## **West Malling Baptist Church** ## _**2023 Report for Charity Commission**_ Statutory Information ## **Registered Address** 61 Swan Street, West Malling, Kent, ME19 6LW Charity Registration Number 1130977 ## **Trustees** |**Name**|**Date appointed**| |---|---| |Rev D.Baxter (Minister)|January 2017| |Mr. C.Cornwall (Treasurer)|April 2019| |Miss J.Webb (Secretary)|March 2023| |Mr J Davis|September 2021| |Dr. Mathew Saddler|November 2023| ## **Property Trustees** The Baptist Union Corporation Limited Baptist House 129 Broadway Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 8RT ## **Bankers** National Westminster Bank Plc 718 London Road Larkfield Aylesford Kent ME20 6AN ## **Independent Examiner** Precision Accountancy LLP Suite 48/49 Bradbourne House New Road East Malling Kent ME19 6DZ 1 ## **Annual Report for 2023** The trustees present their Annual Report and financial statements for 2023. ## **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** Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the Constitution which requires them to be or to have been publicly baptized or by profession of faith in Jesus Christ, or following other modes of baptism to renew their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The members Meeting normally takes place six times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the church. In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint up to ten Trustees (including the Church Secretary and Treasurer) and collectively known as the Deacons, who together with the Minister (when in office), are responsible for the day to day running of the church's work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objective. Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church Meeting by the Trustees for guidance, or may be raised by members in Church Meeting 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. ## **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. Central to the work and witness of the Church is the provision of regular public services of Christian worship. These services take place each Sunday at both 10:45 a.m. There are also occasional services at other times which are advertised on the Church Notice Board and the website (www.wmbc.org.uk). There is a full children'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. 2 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 Trustees on request, or at the Sunday services of worship. The Church runs a number of groups that meet on the church premises. These include: - Monthly Messy Church for families - Monthly coffee morning (second & fourth Wednesday in the month) - CAP Money Course and CAP Life Course All of these have the purpose of assisting the community and demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ. From time to time the Church runs courses in parenting, marriage preparation, and courses for people interested in discovering more about Christianity. Some of these courses are run in partnership with other local churches. The church also provided a Warm Space as part of a national Scheme known as Popin through the winter to support those who might appreciate being in the warmth during the cost of living crisis. It extended this to continue to open weekly though the year as there was an awareness for a need to support a social gathering. The church worked in partnership with our two local churches. It has also continued to support the local community, for example: giving food to the local foodbank. We offered our premises to support the local Men’s Retirement group to enable them continue to meet every fortnight. The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and adults at risk are appropriately vetted with regard to the Disclosure and Barring Service. We have an appointed Safeguarding Trustee and policy. The Church Trustees has read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, and is satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrate that the Charity is providing a benefit to the public. ## **Achievements and Performance** The Church does not measure the success of its programs only in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas like fellowship and encouragement. The Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure, but believe that 2023 was a positive year in the life of the church, and that it is able to pursue its mission purposes in 2023 with confidence. ## **Trustees & Membership in 2023** There are appointed Trustees for Safeguarding and General Data Protection. The overall church membership total at 31st December 2023 was 72. 