receipts over payments of £479 principally due to strong corporate subscriptions and lower meeting expenses. The Executive Committee intends to continue advertising for free web membership and build the number of (paid-up) Corporate accounts.

The Committee met four times in the year. Those who served during the year were David Allen, Stephen Dunham (Webmaster and Secretary), Ian Gascoigne, Alistair Hanton, Gavin Oldham (Chair), Elizabeth Rendall and Jane Whitfield (Treasurer)

“Jesus, our Light and Lord, who preached in terms financiers use and taught we should give to this world’s powers their due, you drove traders from your Father’s house and revealed how hard Heaven’s access is for those who prosper; give us eyes to see the human faces of worldly wealth and poverty, and make yours our management of their complexities so that those among us who buy and sell, labour and invest, may do so only in your just and loving name and always to your Father’s glory and the welfare of all.”

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© 2004 Christian Ethical Investment Group