2024-12-31-accounts - Progressive Christianity Network - Britain

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Progressive Christianity Network Britain

Registered Charity No: 1102164

Annual Report & Financial Report 1[st] January - 31[st] December 2024

In 2024 PCN Britain invited Christian CND to address the organsation at our Annual General Meeting, held on Zoom on 27[th] April.

Registered address

26 High Street, Newnham, Gloucestershire, GL14 1BB

The Progressive Christianity Network Britain

Registered Charity No : 1102164

Governing Document Constitution adopted 22[nd] September 2003, and amended 19[th] January 2004, 12[th] November 2005, 24[th] October 2009, 20[th] April 2013 and 27[th] April 2024.

Object of the Charity The advancement of the Christian Religion in such exclusively charitable ways as the trustees in their absolute discretion see fit. Main activities i. Promoting a way of living consistent with the 8 points and with a progressive, inclusive, open approach to religion. ii. Supporting groups of PCN members and non-members to explore a progressive understanding of Christianity. iii. Supporting and encouraging members of the Progressive Christianity Network, both those whose faith is lived out within the community of church as expressed in mainstream denominational Christianity and those outside of any such organised institutional Christian framework.

iv. Networking, conferencing and providing forums for open debate about all aspects of Christianity, including interaction with people of other faiths. v. Engaging in discussion and negotiation with members of different Christian denominations, promoting agendas and understandings that are both liberating and radical.

vi. Developing and encouraging progressive Christian congregations and communities. vii. Promoting membership of PCN Britain Address: 26 High Street, Newnham, Gloucestershire, GL14 1BB Bankers: The Co-operative Bank Independent Examiner Rachel Witham

Trustees for the period of this report :

Chair Simon Cross Vice chair: Jackie Wiegman (until April) Paul Onslow (from April) Secretary: Sandra Griffiths Treasurer: Peter Stribblehill Dave Coaker Jenny Jacobs (until April) Paul Onslow (until April) Kevin Skippon Gwen Wills (until April)

Sue Hobley Naomi Nixon Tony Sanchez Jackie Wegman (from April)

Chair’s Report on the Network in 2024 by Simon Cross

“It’s just so refreshing to hear this,” one person said to me after one of the series of events that PCN Britain organised with the American theologian and author Thomas Jay Oord in the summer of 2024.

“It’s just not the sort of God-talk I hear in my church,” they continued, adding: “I don’t even necessarily agree with everything he says, but I don’t think that matters – it’s being able to talk about it that’s important.”

For many of us, the reason we joined PCN in the first place was to find like-minded folk who were as dissatisfied with the kind of theology that dominates the mainstream of British Christianity as we were. We were looking, perhaps, for fellow travellers, people with whom we could have honest conversations and ask honest questions. Coming up with the same answers, if we come up with answers at all, is not so important.

WB Yeats, in his poem The Second Coming, wrote that "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." There is certainly a danger in having a quiet voice in a world full of noise and bluster – and yet at the same time part of the challenge of living in a noisy, troublesome world, is knowing how and when to stay quiet – there is a time for everything, as Qoheleth reminds us.

What is it time for now? That is the question we must continue to ask ourselves.

Our AGM last year included a talk about the work of Christian CND, a reflection of the fact that our noisy world feels ever more like a dangerous place – perhaps particularly for those of us who occupy marginal spaces or represent marginalised identities.

I’m conscious that within PCN, as within any network, there will be a variety of feelings about the arguments, issues and problems of the world. One of the questions that has bedevilled the trustee committee from time to time is whether we, as a network, should be more actively ‘political’, or not.

Heated debates have been had about issues of our time, and different opinions have been shared. Perhaps it’s controversial, but I happen to think that being able to respectfully hold a variety of opinions and positions together is one of the strengths of our network. It doesn’t always make our lives easy, and there are, perhaps somethings that we don’t talk about much as a result, but the ability to ‘disagree well’ and to accept (even if respect is too strong a word) one another’s different viewpoints and perspectives is, I think, crucial if we are to represent a genuinely progressive approach to Christianity.

Each year in this report I have to say thank you to various people. It would be easy, I suppose, to see this as going through the motions, doing the ‘right thing’- but the fact is that without these people we couldn’t function as network, we couldn’t be a safe place, or a place of generous welcome. We need people to help us function as a network – and again as Qoheleth reminds there is a time for everything, a season for everything.

One of those seasons comes to an end, now, as this year was the last year of service from our long standing treasurer Peter Stribblehill, he will get an honourable mention in next year’s list of retiring trustees, of course, but it would be remiss of me to not to say thanks, again, to him for his work.

Peter’s diligence has helped us as we have had to start navigating what could be rather tricky financial waters. While we’ve made a collective decision as trustees not to increase our subscription prices (indeed we’ve tried to make it easier and cheaper for some of our members to retain their membership) over the last several years we’ve been somewhat caught out by the dramatic rise in costs across the board. Reserves that seem healthy enough could soon be eaten up by rapid inflationary pressures. We took some cost cutting decisions in 2024, some of which were hard, and in 2025 we will need to work hard to ensure that books remain balanced. Peter’s work has provided us with a good platform for this.

I am, of course, deeply grateful to all my fellow trustees – people who get together to talk about the nuts and bolts of the network, glamorous it ain’t … but necessary it remains. In thanking each of the trustees, I do so on behalf of the whole network.

Alongside the trustee committee are other key network volunteers whom we must also thank. Not least among them are the people who convene and lead our groups! Our group structure is very much the backbone of PCN Britain, and it is something that other networks envy, frankly. Thank you to everyone who rolls up their sleeves and gets involved.