3 ## **Financial Review 2023** 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. Total income fell by £33,868 in 2023 mainly due to the closure of the Pre-School in July 2022 (£37,430 in 2022). Offerings increased by £5,249 (8.4%), but other income tax fell by £1,687 Total expenditure fell by £72,252 again mainly due to the closure of the Pre-School (£46,355 in 2022 plus redundancy payments of £23,131). Bank and Cash Balances increased by £11,770 during 2023 to a total of £53,035 at 31 December 2023 which is adequate to fully continue the work of the Church in 2024 and beyond. 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 Statement. The reserves policy of West Malling Baptist Church is to hold two months of all expenditure to allow the church to adapt to any changes in the income or expenditure of the church plus a further £10,000 to allow for emergency repairs to one or more of the three buildings it owns. The trustees currently believe this amount to be £23,325, compared to £53,035 in free cash reserves held on 31 December 2023. The Trustees recognise that this high level of cash reserves is necessary because of the significant expenditure on the buildings planned in 2024. 4 WEST MALLING BAPTIST CHURCH INCLUDING SWAN STREEf PRE4CHOOL CHARITY NUMBER 1130977 FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 WEST MALLING BAPTIST CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 GENERAL FUNDS RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT RKolpt8 2023 2022 Weekly offerings Donations Income tsx recovered on grfts Inveslm8nl income Rents ant1 conlribullons for use of premi8e8 Raised for other causes Reimbursement of Pr&&h￿l Support £67.582 £1.￿2 £16.768 £695 £780 £3.744 £0 £62.333 £4.712 £15,924 £276 £137 £4.857 £7,OT2 Total R £91.471 £95311 Paym•nts Mini5ty Mission Upkeep of premi888 Administration and othw costs £50.907 £16.168 £19.727 £6.399 £42,902 £27,016 £22,305 £T,512 £93,201 £99, 735 IDoficltySurplu• for th• year Balanc• brought ft>rward £{1.730) £21,417 £(4,424) £25,841 Balanc• carrlfjd forward ADDITIONAL MISSIONARY FUND RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS AccouKr Recelpts £2,080 Paymènts 8MS World Mis8ion - Link Mi¥sionaiie8 Mission with a VIsK)n (Kenya) The Family Trust {MaKl$lone) World Vi•ion Tearfund 81yth$wood Care Bamabus Aid South Eastem Baptist AssociatK)n- Home Mistsion Local Food Banks Ganeral Fund for"Known & Loverf, Total Pa m £0 £0 £0 £0 £240 £250 £230 £465 £450 £445 £2,080 £480 £355 £355 £240 £250 £0 £0 £0 £0 £2,160 Surplus forthe Balanc• brought foThva £0 £0 £0 £0 Balancè carrl•d forward Éo £0 SWAN STREET PRE4CHOOL RECEIPTS AND PAYMEvfs AccouKr During the 2022r23 academic year it beeame clear Ihat Swan Street Pre-schod wa5 no ksnger financialty viable and the d¥ision was tsken lo cb)se the the Pre-schcol al the end of the academic year on 20th July 2022. The Managers 8nd all remainin9 stsff were made ￿d￿ndant on that day, with all due re(lundancy payments being met from Church funds. 2023 2022 Recelpts Kent County Council funding Other fees Disposal of Equipment Other in¢offle £0 £0 £0 £0 £35,053 £1, 686 £650 £41 £0 £37,430 Payments Wages and training costs Pre-schools ColLgboralion Craft items Equipment Unifomis Refre8hmenls Administration Insurance Upkeep of premis•# Closure c081s Retund of financi￿ support to Churth fundl £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £32.014 £162 £82 £1.032 £125 £210 £384 £483 £790 £684 £7.OT2 £0 £42,438 Surplu81{Daflclt} for th• y•ar Balanco brought forw•rd £0 £0 £(5.008J £5,008 Balance Carr1￿ forward £0 8UILDINGS MAINTENANCE FUND Rè¢8lpts Tr8n8fer from G&ngral Furld £6.0￿) £2,500 Payments Transfer lo General Fund £0 $urplu• for th• year Balance brought fO￿ard £8,000 £9,848 £2,JQO £7,348 Balan¢& carried forward £9,848 MANSE DEVELOPMENT FUND 2023 2022 Recelpts Transfer from