## Annual Report 2025 ## Bunyan Baptist Church **Charity Registration Number: 1128843 Registered Address:** Basils Road, Stevenage, Herts SG1 3PY **Trustees:** The Revd David Hibbin (Lead Minister) (from September 2025) Mr Michael Price (Secretary) Mrs Judith Turner (Treasurer) (to March 2025) Mr Eric Beach Mrs Margaret Bugyei-Kyei Mr Alan Curtis Mr Paul Feltham Mr Ruben Gomez (as Trustee from January 2025 and Treasurer from March 2025) Mr Peter Homfray-Cooper Mr Stephen Jackman Mrs Hannah Mettle-Mensah Mrs Sheila Smith Mrs Titilope Soyinka ## **Property Trustees** The Baptist Union Corporation Limited Baptist House 129 Broadway Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 8RT **Bankers** National Westminster Bank **Independent Examiners** Brian Kelly The Trustees present their Annual Report and financial statements for 2025. Bunyan Baptist Church Annual Report 2025 ## **Charitable Object** The Charity is governed by an Approved Governing Document which states that the principal purpose of the charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination to include the advancement of education, community service and such other general charitable purposes in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the Church shall determine. The Church occupies premises, which are held by the Baptist Union Corporation Ltd, on Trusts, which are entirely compatible with the above object. ## **Organisational Structure and Decision-making processes** Bunyan Baptist Church is an unincorporated association with Charity Trustees appointed by a meeting of members. Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the Constitution. Baptism by immersion upon personal profession of faith is the normal mode of entry into the membership of a Baptist church. Bunyan Baptist Church operates open membership so that persons seeking membership who have not been baptised may at the discretion of the Church Members’ Meeting be accepted for full membership based on their own public profession of faith. The Members Meeting normally takes place five times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the church. In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint Elders and Deacons, who together with the Ministers, Church Secretary and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the Members), are responsible for the day-to-day running of the church’s work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. They are collectively known as the Charity Trustees. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objective. The Church Members Meeting is an opportunity to consider and review routine matters associated with the life of the Church including issues related to church membership, the appointment of the Charity Trustees and the approval of the budget. There will also be opportunities for considering proposals from the Charity Trustees or other Church Members for the development of the Church and the advancement of its purpose through its activities. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible. ## **Objectives and Activities** In order to achieve the principal objective which is set out above, the Church provides a variety of activities both to its membership and to the community generally. The aim is to show the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed and to bring people into a closer relationship with Him as living Lord. We are an all-age community with a passion for Jesus and sharing the good news of His love. We get together regularly, with groups and events for all ages. Our Sunday services are held at 10:30am (which is also live-streamed onto YouTube) and at 6:30pm in the evening. Bunyan Baptist Church Annual Report 2025 There are occasional services at other times which are advertised in the Church Notices and the website at www.bunyan.org.uk. There is a full children’s and young people’s programme during the morning services. The church seeks to be a friendly and welcoming community and anybody is free to attend any of these services. The Church runs a series of house groups for the growth of faith and discipleship in the homes of some members, and further details of these can be obtained from the Charity Trustees on request, or at the Sunday services of worship. The Church is responsible for a Toddler Group (Twinklers), which meets in the Church premises on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings during term time, with the purpose of assisting the community, supporting parents and families and demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ. It also runs a group called