2024-08-31-accounts

The Methodist Church’

Circuit Annual report 2023-2024

Introduction

Activities during the year

The Circuit Meeting was delighted that Rev Phil Robinson was recommended for Ordination at The Leeds Methodist Conference, the Circuit arranged for members to attend this important event at Bradford Cathedral. Mrs Cate Voke contract as as Children & families worker was made permanent

• Each church continues to provide pastoral care to their members and others beyond the church family.

• The Preachers and Leaders of Worship have met over the year. These meetings have involved business, fellowship and personal development.

• The Circuit continues to deliver its training programme for Office holders and volunteers, including Safeguarding; EDI; Unconscious Bias; GDPR; sensitivity in preaching for Local Preachers.

• The Circuit Leadership Team have met throughout the year to discuss the vision for the circuit, to provide direction to the circuit and to deal with business between each Circuit Meeting.

• Local Church stewards and Treasurers met to discuss the circuit assessments and finances.

• The Circuit monthly “Circuit Services” included inviting special preachers and sharing lunch together.

• • The Circuit continues to develop online services from Marlborough Road Church, between 30 – 50 people engage each week. We continue to receive good reports about how people who are unable to attend feel more “connected” with the church. The Circuit has helped provide IT equipment for local church use.

• Hinton Chapel has upgraded its premises and has a multi-functional space with good facilities

• The Circuit hosted Northampton Methodist District Synod, including the farewell of our District Chair, Rev Dr Helen Cameron who is President elect of the Methodist Conference (2024-25)

• The Circuit encourages children & Young People to attend “3-Generate” – The national gathering of young people.

Aims and organisation

“The Banbury Methodist Circuit encourages, enables and supports its churches to respond to God’s love in Christ in their communities, through worship, mission and service.”

The Circuit invites and supports both lay volunteers and ordained ministers and enables them in their work. As a result, the Circuit provides spiritual and governance guidance to the Methodist congregations throughout the Banbury area.

Brief financial review of the year

• Circuit Policy Document - Work continues to update this “living” document as required to reflect the current structure and aspirations of the Circuit post covid.

• Fixed Assets – We aim to dispose of land and buildings no longer required by the Circuit. We continue to explore what happens with Middleton Cheney Church and Grimsbury properties. Adderbury church gave notice to “Ceased to Meet” and the proceeds of sale is intended to support a Community Chaplain in the new housing in the village under the Methodist

Connexional Mission strategy “New Places for New People” The Circuit continues to explore what this will look like with the Northampton Methodist District Mission Team.

• The circuit reviewed and adjusted the way Assessments were allocated to each church.

• The circuit continues draws on its reserves to help churches meet their assessments.

Income trends

Circuit income is primarily drawn from the assessment paid by the circuit churches. The rental income relates to the rental of a manse £11,000

Expenditure trends

Stipend expenditure has increased each financial year in line with The Methodist Conference approved increases amounting to £86,500 plus expenses.

£43,600 of expenditure is the Circuit contribution to the District and Connexion assessment, of which a significant part is used to fund the work of the wider Methodist Church.

The other expenditure includes Manses repairs/costs, Mission outreach and Lay employees.

Financial support of local churches finances. Church refurbishment grants

Fund balances

As at 31 August 2024 the net current assets of the Circuit were £186,113

The Circuit Model Trust Fund derives from sales of chapels and manses and is restricted by the Conference. This restriction is an internal regulation though the fund can be used for a variety of purposes. The Circuit Leadership team has drawn up a set of ground rules, which have been accepted by the Circuit Meeting, to ensure grants made from the Circuit Model Trust Fund are used effectively for mission and capital works. Currently money is being held for refurbishment projects at Marlborough Road. Funds have been released to fund the Circuit Children & Families worker and Hinton Refurbishment Project.

Circuit financial plans for the coming year have been prepared on the basis that there remains 2 full time ordained staff and 1 Children & Families Worker, together with a Circuit Administrator with anticipated cost of living stipend/Salary increases combined with an increase in the assessment paid to the district such that on average a 5% assessment increase has been requested from the circuit churches.

Basis of preparation and legal framework

The Charity’s annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2024 have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice 2015 as applicable to the Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 102

Full Name of Charity: Banbury Methodist Circuit

Registration Charity Number: 1135376

Date of registration 7[th] April 2010 (Previously exempted registration)

Main communication address: 1 Waller Drive Banbury OX16 9NS

The members of the Banbury Methodist Circuit meeting are the Charity Trustees, membership being made up of circuit office holders, ministers and representatives appointed by the Local Church Managing Trustees.

Fully membership is shown as Appendix A to this report.

