**Olton Baptist Church Trustees Report and Accounts 31 March 2025 Charity number 1130659** ## **INDEX** ||page| |---|---| |Section A Reference and Administration details|
3| |Section B Trustees Report
|4| |Section E Financial Review Independent Examiner’s Report|7| |Section G Declaration of Trustees|9| |Declaration of Independent Examiner’s|10| |Statement of Financial Activities|11| |Balance Sheet
|12| |Note to Accounts
|13| Page **2** of **16** ## **Section A Reference and administration details** **Charity Name: Olton Baptist Church** **Charity Number: 1130659** ## **Registered Address:** The Branch, 85 Warwick Road, Olton, Solihull, West Midlands B92 7HP ## **Principal Place of Worship:** Langley School, Kineton Green Road, Olton, Solihull, West Midlands B92 7ER ## **Trustees:** **Name Term of Office** Ogemdi Ndudi Ekwegh 09/09/2023 – current Martin John McClelland – Church Secretary 29/01/2023 – current Jim Hopton – Chair of trustees & Treasurer 18/06/2019 – 29/06/2025 Dawn Nicholls – Chair of Trustees & Treasurer 29/06/2025 - current Nina Susan Clark 23/03/2025 – current Katharine Nancy Johnston 13/07/2022 – current Joseph David Belcher 02/07/2024 – current Rebecca Diane Ford 17/10/2020 – current ## **Property Trustees:** The Heart of England Baptist Association BMS International Mission Centre Selly Oak Birmingham B29 6QX ## **Bankers:** HSBC Bank Plc 34 Poplar Road Solihull West Midlands B91 3AF Page **3** of **16** ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** Olton Baptist Church (‘OBC' or the 'Church') is governed and guided by the Trustees, which consists of a Minister, the Vision and Leadership Team (‘VLT’) the Secretary and the Treasurer. The VLT is led by a Minister and consists of up to 6 Members in addition to any Ministerial staff. The Trustees each have delegated responsibility for overseeing particular areas of OBC life, in which they are ably supported by other members of the Church. OBC still continues to employ a part-time Children’s Ministry Co-ordinator (18 hours). Children’s ministry constitutes a major part of our church make-up. In addition, we employ a part-time (12 hours) Church Administrator, the role of which facilitates and guides the back-office function of the Church. The Trustees are elected by a vote by the members of OBC. The Trustees meet at least 4 times each year, and the VLT meet up to approximately 20 times per year. Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the Constitution, where they are encouraged to have been publicly baptised on the profession of faith in Jesus Christ or following other modes of baptism to renew their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The Church meets in a Members’ Meeting approximately 5 times per year and holds a pivotal role in shaping and agreeing the direction of the Church, as outlined in the Constitution. Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church Meeting by the Trustees for guidance or may be raised by Members in Church Meetings for further consideration by the Trustees. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church Meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible. The Trustees maintain a strong suite of policies which are aimed at safeguarding all those with whom OBC has contact as well as our obligations, legal and otherwise, as an Employer and as a Charity. ## **Section C Objectives and Activities** ## **Charitable Objective** OBC is a charity by virtue of its Approved Governing Document (Constitution) which states that the principal purpose of the Charity is _‘The advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and/or other parts of the World._ ’ OBC owns and occupies premises in Olton, the title documents of which are held on trust by the Heart of England Baptist Association (HEBA). This is entirely compatible with OBC’s objectives. ## **Objectives and Activities** OBC’s vision remains sharply focussed on engaging in the communities of which it is a part to share the love of Jesus `Christ and encourage individuals and communities to trust Him as Lord. To that end, when meeting together as the Church we use ‘Come and See’ as our motif in which the activities that promote fellowship, pastoral care, learning and worship provide an environment from which members are equipped to ‘explore’ the advancement of Christian faith wherever they may find themselves in daily life. In all of the Church’s activities, we aim to show the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed. Page **4** of **16** Our Sunday service remains pivotal to our ‘Come and See’ Message and takes place at 10.30am usually at Langley Secondary School on a Sunday. During this service, there is a full programme of children’s activities that are for all children from toddlers to secondary school age. OBC also runs a series of small groups which enable regular attendees of the Church to meet and pray together, share fellowship, grow in faith, and disciple each other pastorally for the ‘explorer life’ and pray together