## **Annual Report of Morpeth Methodist Church and Centre for the Community,** ## **Registration no: 1128303, for the year to 31[st] August 2025** Administratve Informaton and Structure The Church’s mission statement is “To make Christ visible in the world”. This report will discuss the means in which this is discharged. The Church comprises the Sanctuary and 5 rooms of various sizes. The address is: Howard Terrace, Morpeth. NE61 1HU. Tel no: 01670 511078. The Church was opened in 1905, extended in 1986 and reconfigured and further extended in 2005. The Church has 100 confirmed members and approximately an additional 25 adherents. The Church is a member of the South East Northumberland Circuit. Our presbyter is Rev Antony Oakley. The Governing Board is the Church Council, whose members, the trustees, during the year were: The minister (Antony Oakley), the Leadership Team (Pam Oakley, Vivien Scott, David Simpson, Bridget Rowbottom, John Carss, Maureen Baker, Lorrie Bronsema, Paul Crook) and elected and ex-officio members (Clive Kemp, Dorothy Potts, Judith Quenet, Pat Folkard, Wendy Garvey, Catherine Wakefield). Church Committees and groups report to the Church Council. Church Council met four times during the year. The Council’s members discussed the management of the Church’s activities and made decisions regarding based on their discussions. This year’s Annual Church Meeting will be held on 7[th] September 2025 Aims, Objectves and Delivery The aims of the Church, as seen on the Charities Commission website, are: “The provision of regular public acts of worship open to members of the Church and nonmembers alike. The provision of sacred space (a building) for prayer and contemplation. The teaching of Christianity through sermons, courses and small groups, pastoral work, including visiting the sick” Morpeth Methodist Church and Centre for the Community also offers facilities for regular meetings of clubs, societies, organisations and focus groups and for special events to the wider community. These are used regularly by both Church groups and groups in the local community. The Church seeks to pursue its mission statement by “Celebrating Christ, growing in His love, praying and acting for Him and being a Centre acting as a resource for the whole community. The Church is a member of the South East Northumberland Methodist Circuit. The Presbyter to the Church is Rev Antony Oakley, who is the Superintendent Minister of the South East Northumberland Methodist Circuit. The committees and groups that report to the Annual Church Meeting or Church Council are: Leadership Group, Pastoral Group, Worship Group and Mission Partnership The Leadership Group includes the Church stewards. The Church Treasurer reports to this group and to the Church Council. The Leadership Group supports the minister and congregation. Members of the Leadership Group act as Church Secretary, Church Treasurer and Safeguarding Officer. Members of the Leadership Group also act on behalf of the Church in organising care and maintenance of the building, booking and letting rooms and organisation of Church activities. The structural organisation of the Church seeks to cover three broad areas of influence: - 1) The spiritual, pastoral and social needs of its members. - 2) The mission of the Church within our community and Circuit - 3) The care and development of the physical assets of the Church - 4) The use of the facilities for the benefit of the wider community Services are held in the Church on Sunday mornings. Tuesday Communion Services are held weekly. Junior Church meet weekly in the Church during term time. The 6th Morpeth Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts meet in the Church during the week Womens Meeting Point and Men’s Breakfast Group meet in the Church. Drop in lunches are usually held weekly on Tuesdays and the Memory Café meets fortnightly in the Church for those with cognitive impairment and their carers. Both of these activities have been appreciated by those attending. The Church continues its Mission Partnership with Kamuzinda Victory Christian Church, Uganda. Morpeth and Kamuzinda Churches support each other with regular prayer, meetings and communication. Collections of donations for the benefit of KVCC are held after Sunday services twice a year. The Church is used as a centre in Morpeth for musical events, including concerts, performances for Morpeth Music Society and performances by bands and choirs. ## Comment on the Annual Accounts The audited accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2025 are set out in the attached file. Most of the expenditure items are self explanatory. The largest expense is the Circuit Assessment which is set by the Circuit and covers the Church’s central overheads, including stipends and other central expenses. The expenditure on salaries will fall as the Church manager and receptionists were made redundant in September 2025. Church members took on these responsibilities. Other items of major expenditure include energy and repairs and maintenance. The accounts show a surplus of £8943. The Church finances aim to operate on the basis of a balanced annual budget, with outcomes monitored by the Leadership Group. Church Council approved a Reserves Policy holding