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2020-12-31-accounts

Middle East Reformed Fellowship (England & Wales) 44 Hamilton Road, Hayes, Middlesex. UB3 3AS Registered Charity No: 1044672


ANNUAL REPORT 2020


Trustees:

Rev. David George, Maesycwmmer (Hon. Chairman) Mr. John Lodge, Hayes (Hon. Secretary) Mr. Hugh Pollington, Eastbourne (Hon. Treasurer) Rev. Joseph Pettitt, Loughborough. Mr. Richard Hall, Loughborough Mr. Huw Jones, Swansea

Mr. David Wilks, London

Support Committee Members:

Rev. Bruce Powell, Newport Rev. Gareth James, Doncaster Mr. Benjamin George, Neath

Rev. Sulwyn Jones, Swansea Rev. Timothy Burden, Eastbourne Mr. Graham Lodge, Dubai

The Deed of Trust is dated 5th February 1995 and registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales with the aim of promoting the spread of the Christian Faith in Arab lands and beyond through work of the Middle East Reformed Fellowship (MERF).

MERF is a gospel-centred, evangelistic Fellowship of indigenous churches, workers, and their supporters. It is a non-profit and non-political charitable organization, serving in the Muslim world on behalf of churches and believers worldwide. It exists to promote the Christian Faith as embodied in the MERF Statement of Faith, by encouraging fellowship and fostering co-operation between Reformed Churches, training and supporting national pastors and evangelists, evangelism, church planting, and the distribution of aid through the agency of indigenous churches.

Our relationship with the Middle East Reformed Fellowship (our partner):

Our partnership with MERF is governed by a Grant Agreement which is subject to annual review and renewal. MERF is incorporated in the Republic of Cyprus as a Charitable Foundation. Their annual accounts and financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union. The annual accounts are audited by a firm of Certified Public Accountants and Registered Auditors in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISAs).

Operating Policy:

All gifts are used in accordance with the donor’s wishes or, if undesignated, placed in General Funds to be used for the greatest needs as determined by MERF. No funds are transferred to countries subject to UK/EU or US sanctions.

Monitoring and verifying end use of charitable funds:

Robust mechanisms of management and a close working relationship between MERF (England/Wales) and MERF ensure a good degree of monitoring of projects and verification that grant funds are spent on the projects for which they were intended.

Income:

Support for the work from churches and individuals in 2020 increased by approximately 35% compared to income for 2019. The Beirut Port Explosion Disaster attracted substantial giving to diaconal funds. Giving for the general fund accounted for 69% of gifts, to be used as MERF determines.

Reserves Policy:

MERF (England/Wales) is a Grant-making Charity and the bulk of our income is transferred under the terms of an annual Grant Agreement to MERF or directly to the international fields in which MERF operates.

Grant funds are transmitted to MERF and the international fields in which MERF operates upon request from the MERF HQ in Cyprus. At each transfer funds are retained and held in reserve sufficient to cover our operating costs and our liabilities as an employer for three months. Apart from those costs associated with employment and costs of travel expenses, other costs (postage, stationery, etc) are minimal. On this basis our policy is to ensure that a minimum of £10,000 is held in the MERF (England/Wales) bank account and this reserve is taken into account whenever responding to requests from the MERF HQ.

MERF (England & Wales) Promotional work:

The bi-monthly newsletter is produced and distributed to 3,000 recipients in England, Wales and Scotland. The work of MERF is promoted at meetings and conferences, however, during 2020 the global pandemic resulted in most of our promotional meetings being conducted online. The online presentation was made to 37 churches.

The MERF (England/Wales) website (merf.org.uk) has increased its reach and influence. Its video presentations of various workers and projects are often viewed. Several of these videos are used by the support committees of Canada, the U.S.A., Australia and New Zealand for promotional work in those countries, and Dutch subtitles are added to the videos for use in the Netherlands. We have also supplied additional promotional materials (e.g. PowerPoint presentations) to other national support committees to assist their promotional work.

Statement of Public Benefit:

MERF (England/Wales) works to promote the spread of the Christian Faith in Arab lands and beyond through work of the Middle East Reformed Fellowship and their partnerships with indigenous churches and workers. In every field of operation, the primary purpose of MERF is the advancement of Reformed Christian Faith in accord with the MERF Statement of Faith (which is a summary of the historic Christian faith as expressed in the early Christian creeds and the confessions of the Calvinistic Reformation).

Operating in more than 16 countries and 15 languages, MERF seeks to work with indigenous churches as the best body to reach a population. Indigenous Christians live permanently as part of the culture and know the language, and so face fewer of the barriers that impede the work of foreign missionaries.