regarding all issues affecting us individually and those affecting the wider world. There are two additional groups for teenagers, one that runs weekly and one fortnightly in school term-times. The Church also runs a toddler’s group which meets at St Margaret’s Church on Kineton Green Road, every Monday morning during school term-times. This popular ‘explorer’ group offers an important community service and visibly demonstrates the love of Jesus Christ. From time to time, as required, the Church also runs Membership and Baptismal courses for those interested in developing their faith and/or becoming more formally committed to OBC. OBC operates systems to ensure that all people working with children are appropriately vetted with regard to the Disclosure and Barring Service and in accordance with our safeguarding policy. The Trustees have read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and are satisfied that the activities outlined above demonstrate that OBC is involved in charitable and public benefit activities. ## **Section D Achievements and Performance** ## **Advancement** OBC does not measure the success of its programmes only in numbers, that is membership and finance, but also in less tangible areas like acts of fellowship and encouragement. In the last year OBC has been building on its vision around the ‘Come and See’ motif in the Gospel of John. We have broken down our values as being a people who empower others to: - Know Jesus - Speak Jesus - Reveal Jesus And this aligns with the three words that describe a disciple in the Gospels: Mimic, Student and Apprentice.In having this structure to understand who we are called to be as a community it has enabled us to better understand the journey we are on and how we move forward in it. ## **Know Jesus** We continue to ensure that OBC is a safe space where people grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Jesus at the centre remains our priority as a community. To this end we continue to invest in spaces that help fulfil this objective. This includes: our Worship space on a Sunday, Fellowship spaces in meals and relaxed times together, Small Groups, Prayer Spaces and Online Spaces. Page **5** of **16** ## **Speak Jesus** It is also important to us to invite others into relationship with Jesus and so we also invest in making this a reality. This includes the continued employment a part time Children’s and family Ministry Coordinator to help our children know the love of Jesus. The last year has also seen our YOBs ministry (secondary school aged young people and above) grow tremendously. We have been delighted to see so many of our young people invested in Jesus and inviting others to be part of the journey. As part of our commitment to speaking Jesus, we invested in taking them to the Satellite Youth Camp for the second year in a row, taking a total of 19 young people. It was a tremendous time that was greatly enjoyed. We also began a 321-course aimed towards providing a safe place for those with questions about faith to share thoughts and ask more about a life with Jesus. ## **Reveal Jesus** Also of great importance is our desire to bring the light of Jesus into our world by intentionally investing in our community. We continue to run our Toddler and Tea4U groups to support those at both ends of the age group in our local community. OBC also continue to have a good number of volunteers involved in the Crossroads Homeless Support group. In addition to this, the OBC HUB, which is an inter-generational space that provides activity, friendship and hospitality for those in the Olton area, continues to go from strength to strength. OBC have also partnered with Langley Secondary School to support local families in need in these times of economic hardship for a number of people across the UK. And we continue to explore more ways we can work with the school to bless our community. Our Carol and Easter services have also been a highlight of the last 12 months, as the OBC musicians draw our community into seasons of joy and reflection. The employment of a full-time minister and part time staff (an administrator and children’s worker) helps facilitate our work in sharing the love of Jesus with each other and with our community. ## **Plans for the Future** We seek to build on our Come and See Vision by following God’s leading in understanding how we can build on the things we are already doing and understand what new areas exist to create come and see spaces in our community that are safe and lead people towards a fulfilling life in the love of Jesus. We will also be exploring how we become more of a presence in the Olton area and how our physical spaces can better serve these come and see spaces that we are looking to develop. Page **6** of **16** ## **Section E Financial review** OBC continues to raise the funds it requires to continue its activities from within its own membership and congregation. No wider public appeal was made, or required, for funds during the year. The most significant