The Parish of Friern Barnet (St John and St James)
Annual Report and Financial Statements
of the Parochial Church Council
for the year ended 31 December 2020
Parish Office:
St John’s Parish Centre Friern Barnet Road London N11 3BS
Incumbent:
Fr Paul Walmsley-McLeod (until March 2020) The Rectory 147 Friern Barnet Lane London N20 0NP
Bankers:
CAF Bank Ltd. 25 Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ
Independent Examiner: Roger Seaton
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CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administrative Information | 3 |
| Objectives and Activities | 4 |
| Ministry and Worship |
4 |
| Achievements and Performance | 4 |
| Financial Review | 8 |
| Reserves Policy | 8 |
| Structure, governance and management | 8 |
| Vacancy Process in 2020 | 10 |
| Independent Examiners Report | 11 |
| Receipts and Payments Accounts | |
| for the Year ended 31 December 2020 | 12 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 13 |
| Movements in Designated and Restricted Funds | 14 |
| Further Analysis of Receipts & Payments | 15 |
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The Parish of Friern Barnet (St John and St James) Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council For the year ended 31 December 2020
Reference and Administrative information
St John the Evangelist Church is situated on Friern Barnet Road and St James’ Church is situated on Friern Barnet Lane. The Parish is part of the Diocese of London within the Church of England. The correspondence address for both churches is St John’s Parish Centre, Friern Barnet Road, London, N11 3 BS.
The Parochial Church Council (“the PCC”) is a charity registered with the Charity Commission under the registration number 1133984.
The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the policies set out in Note 1.
PCC members who have served from 1 January 2020 until the date this report was approved are:
Incumbent & Chairman of the PCC: Fr Paul Walmsley-McLeod (retired on 1[st] March 2020) Wardens: Helen Edwards (until APCM 2020) Elvin Formosa (until APCM 2020) Ed Newman (from APCM 2020) John Kuti (from APCM 2020) Deputy Wardens: Catherine Mitri (until APCM 2020) Fiona Cochrane (from APCM 2020) Representatives on the Anthony Kuti Deanery Synod: Joyce Brand Elected members: Tayo Adekeye Mark Bird Joyce Brand Susie Hickman Margot Huish John Kuti (until APCM 2020) Catherine Mitri Ed Newman (until APCM 2020) Alison O’Hare Christian Pinnigar Alex Fuller Fiona Cochrane (from APCM 2020) Ex-officio members: Andrew Beal Treasurer (until APCM 2020) Jonathan James Treasurer (from APCM 2020) Carol Levy Secretary Janet Beal (until APCM 2020)
The 2020 Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) was held on 11[th] October 2020.
The Parish website can be found at https://stjohnschurchfriernbarnet.org
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The Parish of Friern Barnet (St John and St James) Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council For the year ended 31 December 2020 (continued)
1. Objectives and activities
The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, any assistant clergy and the Churchwardens, in promoting the Church of England in the Parish of Friern Barnet and in a wider field the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelic, social and ecumenical. It also has the responsibility for overseeing the maintenance of the Church buildings of St James in Friern Barnet Lane (including the Jubilee Room) - which is now leased by the Greek Orthodox Community of St Katherine, Barnet under a twenty-year license - and for carrying out maintenance at St John the Evangelist in Friern Barnet Road (including the Parish Centre) and for the proper stewardship of the financial and other resources of the Church.
2. Ministry and worship
Ministry and worship in its traditional form at St John the Evangelist was significantly impacted by the following events during the year 2020.
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The early retirement of Fr Paul on 1[st] March 2020, following 17 years of wonderful service to the parish, which was greatly appreciated by the church, the school and the wider community.
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The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the parish respond to a series of lockdown initiatives.
Worship took the form of a single online Sunday service via Zoom, while a focused ministry of care and support was delivered through WhatsApp groups, phone calls and socially distanced visits when the rules allowed for it.
We have been extremely fortunate to have two retired clergy, in the form of Father Benjamin RuttField and Father Guy Pope , who offered a huge support through celebration of a weekly Eucharist service.
Father Ben also offered daily prayers and reflections through the parish WhatsApp group.
While hugely different from what we normally did, the events of 2020 enabled us to find new ways of worshiping together and supporting one another through technology and online collaboration.
3. Achievements and performance
Church Attendance
The parish electoral roll was presented with a total of 167 parishioners during the delayed APCM in October of 2020. This was slightly down from 171 the previous year.
Church attendance in 2020 was impacted by the loss of some very dear parishioners, some who passed away, and others who didn’t engage because of the change from an in-church form of worship to an online style of worship.
From April 2020, our Eucharist celebration was held online at 10am each Sunday. Additional services were introduced during the Advent and Christmas period. A family eucharist was held each month involving families and children in the readings and prayers, with occasional input from the school.