However, in Muslim countries Christians are a minority grouping and, in some countries, they face severe repression and persecution. MERF works to strengthen their faith, build up their confidence to evangelise, and equip them to disciple new believers; and, as the Bible is central to the growth of the Christian, MERF seeks to equip churches through biblical training. MERF also supplies diaconal aid via indigenous churches to meet immediate practical need in a crisis but always with the aim of equipping people to be selfsufficient insofar as is possible.

In pursuing these goals, the charity engages in many projects that serve the public benefit:

1. The Advancement of Religion:

MERF is a gospel-centred, evangelistic Fellowship of indigenous churches, workers, and their supporters. It exists to promote the Christian Faith as embodied in the MERF Statement of Faith, by encouraging fellowship and fostering co-operation between Reformed Churches, training and supporting national pastors and evangelists, evangelism and church planting.

The majority of MERF funding is directed to evangelism through gospel broadcasting by terrestrial and internet-based radio, literature distribution and the regular preaching, teaching and pastoral ministries of indigenous churches. MERF broadcasts the Gospel in thirteen languages. MERF’s training centres which provide both language and theological training for Christian pastors and evangelists, also operate as locations for International churches and host regular services of public worship and Sunday schools for the spiritual education of children.

2. The Advancement of Education:

MERF supports the education of more than 2750 children through the Calvin Academies in Pakistan, and continues to fund a scholarship programme for Turkana children in Kenya.

A number of the Bible-training centres also provide education in additional disciplines. For example, students at Lokichoggio also benefit from intensive instruction in the English language; students at the training centres in Indonesia also receive instruction in animal husbandry and crop cultivation; students in Pakistan also receive instruction in animal husbandry, crop cultivation and sewing. The teaching of these additional skills is intending to facilitate greater self-sufficiency.

3. The Prevention or Relief of Poverty:

Diaconal aid (i.e. humanitarian aid) is distributed to and through local churches.

- Indonesia - Diaconal aid is regularly distributed through local churches for the relief of poverty. Diaconal Aid was specifically directed to the relief of suffering in different regions caused by floods and drought. Instruction is given in animal husbandry and crop cultivation, and a co-op start-up scheme supports students in becoming self-sufficient, and creating a more resilient community.

- Kenya – MERF grants to local Turkana people free daily access to potable water from the borehole at the teaching centre and has distributed maize several times in relief of drought and famine.

- South Sudan – Aid is regularly distributed to poor pastors and evangelists. Also, tents, maize and fishing nets have been distributed to people displaced by the civil conflict and suffering the effects of famine.

- Ethiopia – Aid is regularly distributed to poor rural pastors, and education and training is provided in animal husbandry to encourage self-sufficiency.

- Lebanon – Working with partners in the Lebanon Reformed Fellowship, MERF has committed more than 300,000 Euros in response to the Beirut Port Explosion to carry out repairs and refurnish more than 630 homes, with 2000 households being directly assisted by emergency diaconal aid through the supply of thousands of meals and medication. Face-masks and sanitisers were supplied to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and ten oxygen generating and administering machines have been supplied to the neediest area of the city. Aid was distributed to refugees from the conflict in Syria, training was provided in the psychological relief of trauma, and assistance given in repatriation to their homeland following the cessation of hostilities.

CURRENT MERF PROJECTS:

Grant funds from MERF (England/Wales) are used in support of the full range of charitable activities of MERF:

- Gospel Broadcasting:

The MERF broadcasts are designed to make known the full impact of human sinfulness and the remedy found in the riches of the redemptive grace of Christ. Personalized follow-up of listeners responding to the broadcasts is provided by means of Skype, correspondence, literature and, where possible, pastoral visitation and discipling by trained local Christians. As a result of these broadcasts many have come to faith in Christ, in places where no church or foreign missionary is permitted to exist.

- Arabic Media Ministry:

The Arabic Media Ministry brings God's Word to millions of Arabic-speaking people in the Middle East; as it is an internet service this ministry has a global reach. The ministry has been extended with the introduction of new programs in specific Arabic dialects. A new YouTube channel has been launched that broadcasts live interactive programs four days each week and which receives fruitful and encouraging responses. In addition to downloadable audio files of past programs and biblical teaching on many subjects, the websites also host downloadable pdf files of Sunday School materials and numerous Christian e-books. Our partner churches in Egypt provide more than 50% of the Arabic Media costs.

