## **Offington Park Methodist Church** ## **Trustees Report for the year ending 31[st] August 2021** ## **1. Objectives and activities** In setting our objectives and planning our activities the Church Council now meets six times a year under the leadership of the presbyter in Pastoral Charge. This was interrupted by an outbreak of Covid 19 which meant that no activities were held on church premises this year. Council met via zoom and worship was also carried out via Zoom. Our mission statement – This church exists to live the Good News of Jesus in word and action and build an inclusive community where everyone can come and fulfil their God-designed potential. The church continues to look at areas within Our calling in order to focus on all areas of the churches life and has adopted some Targets under the headings of Communication, Pastoral care, Worship and Spirituality, Discipleship and Rhythm of Mission. These are used as guidelines in stewards and church council meetings to focus our work. ## **2. Achievements and performance** The church family are made up of a wide age range but have recognised that the majority of the congregation are chronologically older. However, they have understood the need for offering a wide range of services and activities that cater to all ages and actively encourage new ideas. Our church administrator retired during this time and due to much reduced income the church made a decision to employ a new church administrator for just 8 hours a week and look to a number of volunteers to be on the welcome team once the church was able to open again. Junior church was held on Zoom ensuring all safeguarding measures were securely in place as was messy church. Regular updates on facebook continued to give the church a presence within the community. Uniformed organisations did not meet during this year. All the festivals were observed on Zoom . During this time an evening prayer group was initiated and this continues to meet on Zoom each weekday evening. Bible study was held weekly on Zoom and was well attended with a variety of studies followed. Weddings and baptisms were postponed until it was safe for the church to meet. The minister continued to officiate at funerals and in the future will work hard at creating opportunities to invite people back to celebrate lives that were sadly unable to be celebrated with family and friends. Our pastoral team kept in contact with members and adherents by telephone and those who were unable to join services online had a service posted out to them each fortnight. Pastoral friends have been introduced who write, or phone and then pass any concerns onto the pastoral coordinator. All communion services were suspended due to the Methodist Church not allowing communion on line. Tuesday lunches provided a take away service and a real life line to those who were housebound. ## **Plans for future years** To continue to be open to new ways of delivering the Good News in and around this community by opening the church on four days a week for people to drop in for tea/coffee and fellowship. To continue to encourage the growth of intergenerational worship offering a wide variety of relevant and vibrant worship. To nurture those already part of the church through growth in small groups. To ensure safeguarding continues to be a priority whether on line or otherwise. To prioritise those activities which are life giving and growing and to stop those which are not now benefiting the church. This has been one of the blessings of the situation as everything has stopped and some will not restart whilst new projects will begin. On schemes meriting funding. ## **3. Financial Review** The Examined Account for the year ending 31[st] August 2021 show a deficit of £14,343. The majority of this was due to the lack of lettings income through out the period as a result of the Covid pandemic. In addition, the planned Fund-Raising events were in the main unable to be held. The situation would have been considerably worse had we not received a rebate on the assessment from Circuit. Going forward the staffing budget will be considerably reduced as we no longer employ a cleaner or Youth & Children’s worker and our administrators’ hours have been reduced. ## **Investment policy and performance** The General Funds comprise £20,291 held locally and £62,124 held in TMCP Model Trust Funds. Funds performed well resulting in an increase of £5,034. ## **Reserves Level and policy** The Reserves Policy agreed by Church Council is a tiered approach as follows: - A) A lower limit of £35,000 (25% of turnover) based on covering a significant ‘one-off’ expense (probably property-related). If the reserves fell below this an action plan would be mandated to restore the minimum balances. - B) A working band of £35,000-£70,000 (25%-50% of turnover) would be considered the norm, wherein spend would be considered on a project by project basis which schemes merited funding. - C) An upper limit of £70,000 (50% of turnover, above which Church Council would actively consider spending ## **4 Trustees’ Responsibilities** For each financial year ending on 31[st] August the Managing Trustees are required to prepare financial statements that give a true and fair view of the Church’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing these financial statements the Managing Trustees must: Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. This will clearly be a challenge once the church can meet in person again. Follow applicable accounting standards Prepare accounts to comply with the Charities SORP The Managing Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the church and enables them to ensure that financial statements comply with the law. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the District and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. ## **4.1 Risk** ## **5.Structure, governance and management** The Church is governed by the Methodist Church Act 1976, the Deed of Union and the Model Trust Deeds of the Methodist Church. ## **5.1 Structure** Offington Park Methodist Church is part of the new West Sussex ( Coast and Downs) Circuit. As such it is represented on the Circuit Meeting which meets three times a year. The Methodist Conference meets once each year as the supreme denominational body for all Methodist Churches. 