The range of device connections on zoom each week varied between 60 and 70. Some of the single device connections included a whole family.
Junior church attendance ranged between 5 and 10 children, down from the 20 plus children during inchurch services. This wasn’t much of a surprise considering the amount of home schooling done online, and the experience of zoom fatigue from time to time.
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Some of the efforts to engage with children included sharing PowerPoint resources and activities each week and scheduling regular separate zoom sessions for junior church after the main Sunday service. Children were also encouraged to participate in the recording of music for the All-Age services.
Review of the year
The events of 2020 were radically different to any previously experienced at St John the Evangelist as the parish responded to the unique needs raised by the pandemic whilst simultaneously coping with a vacancy process,
The standing committee, made up of outgoing and incoming wardens, as well as key members of the leadership team, met on a weekly basis for the first half of the year, to work on strategy for online services and care for the community. The PCC was kept informed of decision making and progress.
Online services started as somewhat informal pre-recorded videos uploaded to YouTube. They soon became live Said Eucharist services by Zoom, with the introduction of pre-recorded hymns once the music director and choir established a rhythm of recording and merging tracks.
When allowed, the church was opened for private prayer each Saturday, while technical solutions were explored to enable broadcasting of live services from the church. From October 2020, services were broadcast live from the church without a congregation present.
Interviews for a new parish rector took place in November 2020. The interviews were conducted online using zoom due to the Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time. No one was appointed following the interviews in November. It was decided that the post would be advertised again early 2021.
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting in October 2020 brought about a change to the standing committee and leadership team. The parish also prepared for the loss of some key members of the congregation who were scheduled to move out of the parish by the end of the year.
A single funeral service was held at St John the Evangelist for Lidia Hall in March 2020. This was also the last service with a congregation in church for the year of 2020. An online requiem was held for Kath Mortimore and two interments, including that of Hazel Amor, took place at St James. There were no marriages at St John’s Church during the year of 2020.
i. Music & Choir
Music continued to play a key role in our online worship during the year of 2020. Our Director of Music, Dr Kelvin Thomson, worked with the choir to have individual tracks recorded for anthems and hymns. These were merged to produce audio files used during the online Sunday Eucharist services.
The choir added to a growing list of pre-recorded hymns each week. Multiple recordings were provided for special services during Advent and Christmas of 2020. The efforts of the choir were both encouraging and inspiring during the months of lockdown. The choir added great value to the Sunday Eucharist services.
There will be a need to look at re-building of the choir in 2021 following the exit of some key members at the end of 2020.
ii. Community support & Services
Various parish activities such as the Lunch Club, St John’s Toddler Group and Holiday at Home all had to be suspended during 2020 due to lockdown restrictions in place. Face to face interactions were minimal for safety reasons and online interactions were explored as alternatives.
Virtual coffee mornings became standard, normally held after the online Sunday Eucharist service.
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Support was prioritised for our elderly and most vulnerable during the lockdown periods. Activities included weekly shopping, phone calls and getting as many of the congregation as possible online to participate in the weekly service and WhatsApp discussions.
Plans were discussed to restart the lunch club but as a weekly virtual activity in 2021.
An online quiz was organised to raise money for Christian Aid and Homeless Action Barnet. Discussions were in progress for another online quiz early 2021 to generate funds for the church.
iii. Outreach
In 2020, the parish continued to support Food Bank collections for Muswell Hill, with online donations replacing physical drop offs when restrictions made it a challenge to do so.
In the lead up to Christmas, a huge effort was initiated by Joyce Brand and Carol Levy in support of Operation Christmas Child. Members of the congregation made up shoeboxes filled with presents for less fortunate children and families that year.
Messages of encouragement and financial support continued to be shared with our link parish church St George’s Beira, Mozambique, as they continued to battle with natural disaster and internal conflict.
Restrictions in place over the pandemic limited support for Homeless Action Barnet. However, some funds were raised through an online quiz in the latter part of the year.
iv. St John’s School
The early retirement of Fr Paul in the first quarter of 2020 left the school without pastoral care. Efforts were made to keep the church and school connection active. Ed Newman served as a strong connection between the two, ensuring that the school participated in some of the online Sunday services.
The 2020 end of year service for the sixth form of St John’s School was celebrated by Zoom and led by the retired clergy supporting St John’s Church.
Graham Gunn, as headteacher for the school, supported the recruitment process for our new parish rector by preparing a PowerPoint slide deck which was shared with candidates. He also met with potential new incumbents during a visit to the school.