Website statistics:

- Farsi Media Ministry:

The Farsi Media Ministry reaches millions of Farsi-speaking people in Iran, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan; however, as it is an internet service this ministry has a global reach. The ministry operates two websites: Radio Shadkami and Radio Roshdino. The Farsi YouTube pages have been viewed more than 55,000 times over the past year. In addition to its daily broadcasts, it hosts several hundred videos and numerous Christian e-books and booklets, many of which have been downloaded many times. Personalized follow-up of listeners responding to the broadcasts is provided by means of Skype, correspondence and literature.

- Terrestrial Broadcasting:

In addition to internet-based media, MERF terrestrial broadcast teams also reach millions of people in East Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan and Indonesia in their native tongue, broadcasting in fifteen languages: Arabic; Dinka and Nuer (South Sudan); Amharic, Oromo, and Somali (Ethiopia & Somalia); Farsi (Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran); Tamazight (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mali, Niger, Mauritania) Bahasa, Javanese, Sundanese, Toraja, Bugis and Makassarese (Indonesia); and, Urdu (Pakistan) .

- Bible Training Ministry:

The work of Bible-training across all fields has been greatly curtailed throughout 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. MERF (England/Wales) continues to be directly involved in the bible-training work based at Lokichoggio, Kenya; and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Rev. Tim Burden (employed by MERF England/Wales) has overall responsibility for the bible training programme in Kenya and Ethiopia, and is involved in planning to extend the training programme to Egypt and Indonesia. During the past year Rev. Burden has produced a number of course textbooks and produced a series of teaching videos for use at the MERF training centres and online, and has been providing additional training to the Nuer radio producers.

Ethiopia - The Training Program is taught in two languages (Amharic and Oromo) and is directed at pastors and evangelists of existing churches, and an increasing number of Muslim-background converts to the Christian faith. This work has continued in a very truncated form due to the effects of the global pandemic.

Kenya – 25 church leaders graduated from the Biblical Training Program in April 2020 prior to the teaching centre being closed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sulawesi and Java - The MERF training centres in Indonesia are supported by teachers supplied by the MERF (Australia) support committee, however all visits were suspended in March and only online training has been conducted since.

Pakistan - The Lahore seminary presently operates its own training program while continuing to await the translation of the Augustine training materials into Urdu. Training continued except for a short government-imposed lockdown.

Local training – MERF also supports local training in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Armenia, Turkey and at the John Calvin Centre, Cyprus.

- Additional Field Ministries:

Indonesia – The work in Indonesia raises more than 40% of its own income through a co-op start-up scheme that helps farmers purchase and raise pigs and grow dragon fruit. The small profit-share is repaid and re-invested to support others in becoming self-sufficient. MERF also provides scholarships for less privileged children to attend school.

Sulawesi

- Work has continued to transfer the terrestrial broadcasting (in Makassarese, Toraja, and

Bugis) to web-based radio broadcasting, allowing the service to be expanded.

Java

South Sudan – MERF continues to work in support of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan which has 15,000 churches. MERF supports poor pastors and evangelists. Millions of people

Ethiopia – Each week the MERF team make three 30-minute radio programmes in the three major languages of Ethiopia (Amharic, Oromo, & Somali).

has been halted by the hostilities taking place in the Tigray region

Egypt – Training is provided for church officers, and children & youth workers. - The MERF Arabic Media Ministry Team produces Sunday School materials used by churches throughout Egypt.

Lebanon - Working with the Lebanon Reformed Fellowship, MERF has been teaching and training many Kurdish and Druze people who have professed faith in Jesus Christ and formed churches in Lebanon. Many Muslims have been attending services.

Morocco – A new field has opened up in Morocco with a team of Christians entirely composed of former Muslims. Presently the team is concentrating upon the production of programs in Tamazight, the language of Berber people living in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mali, Niger, and Mauritania. This ministry operates via social media platform (eg. Facebook). Personalized follow-up of listeners responding to the broadcasts is provided by means of Skype, correspondence and literature which is produced in Moroccan Arabic and Tamazight. - A new project has begun to translate the Heidelberg Catechism which will be made available online as a pdf download.

Iraq – The Gulf Wars and the subsequent insurgency led to the destruction of five of the six churches MERF partnered with in Iraq. The remaining church is only 10% its former strength. The Arabic media ministry is effective in encouraging the Christians remaining in Iraq.

Cyprus –

Limassol – MERF England and Wales has continued to support the ministry at the International Church at Limassol. The congregation has seen significant growth, and we are pleased that from January 2021 the church is able to continue without financial support from MERF England/Wales. - In addition to the regular English services, the church holds an afternoon service of worship for Punjabi-speaking people. All services are no broadcast online.

- Weekly English language classes are held.

preaching role at the International church.

- In response to temporary closure, short sermons have been made available online that have been very warmly received by up to 9500 listeners (including Turkish residents in Northern Cyprus).