1. Overall regulatory authority rests with the Methodist Conference. 2. The Connexional Office implements decisions made by the Conference and is responsible for the stationing of presbyters and deacons (collectively known as ministers) in individual Circuits within the District. 3. Connexional decisions are passed to the Chair of the District and the appropriate officers of the District for implementation. 4. The District passes down to Circuit level for implementation by the Superintendent Minister, ministerial staff and Circuit Stewards, and authority is delegated to the Circuit Meeting for certain matters. 5. The Circuit Meeting passes regulatory control down to Church Councils for local implementation by the presbyter, the Church Stewards, and other officers, and this regulatory control is then exercised by the Church Councils as Managing Trustees of their charity. ## **5.2 Purpose of the Church** The purposes of the Methodist Church are and shall be deemed to have been since the date of union the advancement of: - a) The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the discipline of the Methodist Church, and - b) Any charitable purposes for the time being of any Connexional, District, Circuit, local or other organisation of the Methodist Church, and, - c) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any society, or institution subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church, and - d) Any purpose for the time being of any charity being a subsidiary or ancillary of the Methodist Church. The primary purpose of Offington Park Methodist Church is to advance the Christian faith by providing opportunities for worship, Christian nurture and fellowship within the wider Worthing Community. ## **5.3 Governance** The Church operates within a statutory framework of regulation and seeks to ensure that it follows Methodist Standing Orders. It relies on the Connexional Office at 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR to provide guidance on changes that could affect the Church. The members of the Church Council are appointed under the terms of S.O. 610(2). The Superintendent is _ex officio_ chair of the Church Council but may delegate this task to other presbyters in the Circuit. The Church Council normally meets three times per year and deals with routine and exceptional matters. It oversees the work of other groups within the life of the Church. ## **5.4 Responsibilities of the Church Council** The responsibilities of the Church Council and other committees are set out in Standing Orders 603 – 604 of the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church. ## **6. Reference and Administrative Details** ## **6.1 Name of the Church** Offington Park Methodist Church **6.2 Charity Registration number** Not Applicable ## **6.3 Superintendent Minister** The Revd Ian Suttie MA **6.4 Presbyter in Pastoral Charge** The Rev’d Dawn Carn BA(Hons) **6.5 Names of Managing Trustees** Rev’d Dawn Carn Gill Powell Adam Cook Lesley Skinner Jack Delbridge Hilary Colbourne Mike Powell Joy Barnes David Gibbs Ann Delbridge Alison Wright Chris Lance Brian Sleeman Jackie Brown Tim Cooper John Carr Sue Head John Head ## **6.6 Independent Examiner- Mr Keith Miller** )1-￿￿-21 31_AJ4_20 8/F ot￿r$ O.tJ) collect￿￿5 oft btknlf of Otkrs 1.641.C 633.10 Pa￿￿rtS on beholf •f othe MEt C/F ot￿rI 1.641.C 633.10 o.oj .476.35 Urnlisd 6ainlL•ss on Tmtr 5,034.73 .299.87 t &Jrplu¥lDtficitl.) -14,343.15 -30.534.66 Less -3.411.51 T•t41 OF 16.756.62 99,476. STATEIAEKf 01 FL CAF Currznt alc 17.395.34 49.446 52 Petty CPB fuffldl 8.816.83 -1.68004 Z4,632.13 -7.159.73 Less Furds Held for oitr**s b-totol Fu•ds hek4 k)(ol 42.386.79 TMCP fnterest PUTh4 TMCP Fixed Int fuv TMCP Mixed Int 25.631.76 35.646.29 62.124.49 26.125.61 30.117.71 57.rK19.76 )n4FB 3% Sto¢k o.co TufAL Fw .756.62 9P.476.$5 Funds Held L¢xallv CAF Current Acc¢unt 17.981.e9 876.71 31.403 01 947.41 Eco Furd MinitrAts A¢¢Mt Youth Fui¥A 1.883.04 1.366.52 866 31 1.368.37 667 Y) 8e4WSI tchen RefUrb1sh￿rt* 3.473.37 5.920.50 24 6j2.lj 42.3•6.79 Reserves 62.124.49 62 124.49 S7.￿9.76 57.089.76 8asls of Ind•pend•nt Examlnerfs Report My examinatKJn was carried fyjt in ac¢ordarte V•ith general Direcbons given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accawnb.ng records kept by th8 charrty and a Comparison of the accounts presented wth those iecords. It also indudes consKlerakn of any unusual items or disckjsu￿s in the accounts, and seeking explanat￿n$ from the trustees conceming any such malter5. The procedures urKlertaken do not provide all the eviden￿ that woubl ￿ required in an audit. arKI cxjnseouentty rm) cy"nK)n is given as lo %thethÈr the accJ)unts presanl a Irue and fairf vw and Ihe rep(Yt Ks b.rnit￿ to t￿e Matte￿ set out in the ststemenl Independent Examiner's Stalement In connection my examinalion, rn matter has lo my attenth)n {o#wr￿a￿.).. vthich gives me reasonable Cause to belYJv8 Ihat ￿ any material respect the requirements.. . to keep ￿e￿ntir￿j records in ￿er￿dance wilh se¢tK)n 130 of th8 Chwit￿S Act.. . to prepare 8ccounts whth acC￿d V•iih the atzryjnting reconls and o)mply with Ihe accountirvJ requiremenls of the Chafilw Act have not been met: 121 to which, in my opin￿n, attentK)n shoukj bg drawn in ord8r lo enaL40 a Proper understanding of the accwnts to be reac￿. ' Hea$e delete the words ￿ Ihe l)r8ck&ts ￿tt￿Y ¢YD rK¢ 8ppty8iwrryi*6 131 1 haveiha¥&rf' obtained independent venfKatK)n of aN inveslments *ryth thè Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes or hekl in other Trusts. 8ank balances and Funds al Ihe Central Finance Board of Ihg Methodist Church I"CFB'I. vthich ara nidiv*Jually in oxeass of £10,(N￿ (lan thcmjsand tx)undsl al tha balance sheel date. ' Pleasa circle as apprnw￿Ie Name Keith Thacker Si9nature Relevant Professional qualificaiion or body Address Huh RKJge.FairlwJht TN35 4BE Dat 12.1. 2JZL rtrmirrh Q ￿nrt P y14