Tiny Twinklers for parents/carers with new-born babies until 12 months, which meets later on a Tuesday morning during term time. Weekday Welcome meets on Wednesday afternoons from 3.15 pm to 4.15 pm, which provides an after-school meeting place for families, and will offer a space to sit, chat and play, over a cuppa and some cake! The Church runs a Monday Youth Club for young people aged 11 to 18 during term time. They regularly enjoy the comfort of the Lounge in our refurbished premises, as well as enjoying a programme of outdoor activities, outings and relevant, relatable Bible teaching. These are all properly supervised by a trained team of youth workers. The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately vetted regarding the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Church runs a daytime group (Time Out) for adults of all ages which meets twice per month, and a monthly group on a Tuesday (Knit, Stitch and Natter). These are both social groups open to the church family and wider community. In the past year, a new group for men has also started up meeting monthly on a Saturday morning, providing breakfast and a safe place to share and support one another. In addition, and in keeping with our Christian faith and values we organize regular weekly times of prayer focusing on local, national and international issues. ## **Achievements and Performance** The Church does not measure the success of its programmes in numbers alone, including financial figures, but in less tangible, more qualitative ways such as fellowship, encouragement, involvement, commitment and faith. The Trustees continued to search for a new Lead Minister throughout 2024, but as the year drew to a close, a candidate wrote to us with an expression of interest that was to bear fruit in 2025. At a Church Meeting on Tuesday 15[th] April, the Church approved and affirmed the appointment of a new Lead Minister, Rev. Dave Hibbin, who joined us from Yeovil Baptist Church on 1[st] September 2025. We continue to celebrate baptisms, dedications, and weddings, and enjoy a full programme of events, both inside, and outside the church premises. Following a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, fourteen persons were received into church membership. At 31 December 2025 the membership stood at 163, eleven more than a year earlier. We are also encouraged by the positive part the church plays in the life of the wider community of Stevenage, since in addition to our own church activities, members also Bunyan Baptist Church Annual Report 2025 serve as volunteers in other local charities and organisations. This includes work with a local homeless charity called The Haven and Cornerstone Youth Ministry, while others serve as volunteers in local schools, children’s and community charities, and the local foodbank. We also play an active role in Churches Together in Stevenage (CTiS) – the umbrella charity that brings together the work and mission of the wider Church in the town and regularly organises joint events at Christmas and Easter as well as providing a network of support for ministers and clergy. **Financial Review** The Church continues to raise the funds which it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation. No wider public appeal was made for funds during the year. The Church expressed its part in the life of the wider church by making grants to national and international Christian organisations and societies with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the church’s own charitable purpose. The Church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of the church’s activities, many of which run with little or no impact on the church’s expenditure, but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of the church’s objectives. The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted are set out in the accompanying financial statements. The Trustees have established a Reserves Policy, and are satisfied that they have sufficient reserves at the Balance Sheet date, together with ongoing income anticipated, to enable the church to function effectively in the coming year. The Trustees have assessed the major risks facing the church, and are satisfied that there are policies in place to minimise these risks. Bunyan Baptist Church Annual Report 2025 Buryan Baptht Chwth STATEIAENTOF NNANCL4L A¢Tf+lff*$ YEAR ENDED 310E¢EIIBER 2025 Unr••tr16tsd D•￿9n•t•d Total 2025 Tot•1 2024 InGomkng Mour¢ Donatkjns & Tax R&ftmds 153,705 163.049 162,877 Inv8sknonl Incem 3.308 Hlre of Churc* & Hall 3.140 3.140 Total Ineomhig rn8•Uf¢•S £160.153 £169,497 £168.815 Charitable 8yndibJrè Grants Pa￿1? 