- A number of local Cypriots have begun attending services, with some travelling from Nicosia; and requests have been received to consider beginning an English Bible Study group at Nicosia.

Concluding remarks:

The Trustees are pleased with what has been achieved this year despite the restrictions placed upon our work by the global Covid-19 pandemic, and will strive to make further advances in the year ahead. We acknowledge with thankfulness the success of the stated aims of the Fellowship in its numerous ministries, and the way in which these have continued to expand into new fields of service. It is especially pleasing that a new partnership has been formed in Morocco to serve the churches among the Berber peoples of North Africa, amongst whom a notable work of God has been taking place in recent years.

Finally, we are grateful to be able to continue playing an active role in the organization and extension of the training programs through the support of key workers, and that promotional materials developed for use in England and Wales have proved so useful in the promotional work of other national support committees. We give thanks to God for the on-going generosity of Christian people in England and Wales

who have faithfully supported our work; and for the willingness of friends to serve in support of gospel ministry in Muslim lands.


Authorised Signatories:

David George 3[rd] April 2021 (Chairman of Trustees)

Hugh Pollington 15[th] April 2021 (Honorary Treasurer)

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Sectlon A Independent Examlner's Roport Report to the trnsteesl ' On accounts forthe year l De c to Lo onded I Charlty no ', lif any) I IOLtLt671 Set out on page• , I report to the Iruslees on my examination of the a￿Ounts of the above Charity I'the Trust") for the year ended Rgspon81blllties and As the charity trustees OT Tne I rusi. vou are resDollsiDie Tor Ine DreDaraL'= bas18 of report the aeKounts in accordance wrth the reouiremènts of the Charities Act 2011 I'the Act'i. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying oul my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Chanly Commission under section 145(5llbl of the Act. I have completed my examinatlon. I conflrm that no mal8rial matters have comè to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with the examination which glves me caus8 lo b8li8vé that in. any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance wrth soction 130 of the Act or the accounts do not a¢¢ord with the accountlng records Indapendent examiner's 8tatsment I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Ple889 delete the wonys in the brackets rfth8y do not apply. Slgnod: , 7 1J- ZOLI Nam•: Relevant professional qualificationls) or body lif any): IER October 2018

Address: rr Section B Disclosure inl! complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examinalion of chaiity accounts". dire¢tion5 and guidance for examiners). Glve hero brief dotai18 of any itsms that the examiner wighes to di8clo8e. IER Octob8r 20,.

Charity Name

Charity Name No (if any) Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/01/2020 31/12/2020

Section A Receipts and payments

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds Last year funds funds funds to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £

A1 Receipts

Donations: General Fund(incl tax reclaim) 174,198 - - 174,198 174,477
Donations: Diaconal(Beirut disaster) - 69,512 - 69,512 10,000
Donations: Diaconal(other) - 2,505 - 2,505 240
Donations: Biblical Training - 1,550 - 1,550 3,480
Donations: Broadcasting - 1,150 - 1,150 3,813
Donations: National Evangelists - 180 - 180 1,300
- - - - 180
- - - - 273
Sub total(Gross income for
AR)
174,198 74,897 - 249,095 193,764
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 174,198 74,897 - 249,095 193,764
A3 Payments
Grants - Where most needed 27,200 - - 27,200 189,638
Grants - Diaconal: Beirut and South Sudan
- 52,647 - 52,647 4,070
Grants - Loki Bible Training - 320 - 320 3,783
Grants - Broadcasting& Evangelism - 420 - 420 1,330
Int'l Bible Training - Staff costs including
travel 40,568 - - 40,568 43,305
Cyprus Ministry 3,313 - - 3,313 8,510
Legal costs - - - 900
Insurance 587 - - 587 549
Promotion 588 - - 588 7,789
Runningcosts 5,942 - - 5,942 904
- - - - -
**Sub total ** 78,198 53,387 - 131,586 260,778
Runningcosts
**Sub total **
5,942
-
78,198
-
-
53,387
-
-
-


5,942
-
131,586
904
-
260,778
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
**Sub total ** - - - - -
Total payments 78,198 53,387 - 131,586 260,778
Net of receipts/(payments) 96,000 21,510 - 117,510 - 67,014
A5 Transfers between funds - **- ** - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 13,866 370 - 14,236 81,250
Cash funds this year end 109,866 21,880 - 131,746 14,236

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

10/07/2021

1

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
B5 Liabilities
B3 Investment assets
Signature
Details
Details
Details
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Details
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
109,866
21,880
-
-
-
-
109,866
21,880
OK
OK
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
OK
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
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When due
(optional)
Date of
approval

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

10/07/2021

2