There is much work to be done in 2021 to re-build the connection between church and school. This was factored into the qualities of a new rector for Friern Barnet.
v. Deanery Synod
Deanery Synod meeting activity in 2020 appeared quite light compared to previous years. However, the PCC has continued to ensure through APCM elections, that there is parish representation on the Deanery Synod.
vi. Talks, Presentations & Publications
In 2020, efforts of the leadership team, with support from Father Ben and Father Guy, focused on responding to the emotional, mental and physical suffering brought about by the pandemic.
The parish WhatsApp group provided a platform for sharing and caring, with daily messages of inspiration from Father Ben. Individuals facing challenges were able to share them on the group, allowing others to support through prayers and encouraging messages.
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The weekly sermons by Father Ben and Father Guy were relevant to the challenges faced each week. Scripture and biblical reference were used to strengthen faith and lead the congregation back to God. The recordings of each service were made available for reference and for those unable to attend the services. CDs were prepared for offline members of the congregation where possible.
vii. Parish Life & Volunteers
There was a sense of spiritual and personal growth through the effort of working through a new way of life and worship due to the pandemic.
A good portion of the congregation were able to stay connected through the sharing of service sheets and CDs, phone calls, online services and weekly shopping. However, the range of activities were not enough to cater for all members of the congregation.
We know more needs to be done in 2021 to extend our reach and service to the community. This will be a collaborative effort with our new rector.
Through our online worship, we were able to successfully engage with a good number of individuals and families, involving them in the service using zoom. However, a drop in attendance by children was noted. Responding to this will be a key goal for 2021.
Finding volunteers in 2020 proved to be quite challenging as families got to grips with the effects of the pandemic and use of technology for online services and schooling. Growing leaders will also be a priority for 2021 with the support of our new rector.
viii. Church Building & Parish Centre
Much needed repairs to the church building were delayed due to difficulty obtaining sign off on works for a lower roof and drainage project. Limited availability of volunteer resource factored in the delay.
The lack of use of the church building between the months of April and October appeared to worsen the state of the building, with some new cracks identified in the walls and ceiling.
Efforts were intensified to push forward with sign off on the much-needed works, while also ensuring the building is safe for use.
There will be an increased financial cost for the repairs because of the delays encountered in 2020.
The church building and the parish centre have always been a key source of revenue. However, restrictions in place due to Covid-19 resulted in zero revenue generation by the church building and little revenue generation by the parish centre during the year 2020.
We eagerly await the easing of restrictions in 2021 to enable us to use both of our wonderful properties for service to the parish and generation of revenue for ongoing maintenance.
The fabric committee has identified, and made the PCC aware of, the need to make some investments in the church building and the parish centre to support future use, in 2021 and beyond.
ix. Safeguarding
The PCC reviews and updates its safeguarding statement and policy, as required, each year. The last review and update was carried out during the 2020 APCM. More safeguarding information is published on the church website.
The PCC confirms that it has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).
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4. Financial Review
We continue to produce Receipts and Payments accounts (R&P)
Cash funds decreased in 2020 from £135,400 to £129,900. The decrease is due mainly to the corona virus impact on use of the church building and parish centre. The absence of other in-church revenue generating activities also impacted finances.
We were blessed with monies from 3 bequests totaling £15,000 during the year but these monies are likely to be used up by increased costs for the lower roof and drainage project. This project, which was initially budgeted at £50,000, was approved for execution by the PCC in 2020.
There was a reduction in regular stewardship giving and a decrease in envelope giving from £3400 to £310 during the year. An additional option for making online donations was introduced to compensate for the reduced envelope giving while worshiping online.
We agreed to maintain our Common Fund payments at 92% of the full costs of having a priest in a parish (stipend, training, pension, housing, Diocese).
The Constance Piper Fund has continued to be used for the maintenance of the Garden of Remembrance at St James.
5. Reserves Policy
It is PCC policy to try to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds which equates to at least three months unrestricted payments. This is equivalent to £35,000. It is held to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies. The cash balance of £93,000 held on unrestricted (including designated) funds at the year end, together with the amounts payable to and by the PCC, meets this target.
It is the policy of the PCC to set aside funds for the future maintenance of its properties. The Rectory redecoration fund has spent £500 on maintaining the property and will likely spend additional funds in 2021.
The current fund level is deemed sufficient therefore no additional funds have been transferred to the Rectory Redecoration Fund for additional renovation and redecoration costs.
The Rector’s Discretionary Fund was used very little during the year, so no top up has been made.
Money for normal expenses is held in the CAF Bank current account (CAF Cash) and the linked deposit account (CAF Gold). Other monies are held on deposit with CCLA in the CBF Church of England Deposit Fund and CBF Income Shares.
6. Structure, governance and management
After St James’s Church was leased to the Greek Orthodox Church, St John the Evangelist officially became the parish church as of October 1[st] , 2011. St James’s is now a chapel of ease.