26.600 9.337 35.937 37.059 C¢st ofcharttabla 101,146 101.146 67.034 £f27.746 £9.337 £137 084 104.093 Tr¥nsfers beh¥een knds IDeslRestrl Transfors betr¥e8n ftmds IUnrestResll 28.001 -28.001 NètmovomBnt*n fund5 60,408 -27394 413 64.722 Totsi Funds brought l¢rwartl £1,608.95S £20,L £27,994 £1,e36,980 £1,592,228 Tots+ F￿d$ ¢qrried foThvwd £1,869.363 £20.OCrf) £0 £1,6tsJ83 £t.656,950 BunyaTh Bwstchureh BALWICE SHEET *S AT31 OECEMBER 2025 202$ TAngitrA9 F￿¢d a588ts 1.510,326 1.463,531 CurTerdA¥s8ts Dgbtors Bank & Ca8h 28,C62 27.433 166.584 !94,017 182,274 Current Lioblll¥os Crgdltors due 1 y￿r Long Tom cr￿itOrS 1237 597 10 3,237 £179,036 597 193.419 N&ta5s9ts £1 656,950 chwil2￿e Funds RBstrf(*ed Designated Unrestricted 27, 20.00) 1,808,955 12 20,000 1.669,363 £t.656.950 Thè notès on pag85 3to 6form an Intégral part ofth8se ac¢J)unts. Th888 accounts wyre approved byth6 TNst688 on 3rd Junt 2026 and sigr*d on their bthawby Rub8n Gom8z.SanL*oz Hon. TTeastrer Mlke Piic Pw2ot7 BBC 80FA Z026fin8 BUNYAN BAPTIST CHURCH NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 ACCOUNTING POLICIES The accounts have been prepared on a'reGeipts and payments" bass in accord wth S133 Charities Act 2011. Donati￿$ aTe actA)un*8d for gross when received. nv nt Income In¥e5trnenl inm 1$ irtluded in the a￿unts in Ihe yearwhen 1$ payable. ntsPa The Church makes qrants to other orqanisattc￿s whose charit8lAe objécts rx)mplemenl Its WOTk. Theyare ac(x)unted for in the year in which they are pay8lJg. e Fix Buildings.. The Chur¢h premi8È8 are included at their insurance valuation whlch was r@￿ewed in 2022 by the Baptist Insuranc& Company At 31 Decembar 2025 the buildings were Insu￿ ft)r £2.248ffl. No equipment is thary￿J on Land and Buildirys Furniture & Equi￿￿1.. Assets are shown at cosl less depreciab.on Pla￿ and Machinery.. Assfyts aiÈ shown al cnsl less depreciation Fumlluro & equipment- a55ets are written ott tsvtrr 3 ￿arS on a slraighl-line basis Plant & Machinery- assfrts are written off over 10 ytsars on a straight-lin& ba￿s. Paga3ot7 04104ttD26 18."29 86¢ SOFA 202Sffid Donatlons & Tax R&fvnds Unre8trfct8d Oeslgnthd R68trlctod Total 2025 Total 2024 Offerings Gift Aid refund Othar Income Twinkler5 In¢ome 115.765 23.285 3,373 11,282 7.921 1.423 123,686 24.708 3,373 11,262 124,f85 24.158 3,155 10,878 153.705 £163 049 £162.877 )th&rlncOffte"inck￿tsS CTIS admin c￿trIbUtion, E8syFundraising in¢om8 èndp8ym￿tS r8ceivedifj enor bvhich were subsgquenllyr&tum8d. R8sinct8d Off6rirw5 iTrcludgs Jamai¢a App881£1,177, Foo(tsh8dlBroaclwatgr F8Ar T￿￿@ £2,939 end Familia Altria El.480, before GfftAid. Payrnents affj shown under Grnnls Pey&ile. Investmerht Incom8 Bank etc Interest 3,308 3,308 3.394 3.394 Grants Payabl Baptist Missionary Sw8ty Horne Mission Fund Bridgebuilders Familia hAoja WEC- Smrths AIM- Pughs Broadwater FalrTrad8lFoodshed L&mmlngs Jamica Appeal OonatiOnS from funeral co118ctions Other 200 5,250 3,420 1.195 3.585 11,950 200 5.250 3,460 2.857 3.585 11.950 20(1 5,5(M) 3.30CI 9.403 3,665 11,7 40 1,662 3,524 3.524 1.000 1,421 2.230 460 3,042 1,000 1421 2230 460 21x1 £26,600 EO £9.337 £35,937 £37,059 Page4017 0410412026 18."Z9 BB¢SOFA242Sfina Uniestrfcted Deslgnatod RvJtrithd Total 2025 Total 2024 Cost of Activities Not88 Minisiry M1881on Premise5 Other expenditure 48,747 5.173 26.940 20,287 48,747 5.173 26,940 20,287 30,312 5,754 20,051 10,917 £101,146 £0 ED £101,146 £67,034 Unre5titctedp8ymertls toEeNlett £64.566 in 2024 ertd R8slrtt6dp8yments lotallgd£2,468 Costs of Mlnlstry Salaries Social Securty costs Ponsion tosts Oth8r costs 42.319 42,319 25,723 3.101 3,327 3.101 3,327 1,115 3,474 Total £48,747 £0 £0 £48,747 £30,312 Cwts Of Ml$$lgn EvarvJelism Childrens worf( Youth work Training Hardship Fun(5 Twnklers 641 562 791 10 1,087 2,081 729 791 783 12 1,000 2,439 562 791 10 1.087 2,081 £0 £0 £5.173 Costs of Pr8ml¥o8 Eleclrioly. Ga5 & Water Insurance Cle8ning Upkeep of GhurGh premise$ New bulldl8Xtension costs 6,540 3.230 7,757 3.157 46 3,230 12.108 5.050 12,1D8 5,050 £0 £D Ot￿r Costs Tr8v81 OftIc8 Costs Telephon9 & Intom81 PA & WN8fMp materi818 Affiliation fees Refr¢shments Sundrie5 Gifts ErrorCorr8rtens Bank Charyes BU Loan Interest Charges D8preGation 276 4,029 430 3.278 1,456 967 403 2.700 1.560 1,009 276 4,029 430 3,278 1.456 987 403 2,700 1,$60 2,B99 412 2,fj01 1.217 870 256 892 474 1,497 4,179 4,179 £20.287 £0 £0 £20.287 E10.917 Pg99$017 0410412026 18. BBC SOFA Z025fflna D¥rgciatioft ¢o$ts M8d8 up OfdePre￿atItsn of H••ting $ystsm £1,699, PA d95k £1.965aN>dLouftge pmleclor£514 Flxed a559ts Pr•mlBOS Furnlturg