expenses relate to staff costs, hire of rooms and giving to charities closely associated with OBC (this is outlined in the Financial Activities and Notes to Accounts report, on pages 10-15). The Church actively responded to its principal purpose (as outlined earlier in the ‘Charitable Object’ section of this report) and its moral duty as a Church to tithe a minimum of 10% of its income by making gifts to organisations and missionaries with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the church’s own charitable purpose. OBC 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 Church’s objectives and achievements as outlined earlier in this report. The financial results for the year are set out on pages 12 to 17. Our finances have remained balanced through the year; and as indicated last year this now gives us the confidence to seek further ways of reinforcing our community approach to church life. The Trustees have made an assessment of the major risks facing the Church and are satisfied that there are policies in place to minimise these risks. ## **Reserves** The Trustees still adopt the policy of maintaining a balance in its General Funds to approximately six months’ unrestricted fund expenditure at all times. Whilst this is a variable figure it is currently equivalent to circa £60,000 and is in place to ensure that OBC can continue to function effectively in the coming financial year. For 2024/25, the Church has been able to match this target. ## **Statement of Trustees Responsibilities** The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to: - Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP; - make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. Page **7** of **16** The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. **Section F Other optional information** Page **8** of **16** ## **Section G Declaration** ~~ee~~ ## **Approved by the board of Trustees on** **and signed on their behalf by:** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Signature(s)
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Full name(s) Jim Hopton Martin McClelland
Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) ee Chair of Trustees Church Secretary
Date
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Page **9** of **16** ## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner** The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is our responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have Page **10** of **16** OLTON BAPTIST CHURCH STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 lslARCH 2025 to Year to 31 M•rch 2024 Genef•l . Unrnstrkl•d ItrICOIIJE RESOURCES Fun41• Fund• Fund• ch1￿5 and glfts In¢ryn• tsx gft •J 107.676 24,042 1,734 479 133,830 107.676 24.042 1.734 479 133.830 113,621 767 Totsi 137.261 7.764 B(*kJir Fdlmhip 41.247 41.247 291 19,495 19.704 962 19,704 Le&le￿￿1p H679 49,371 on 10 11 12 13 970 970 1.856 1931 524 Wtyslip Yfxth 2.931 T(tsl 140.844 140.844 120.672 Y••r to 31 IA•vch 2025 Yearto 31 M•rch 2024 G•n•rnl . T*)tsl Fund¥ Fund Fvnd¥ Funds GENERAL FUNO . lusl I￿01) for > 17.014 1x799 16,689 117.110 131799 126.n5 133.799 DESIGNATEO FUNDS R•lvg•• Support Fw Bulldlw Fund . Brought For•Avd Tc**l Funds 106.300 311085 1W300 311085 1￿.300 319.118 Page 11 of 16 OLTON BAPTIST CHURCH ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 BALANCE SHEET 2025 2024 ASSETS Tangibh Fixed A88ets Fr••hold Prowty Flxturns & Fllllngs Total Fix•d As8•ts 1&2 185,300 185.300 185.300 186.300 Currnnt AM•ts Bank Accounts Cash Float Tot•1 Curr•nt A*￿ts 126.786 133,802 16 133.818 312.085 Uabllftlm . amounts du• In on• y••r NET CURRENT ASSErs NET ASSETS 312.085 312.085 133.818 319.118 FUNDS Gen•rnl Fund 126.786 133.818 Bulkllng Fund TOTAL FUNDS 18S.300 312,085 185,31)0 319,118 Approved by the board of tr￿t￿8 on 8 5yt loo and •d on Its b•h•ll by: JIM Hopton (Chalr ol TnMtM•l Th• not•• on th• followlng p•g•• forni p•rt of th••• Account• Page 12 of 16 OLTON BAPTIST CHURCH NOTES TO ACCOUNTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AqARCH 2025 1 A¢counllng polkl•s Page 13 of 16 OLTON BAPTIST CHURCH NOTES TO ACCOUNTS ACCOUNTS FOR TrIE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 2 T*n9lbl• fa•d ••••i• Totsl 1 A￿fj1 2(124 14&300 At 31 IA•rch 20X 1M.300 105.)00 411 Aonl 2024 CMr90 lu th• > A¢ 31 Il•r¢h 2025 At 31 M•r¢h 202S At 31 M•rch 202S 185.X¢J 18S.300 188.>)O 185.3(Y) 2026 2024 541 64.$79 49,371 Page 14 of 16 OLTON BAPTIST CHURCH NOTES TO ACCOUNTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Y•w*) Ywr 4 OFFERINGS 13TJOI 6 ADPJINISTRATION 131 3,214 1.OXI 742 ln 7.7 6 BUILDINGS 111SJ 17•7 4,1& 41J17 Jxx• 7 FELLOWSHIP 140 8 GIVING . Grnnts Payabl• 6,1•)2 19.701 • LEADERSHIP Colle* fees Traln Page 15 of 16 OLTON BAPTIST CHURCH NOTES TO ACCOUNTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Y••r to Y••rtr* 31 hl*r(th 2025 Jl Ilwch 1014 10 MISSION TthjdI￿ G(( -140 137 240 11 SUPPORT 7x1 12 WORSHIP 1.149 PA a 13 YOUTH 2J17 1•31 3.250 14 De81gnated Fund - Refuge• Support •1 1 2023 Page 16 of 16