Providing our members and our groups with interesting and useful resources is a key part of our work. In 2024 we finally completed the set of podcast episodes which we’ve been working on for ages, they will be released in 2025. I’m grateful for the work that George Luke, a freelance radio programme maker, did for us on this project. It took us a while to work out exactly how we wanted that project to work – I think we got there in the end.

We continue to rely on other resources too, some of which are in the care of Jess Lee, our DVD librarian (thank you Jess!) and we continue, too, to get requests for information about our made of stories film project, something which remains helpful to many. That project wouldn’t have been possible without the support and donations of our members, we are in this together.

Janis Knox continues to work for us in the wild west of social media land – thank you Janis for doing the dirty work that few of us have the appetite for! Part of our cost cutting meant, regrettably, that in 2024 we had to cut back some of Janis’ work – that’s no reflection on her work or dedication, it simply represents the difficult position we’ve been in through. We continue to hope that this will change in time.

Every year I say thank you to Sarah Guilfoyle, our administrator, who holds the various threads of our network together. These past few years have not been easy ones – and I’m very grateful for Sarah and all that she does. I know that many of you have directly benefited from her work and will want to join me in thanking her for all that she does for us.

This year we said goodbye to two of our trustees, Jenny Jacobs and Gwen Wills, both of whom gave great service to the committee. We are thankful for them both and glad that they remain good friends to us, and part of this network.

We cannot afford to grow complacent as a network – if you have read all the way to the bottom of this report, then you, like me, value PCN Britain. Are there others who you can invite to become members? Are there people in your group, or your church, who would benefit from being in this generous space? Let’s not let the grass grow long under our feet.

Simon Cross, PCN Britain Chair, April 2025

Financial Report for the Year Ending 31 December 2024

1 Summary

The accounts for 2024 have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis

The accounts are prepared on the basis that the trustees are confident that PCNB is a going concern, able to meet its financial obligations for the next 12 months.

The accounts comprise the receipts and payments for the year and a balance sheet.

The accounts show a deficit of £6,645 for the year with a balance on the general fund £21,968 at the end of the year.

2 Events

After a gap of a few years, a successful Members' Weekend was arranged.

3 Publications

PV costs include the cost of postage.

4 Website

The website expenditure reflected maintenance costs during the year. A new laptop was purchased for the office.

5 Development

The Social Media Editor continued to work about 4 hours a week maintaining our media presence. Work was started on a series of Podcasts.

8 Operating costs

The increased management costs reflect a return to one residential meeting which was felt to be most valuable. This will be kept under review for 2025.

9 Deficit

The overall deficit of £6,645 reflects ongoing work on development projects along with a loss of membership during the year with a consequential reduction in Gift Aid recovery.

This is to be addressed as a matter of priority during 2025

Over the years reserves have fluctuated, being built up and then used typically on our development / outreach work.

Peter Stribblehill, Treasurer, February 2025

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts •+• Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Progressive Christianity Network Britain On accounts for the year ended 31S1 December 2024 Charity no (if any) 1102164 Set out on pages Seven and Eight I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {"the Trust.) for the year ended 3111212024. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'i. I report in respe¢l of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Direclions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515>lb} of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe Ihat in, any material respect.. accounting TecrJTds weTe nDt kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: Name: IP rtc" I Ii*tr Relevant professional qualificationls) or body lif any): Address: a C-¢66KI 1.1 I L L C,L ' )&6. t IPIA Section B Disclosure ND disclosures or qualffifications.

Progressive Christianity Network Britain Receipts and Payments for the Year Ending 31 December 2024

	2024	2023
Income £ 18,609 272 3,394 19	Expenditure Net £ £ 18,609 272 3,394 19	Income Expenditure Net
		£ £ £


		20,208 20,208
		205 205
		4,185 4,185

22,294	0 22,294	24,598 0 24,598
150 7,248 64	(352) (202) (6,960) 288 (1,112) (1,048)

		10 (50) (40)
		1,010 (1,133) (123)
		(800) (800)
7,462	(8,424) (962)	1,020 (1,983) (963)
99	99 (170) (170) (4,996) (4,996) (2,307) (2,307)

		347 347
		(215) (215)
		(5,228) (5,228)
		(1,498) (1,498)
99	(7,473) (7,374)	347 (6,941) (6,594)
	(2,064) (2,064) (2,338) (2,338)

		(2,068) (2,068)
		0
0	(4,402) (4,402)	0 (2,068) (2,068)
1,059	1,059

		894 894
1,059	0 1,059	894 0 894
	(14,225) (14,225) (555) (555) (1,612) (1,612) (617) (617) (251) (251)

		(13,450) (13,450)
		(528) (528)
		(874) (874)
		(442) (442)
		(160) (160)
0	(17,260) (17,260)	0 (15,454) (15,454)

30,914	(37,559) (6,645)	26,859 (26,446) 413

Progressive Christianity Network Britain Statement of Assets 31 December 2024

Funds Balance at 1 January Net receipts for Year Balance at 31 December Balance Sheet Assets Co-operative Bank CCLA Total	31/12/2024 31/12/2023 General Fund General Fund £ £ 28,614 28,201 (6,646) 413 21,968 28,614 31/12/2024 31/12/2023 £ £ 3,610 7,314 18,359 21,300 21,968 28,201 ~~LE~~ ~~iL~~

Simon Cross, Chair

Peter Stribblehill, Treasurer