reserves approximately equal to six months of normal expenditure, in accordance with the recommendation from the Methodist Connexion. Responsibility for day to day receipts and payments and the presentation of final and interim accounts are the responsibility of the Church Treasurer, Lorrie Bronsema. CHURCH {Short Forml RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS (SHORT FORM) rp￿￿￿ MaLai.t CkLI FOR THE YEAR ENDED Church 31 August 2025 ircult Clr¢ult no tLo/ R•gl8tsrod Charlty. Charlty R•gl$trnllon numbèr If not a reglstered charity HIS M8I•8W$ Revenue and Customs Glft Ald numbor (The HMRC number is equiv8lenl to 8 rogislered charity number In lems of evidence of ch8Tltable slalus and may be used lo glve lo donors or grant lunders wishing lo see evidence of the orgBnisation'8 ch8rt1oble sl8tus. Methodist ch8rities In Eng18nd and Wales that are not rtsglslered charities are excepted from regislr211on under Slalulory InstrLJmenl 2014 No.2421 IAlnlsler: Oakl. Church Stewartls.. QCl￿ I Croo l< VIV SofK (AJ Tre8sureT'. LorrcLi churth-short-torn-8t￿déi￿forrn-Df-PCc0ll￿¥-2D25.￿ 1of4 Tr4oAf As th8 Church's trustees, you 8re responsible lor the preparation of the accounts In accordance wlth the requirements of the Ch8dti88 Act 2011 I'lha Act'i. I report in respecl ol my exAminatlon of the Church's 8ccountS C8rried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carryng out my exarninalion, I h8ve followed all the 8pplicable Directions given by the Charity Commisslon under section 14515llbl of the Act. d8lete or circle as 8ppropriale 3014 NaTve of Church .HoKP.E 1.4.. .N.£1go.DIS I...... No..... Indep•ndent Examlner'8 St•tem•nt I have complel8d my èxaminolion. I conflmi that no material mallars h8ve comè lo my att6ntion in connection wllh the examination I which give me ￿USe to believe that in. any material respeGI'. the accountlng f8cords were not kepl in accordance ￿th section 130 of th8 Act., or the accounts do not accord with the acMunlin9 racords. I have no concerns and hove corne across no other matters In connection wlth the ax8min8tion to which attention should be drawn in this report in order lo enable a proper understanding of tho accounts to b8 T8ach8d. I Wethave not. obiBin8d Ind8pendenl verllicalion of all Investments wlh th8 Trustees for Melhodisl Church Purposes or held in other Irusl8. bank balances and funds 81 the Central Finance Board of Ihe Melhodlsl Chvfch which are Indlvidually in ex￿$9 of £10.000 (ten thousand ￿unds) 8t the b818nce sheet datè. Sign8ture ol Independanl ex*rniner Name of Indep8ndent examlner Relevant prolossional qualification of Independent examlngr Name of firm (where 8pproprial8) ioll eAAF-..,.. Address Post Code Dale delete or circlo a5 appropriate 4of4 Church-short-foTrstgnd8rd-form-Df-8Gcounts-2025.xls CHURCH {Short Forml RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS (SHORT FORM) rp￿￿￿ MaLai.t CkLI FOR THE YEAR ENDED Church 31 August 2025 ircult Clr¢ult no tLo/ R•gl8tsrod Charlty. Charlty R•gl$trnllon numbèr If not a reglstered charity HIS M8I•8W$ Revenue and Customs Glft Ald numbor (The HMRC number is equiv8lenl to 8 rogislered charity number In lems of evidence of ch8Tltable slalus and may be used lo glve lo donors or grant lunders wishing lo see evidence of the orgBnisation'8 ch8rt1oble sl8tus. Methodist ch8rities In Eng18nd and Wales that are not rtsglslered charities are excepted from regislr211on under Slalulory InstrLJmenl 2014 No.2421 IAlnlsler: Oakl. Church Stewartls.. QCl￿ I Croo l< VIV SofK (AJ Tre8sureT'. LorrcLi churth-short-torn-8t￿déi￿forrn-Df-PCc0ll￿¥-2D25.￿ 1of4 Tr4oAf As th8 Church's trustees, you 8re responsible lor the preparation of the accounts In accordance wlth the requirements of the Ch8dti88 Act 2011 I'lha Act'i. I report in respecl ol my exAminatlon of the Church's 8ccountS C8rried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carryng out my exarninalion, I h8ve followed all the 8pplicable Directions given by the Charity Commisslon under section 14515llbl of the Act. d8lete or circle as 8ppropriale 3014 NaTve of Church .HoKP.E 1.4.. .N.£1go.DIS I...... No..... Indep•ndent Examlner'8 St•tem•nt I have complel8d my èxaminolion. I conflmi that no material mallars h8ve comè lo my att6ntion in connection wllh the examination I which give me ￿USe to believe that in. any material respeGI'. the accountlng f8cords were not kepl in accordance ￿th section 130 of th8 Act., or the accounts do not accord with the acMunlin9 racords. I have no concerns and hove corne across no other matters In connection wlth the ax8min8tion to which attention should be drawn in this report in order lo enable a proper understanding of tho accounts to b8 T8ach8d. I Wethave not. obiBin8d Ind8pendenl verllicalion of all Investments wlh th8 Trustees for Melhodisl Church Purposes or held in other Irusl8. bank balances and funds 81 the Central Finance Board of Ihe Melhodlsl Chvfch which are Indlvidually in ex￿$9 of £10.000 (ten thousand ￿unds) 8t the b818nce sheet datè. Sign8ture ol Independanl ex*rniner Name of Indep8ndent examlner Relevant prolossional qualification of Independent examlngr Name of firm (where 8pproprial8) ioll eAAF-..,.. Address Post Code Dale delete or circlo a5 appropriate 4of4 Church-short-foTrstgnd8rd-form-Df-8Gcounts-2025.xls