General Fund £6,500 £1,500 Payménts Pre-&hool Redundancy P8ym6nts £0 £1,500 SurplusllDeficit) for the year Balance brought fovward £6,500 £10,000 £0 £10,000 Balanco carrlod forward £16 500 £10,000 MINISTERIAL SUPPORT FUND R•c•lpts £0 £0 Payments Pra-SGhool Redundancy Payment¥ £0 £19,682 Surplu8lDollcltl for tho year Balanco brought forward £0 £(19,682) £19.682 Bala￿0 carrf•d I0￿1rd £0 £0 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIA81LITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 Not•• 2023 2022 ASSETS.. Bank and D•p¢¥ll Account Balance8 £53 035 £41265 REPRESENTING BALANCES ON THE FOLLOWING FUNDS General Funds lunreslricled fund) Buildings Maintenance Fund Ide8ignalad fund) Manse Development Fund Idesignatsd fund) Mini$l8rial Support Fund Idesignaled fund) Additional Missionary Fund Ireslricled fund) Swan Street Pre.Sch¢￿1 Ireslricted fund} Paslorol Fund £19,687 £15,848 £16.500 £0 £0 £0 £1,000 £53.035 £21,417 £9.848 £10,000 £0 £0 £0 £41,265 Aa•¢t• held for tht Church's own uae 10 £3 102,527 £2 937 477 CREDITORS.. Pension Scheme liabilty Totsl Llabllltles 11 £0 £0 £0 £0 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 1 Ba81¥ of accounts: These 8¢xounts have been prepaTed on 8're￿Ipts and payments. b8818 Ind accordance ￿th Section 133 Charities 2011. 2023 2022 2 Donatlons and other Income.. Donations Legacies Other incom8 Total Donatlon8 and Other Incom• £1,612 £0 £29) £1,902 £3.421 £i,ooo £291 £4,712 3 In¥￿tM•￿t Incomo: Bank interest Interest on deposit with the Baptist Union of Greg1 Brftaln Tot*1 Inve•th)•nt In¢om• £57 £638 £895 £10 £266 £276 4 Oth•r Cau#M: 2023 Ral••d Ghn 2022 R•l¥•d Glv•n Rostrlctod Fund• BMS Wortd Mission Tearfund World Vision Project Possible Iform8dy Rope Ch8rlt8blo Trust) Tools with a Mlsslon A8S18lan¢e to Church Famlly Churche8 Together In Malllng Barnabus Fund Oth8r it8ms £656 £1,183 £699 £698 £340 £100 £1,450 £20 £0 £760 £1,450 £1,163 £674 £76Q £340 £1LXJ £100 £t,s00 £487 £540 £4.857 £100 £1,500 £572 £540 £0 £115 £3.744 £0 £0 Unr••trlct•d Fund• BMS Worfd Mi8sion Home Mission Evangelical Alliancg £0 £3,940 £3,87S £200 £8.015 £0 £4.290 £3,600 £2L £0 £0 £0 £0 Total Oth•r C*u••• £11.889 £13 092 2023 2022 5 Mlnl8try'. Ministèl$ slip8nd Pension contribution National InBuranc8 less Employment Allowance MlnSst•rfs 8xpgn8e8 Pulpit suppliès Manse upke8P Transfer 1¢ Manse Dev&lopm8nt Funtj Othor mini$lry costs £26,707 £3,746 £0 £1,327 £1,195 £9,959 £8,500 £1,473 £50,907 £24,854 £5,548 £q53 £1,004 £640 £9,031 £1,500 £172 £42 902 The Minislw acts as one of th& Church'8 Iruslees and receives r8muner8licrf) other benefits in raspgct of his serwc&s as Minister. induding the proviS￿n of manse accomodation owned by the Church. 2023 2022 6 Mlssion: Given lo other ￿USeS (per note 4) LC￿al evangelism 8 scxial athon Transfer lo Pastoral Fund Pre-sdwl Support £11.669 £3.749 £750 £0 £16.168 £13,092 £2,935 £0 £10.989 £27.016 7 Upk•w of Church and Abw Vle* Houw pr•mlw•: £3,773 È1.845 £2.981 £1.188 £2.246 £6.Crt)O £3,343 £1.874 £2, 709 Cleaning In$urancgs Gardening Repairs and maintenar Translers to Buildings Maintenanc• Fund Purchase and ropk¢emenl of equiwn8nt Other items £10,741 £2,500 £551 £587 £22 305 £895 £19.727 8 Admlnlstratlon: Prints'ng and stationgry Telephone, broadband and postage Subs￿1p119nS Bank charg8S Tetevisitin and COPyTight licen Professional fet8 Olher items £1.781 £911 £492 £1.981 £995 £454 £396 £983 £288 £2,415 £7,512 £t.565 £6.399 9 Bank and d•po8lt b•l•nc•• Natlon81 We81min81èr Bank amints Baptsst Union c￿latIOn deposit acc*unt £25,744 £27.291 £53.035 £29,672 £11,653 £41265 10 Ao¥•t• held for th• Chur¢h'• rn u•• The Church is the benefiual ¢Mer Isubject to the rglovant trusts) ofthe fdlrythng a88ets, tr￿leY81 Illle lo which is held by the Church's ¢JAtothan In￿te8. th8 Bapt￿1 Union CorForakn Ltd.. They a￿ shown at insured valu8. Church premises, 63 Swan Street. West MalliThJ Abbey Wiew H¢Juse, 61 Swan StrgeL Wesl The Manse, 86 Olfh8m Road. West Malling £1,284,710 £1.264,710 £469.442 £2.938.882 £1.206. 