Computers & Equlpmen¢ & Equpt. Total 2025 Tot812024 01-JaI￿25 1.457,592 50.975 5,939 1,463,530 1,458,575 6.453 Additions 50.975 Diswsals Depreaalion 31-DeG-25 1.699 1506867 £ 2.479 4,179 3459 £ 1 $10326 £ 1.497 1463 530.71 4oney spentduriNw 2025 on Ihe heelingsystem bp8n c8pi181is&d to r8ftect the inGrg8sed v8lu& ofih6 Iiroperty. Dobtors Prepaymenl￿Funt￿$ advanced Gbft AKJ lo daim 3,327 24,735 £28 062 3,230 24,20) £27,433 Prepayrnenls TrpTrsents 2026 instsrence Bank & Cash BU Dep0511 mc17.day nolic?) BLJ Dèposit Wc13-monlh notice) Natwesl CurTent Ajt Nalwesi Sawng8 Mc Equ81s Money prepaid ¢ard Twinklers CuTrenl ￿c 25.786 99.874 11,701 5.244 715 10,892 25,524 96,912 27.357 5,186 136 11,468 £154 212 £166,584 Cr8dltors Sundry Cr8dilors 3.237 £3,237 597 £597 Sundry Cre¢kn In¢lud&$£l,312 F8mlli& Chlistmas appealarKI £1.421 Jafft&Gè &pptr81, rom￿rQ(6d to recipients in 2026 10 Long Term Credltors Baptisl Unian Loan £0 11 A￿trIcted Fund This répr8sents money alven for particular purposes, not yet exppThled." New 8uilLling Proj 27,994 £0 £27 994 12 Deslgnat*d Fund Lon9 T8mi MaiDten8n¢& 20,LK)O £20.000 20.000 £20.000 Page6of7 0410412D25 1J.29 8è¢ SOFA2025fv 13 Pgnslons The Church is a parbcipaiing employerthg Baptist Pfynslon Scheme IYh8 Sch8me'l, which is 8 separate legal Èntity administèred by th& Pen810n Trustee 18aplisl Pension Trust Limited). The Scheme. previously known as Ihe Bapt181 Ministors Pension Fund. S￿rted in 1925. Al the beginning ofthe financial year, the scheme comprised ofa defined b8néfits scheme which was dosed lo future accwal on 31 De￿rnber 2011 and t defined conlnbution plan which wa5 opened in January2012.The assets of the Scheme are held separatetyfrom Iho$è of the Employerand the other pgrb¢ipabffj &mploy8rs. For current financial year. the p0nsK)n provision for members of the Scheme is being made through the Defined Conlribuli (DCI Plan. In general. rnernbers pay 8¥0 of Iheir Pen&an8￿e Incorne and employer5 pay 6% of m8mber8' P8nsionable Incom Into indlvidual t￿nSIOn accounts, whith are operated and managed on behalf of the Pension Trustee by Broadstore Corporate Benefits Ltd In addition. the employ8r pays a furth8r4% of Pons￿nable to cov8r D88th In Serwice Benefits. adminislratiQll CDsts, and an assocvaled insuranGe polw Y4hich providès incomfr proteCt￿n for SGherne metnbors if thèy ar8 unable to work dile to Iong-torm inc4p8cIty. Thrs in¢omts prtst8cUon wllw has baen Insured by the Baptist Union of Gwai Britain th A￿va Limited. Furthermore. mernbers of the 88si¢ Se¢tion pay reduced conlrfbuts.ons of 5% of Pensionablo Incoma, and Ihè amployers 81so pay a total of 5%. In Octobtr 2024, the insurance companyJusl Group wmpleted a buy out ofthe liabilit￿S of the dosed defined benefit $¢hetne. From that dale any remaining liabilityof the participating schemt m&mb8ts to dafN)ed benefit scheme ceased and the £1 per month deficit contributions payable by the partiripating employers wérè agreed in the recovery pl8n approved in August 2022 also ceased from that dale. AdministratioTr ofthe d05ert defined benefit 3cheme transfetred from the penscn trustees lo Just Group fram that date. Page 7 of7 04104r2028 18'.29 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to thé trusteesl members of Bunyan Baptist Church, Stevenage On accounts for the year and8d 31 December 2025 Charlty no (if any) 1128843 Set out on pagè8 1and2 Irem9mber lo inGliJdE ihe p8ge niimbors of addilig1i¢il sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trust") for the year ended 3111212025. R08pon8ibilille8 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 report in respect of my examination of the Trust's a¢counts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicab18 Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)Ibl of the Act. I have completed my examination. l Confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in ¢onn8ction with the examination which gives me cause lo believe that in, any material resp8Ct'. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of th8 Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Indapendent examlner's statement I have no conc6rns and have come across no other matters in ¢onne¢tion with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please deletè the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Datg: 311312026 Name: BRIAN KELLY Relevant profassional quallfication(sl or body (if any): B.A. PGCE (Retired FCCA} Address: 346 Grace Way Stevenage SG15AP IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examinatton of charity acwunts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018