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC at the APCM which is normally held each spring. The PCC normally meets once every two months, with the Standing Committee meeting in the intervening months. In addition, the PCC’s sub committees met throughout the year.
Standing Committee:
This is the only committee required by law. It has power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council.
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Fabric Committee:
Attends to matters relating to the stewardship of the plant, including all church buildings and their maintenance, St James’ churchyard, the internal decoration of the Rectory and the parish owned freehold house at 2 Hatley Close.
Due to delays with the lower roof and drainage project and lack of church and centre use in 2020, the fabric committee did not meet regularly as it has done in previous years.
Social Committee:
Attends to matters which support and promote the social life of the parish. The main focus of this committee is to organise, cater and provide refreshment at parish social events which promote Christian fellowship including the Lunch Club, Lent Lunches, parish breakfasts and coffee on Sunday mornings, celebratory lunches and refreshments after many major services.
Fund Raising Committee:
This committee did not meet in 2020.
Parish Centre Management Committee:
The Parish Centre Management Committee attends to matters relating to the day-to-day management of the Parish Centre; maintenance, upkeep and the use of the facilities, which incorporates use by the Parish as well as external hires.
Governance
The PCC is governed by two pieces of Church of England legislation, called Measures. These are: The Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended ("the 1956 Measure")[1] And
The Church Representation Rules, contained in Schedule 3 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969 as amended ("the CRR")[2] .
Public Benefit
The Trustees confirm that in accordance with section 17 of the Charities Act 2011, they have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in planning their future activities.
1 The full text of the 1956 Measure in its currently amended form is available on the Statute Law database at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/Eliz2/4-5/3/contents
2 The full text of the CRR in their currently amended form is available online at http://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/structure/churchlawlegis/church-representation-rules/church-representation-rulesonline.aspx
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7. Vacancy Process in 2020
After the retirement of Fr Paul on 1st March 2020, the PCC initiated the vacancy process by nominating two parish representatives to join a recruitment panel made up of the Bishop of Edmonton, the Archdeacon of Hampstead, the Area Dean of Barnet and the Patron at St Paul’s Cathedral, in our search for a new parish rector.
The parish representatives worked with churchwardens and other key stakeholders to prepare a parish profile. The parish profile presented a picture of the parish, our strengthens and weaknesses, to potential candidates, while also describing at high level a job description for a suitable new rector.
Following the parish profile sign off by the PCC, the parish representatives were tasked with working alongside the Bishop of Edmonton to determine a timetable for the recruitment process, an advert for the church times and suitable questions for the interview process.
A new website was commissioned to replace the old parish website and act as a fresh window to the parish.
The various lockdown initiatives restricted recruitment activities, and when combined with the confidentiality of the recruitment process, seemed to create a sense of frustration for some members of the parish.
The interviews conducted in the fourth quarter of 2020 did not yield any successful candidate. This meant the recruitment exercise would carry through to 2021.
We were blessed with retired clergy support all through the vacancy process in 2020. The value of their support was significant through what turned out to be a particularly challenging year.
We are incredibly grateful to Father Benjamin Rutt-Field and Father Guy Pope for their support.
We are also grateful to the Bishop Rob Wickham of Edmonton, Archdeacon John Hawkins of Hampstead, Area Dean Julie Gittoes of Barnet and Patron Rev’d James Milne of St Paul’s Cathedral, for their support during the recruitment process in 2020.
Approved by the meeting of the PCC on 21st April 2021 and signed on its behalf by
John Kuti Churchwarden, PCC Chairman
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PARISH OF FRIERN BARNET (ST JOHN AND ST JAMES) PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020, which are set out on pages 12 to 15.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Roger J Seaton FCA
23 Greenhill Park, Barnet, Herts EN5 1HQ
16[th] April 2021
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Parochial Church Council of Friern Barnet (St John & St James) Annual Accounts for the Year ended 31[st] December 2020
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Parochial Church Council of Friern Barnet (St John & St James) Annual Accounts for the Year ended 31[st] December 2020
Approved by the meeting of the PCC on 21[st] April 2021 and signed on its behalf by
John Kuti Churchwarden, PCC chairman
Jonathan James Treasurer
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Parochial Church Council of Friern Barnet (St John & St James) Annual Accounts for the Year ended 31[st] December 2020
The Scrivens Fund was used to purchase computer equipment for the Rector. Expenditure from the Fundraising project was for architects fees.
The Constance Piper Fund is used to maintain the Garden of Remembrance in St James Churchyard. Funds were used for Organ maintenance and repairs.
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Parochial Church Council of Friern Barnet (St John & St James)
Annual Accounts for the Year ended 31[st] December 2020
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