788 £1.206.786 £424,988 £2,838,560 The Churth 8180 owns fixtm.fiNnilurn and ewipm8nl with an in8ured value of.. £103.e65 £3.102,527 £98917 £2 937477 11 Ponsion Schemg Llabllltles The Church is a participating employer in the Baptist Pension Scheme {"Ihe Scheme"), which is a separate legal entity which is administered by the Pension Trustee (Baptist Pension Trust Limited). The assets of the Scheme are held separately from those of the Employer and other participating employers. The Scheme, Previousty known as the B8Ptis* Ministers, Pension Fund, started in 1925, bul was closed to future accrual of defined benefits on 31 De￿rnber 2011. Prior to this dale the main benèfit provided through the Defined Benefit IDB} Plan was a pension of one eightieth of final minimum pensionable income for each year of pensionable servlce together with additlonal pension In respect of premiums paid on Pensionable Income in excess of Minimum Pensionable Income. Since 1 January 2012, ben&fits have been provided through a Defi'ned Contribution IDCI Plan. A fomi31 valuatlon of the DB Plan as at 31 Deeember 2019 was made by a professionally quallfied Actuary uslng the Projected Unil Method. At the valuab'on date the market value of the DB P18n assets was £298 million, whilst the level of assets needed to pay benefits was £316 million, giving a deficit of £18 million {equiva18nl to a past service funding18vel of 94%). The Church and other participating employers in the DB Plan are collectlvely ￿sponSible for fundlng thls doflcit, The next actuar4al valuation of the DB Plan within the Scheme is due to take place not later than as at 31 December 2022. On 30th Jun8 2022 thè Bapllst P8n81on Scheme slgned an agreement wllh the Insurance comp8ny Just Group I"Jusl I lo $e¢ure DB Plan members, pension b6n8fit5. Just are now providing financial backing for all p8nsions provided through th8 Schem8'5 DB Plan and following this transaction, the Scham8 no longèr has a shortfall, An updated Recovery Plan was then signed in August 2022 under which ￿0Very contributions from each participating employer in the DB Plan reduced to £1 per month from August 2022. Th• accounts and statsmenl of •8oets •nd Ilabllltlo8 8•t out on pagos 1 to e rnlatlng to tho yoar •ndlng 31 Doegmbèr 2023 arg a• approved by the Truste￿ on 9th May 2024, ond are 01gn•d on thelr behalf by: Tr•a•urnr: INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT Rewt to the Tm8tee81member8 of WEST MALLING 8ApnsT CHURCH On accounts forthe year ended 31 December 2023 Charity number 1130977 Sel out ¢)n pages 1to6 Respective responsibl1￿.8$ of Iru8lees •nd examiner The charit1¥ trustees are responsible for the prepar8ts.on of the 8¢¢ounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 AGI) and th81 an independent examinatSon Is needod. It18 my repon8lbS1ty to.. exgmine the account8 under 8ectton 145 of the Act., to follow the procedures laid down in the General Dlrections glven by the Charity Commissioners lundor section 1451511bl of the 2011 Artl., and to state whether p8rtlcular mattern have come to my attentlon. 88s18 of Independont 8xamineT'8 Statement My examlnallon waB Carried out in accordanoe with General DlreGllon8 glven by the Charlty Comm1881on. An exaMln8tlon Snclude8 a revlew of the aCcoun￿ng records kept by the charty and a oomparf8on of the accounts presented wRh Ih08e record8.11 a180 Include8 conslderatlon of any unusual Stem8 or dl8clo8ur98 in the accounts, and $eeklng explan8llon8 from thé Iruslèès concorning any Suth mattor8. The ￿￿¢&dur&s undgrtakgn do not providè all tho èvldoncè that would bè wuiréd in sn audit, and con80qu6nlly no opinlon Is given as lo wheth•r th6 accounts presant a ,￿u8 and faSrf' vlew and tha report 18 limitèd lo tho88 m8lt8r$ $81 out In the 8t4lem•nt below. Indèptsnd•nl •xamin•ff i 8tsl•m•nl In conn•otlon wSlh my examlnaUon no mall•r hai Come lo my attentlon 111 lthlch givej me reasonable cau88 lo bellov& that In any matsdal respect the requirements.. lal lo k••p accounting record8 In accordance ￿th 8ectlon 130 of th• 2011 Act., and {bl lo prepare 8¢Gounts which accord wlh the accounting records and lo comply wlh thg accounting r•quir•ments of thg 2011 Act have not been met,. or 121 tc which, In my opbnlon, attenlbon 8hould be drawn In order to en&￿e propar und8T8tandlng of the o¢counto to b8 reached Slgned Name P CLLCI p¥Cc¢>ai￿rfv￿ CX Addm$$ SUITE 48149 8RADBOURNE HOUSE NEW ROAD EAST MALLING KENT ME19 6DZ