"Circuit Ministers and officers”

Active Circuit Ministers		Rev David Alderman
		Rev Philip Robinson
		Rev Chris Gaynor
Circuit Lay Staff		Mrs Cate Vokes (Children & Families Worker)
Administrator:		Ms Clare Taylor
Circuit Meeting Secretary:		Mrs Janet Jones
Circuit Stewards		Mr David Miles
		Mrs Mary Tanner acted as the principal officer overseeing the day to day
		financial management and accounting for the circuit during the year:
Independent examiner		Joanna Watson CIMA
		Vandyplank House,
		9 High Street, Long Buckby, Northants, NN6 7RE
Investment Bankers:	Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church
	Trustees for Methodist Church purposes
General Banking:	Barclays Bank (Banbury Branch)
Aims and organisation

Charity objective is to act as a Resource Provider within the area around Banbury for the Methodist Church:

The purposes of the Methodist Church are and shall be deemed to have been since the Date of Union the advancement of:

a) The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and discipline of The Methodist Church;

b) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any Connexional, District, Circuit. local or other organisation of The Methodist Church;

c) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution subsidiary or ancillary to The Methodist Church;

d) Any purpose for the time being of any charity being a charity subsidiary or ancillary to The Methodist Church

The organisation and resourcing of regular public acts of worship open to members of the church and non members alike. The Circuit produces a quarterly preaching plan to ensure regular acts of worship take place

at each of the 10 Methodist Churches and one Local Ecumenical Partnership in its geographical area. These are open to all people, without charge.

The Circuit is directly involved with plans to provide a chaplaincy service in Banbury town centre.

The teaching of Christianity through sermons, courses and small groups.

The resourcing of pastoral work including visiting the sick and bereaved. Taking religious assemblies in local schools, through “Turn the page”. Promotion of Christianity through the staging of events and services. “Messy Church” operates monthly at Marlborough Road and Hinton and continues to grow.

Public Benefit

We confirm the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Structure, Governance and Management

• The governing document for the circuit is the Deed of Union (1932) and Methodist Church Act (1976)

• Detailed governance arrangements are outlined within the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church by order of the annual Methodist conference (CPD).

• Day to day management of the circuit is undertaken by the Circuit Leadership team along with the Local Preachers meeting, the Circuit Finance and Property Committee and the Circuit Policy Committee.

Trustee Training

A range of guidance produced by Methodist Connexion to support the effective running of the circuit, specifically the leaflet ‘The Role of a Trustee in The Methodist Church’ is given to all new Circuit meeting members as induction to their role as trustees.

Related Parties

The Circuit is part of the Northampton Methodist District and is also accountable to the Methodist Conference.

The following Methodist Churches are linked to the circuit:

Adderbury (Closed) Chacombe Marlborough Road Grimsbury (Closed) Cropredy Middleton Cheney (closed) Easington St. Francis (LEP) Greatworth The Fairway Hinton Shipston on Stour Hornton Wiggington

Organisations with specific linkage.

Banbury Christians Together – Membership fees are paid by the circuit rather than by individual churches, supporting the following ecumenical projects:

• Banbury Chaplaincy

• Banbury Street Pastors

• Banbury Food Bank

• Warm Spaces, including Banbury Larder

Risk Management

Risks are identified and recorded by the Circuit Leadership Team with professional advice taken as required.

There is a regular annual review process undertaken and recorded, the circuit has introduced a “risk matrix”

Income and Expenditure is being monitored in total and is compared with the approved annual budget on a half yearly basis to detect trends as part of the risk management process to avoid unforeseen calls on reserves. However the circuit continues to draw down on reserves to ensure that local assessments are reasonable for each church.

Adopted the Methodist Church Safeguarding Policy and is ensuring it compliance across the churches. No safeguarding contracts were in place during the past year. The circuit is aware of an ongoing police investigation in one of the villages where the local church is involved in by association, but there is no risk to congregations or reputation. The District Safeguarding Officer is aware and offered advice.

The circuit office ensured GDPR compliance across the Circuit conforming to the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes requirements.

Circuit Policies are now posted on the Banbury Circuit Website (www. banburycircuit.org.uk) and are regularly updated.

Reserves Policy

The Reserves Policy for the Circuit is to hold a minimum sum equivalent to 6 months’ average expenditure. This should be sufficient to meet any unforeseen item of major expenditure on manses and / or to be able to continue, in the short term, funding planned activities in the event of any inability to raise the full Circuit Assessment from churches.

The circuit assessment is reviewed annually and is currently based on membership figures within the local churches. The budget for the 2023/24 financial year has been set at £181,350k. Therefore the Circuit aims to hold approx. £91k. The reason for this is threefold:- (i) The Circuit needs around one month’s average expenditure in reserve as working capital to cover normal running costs. (ii) The circuit is dependent upon local churches to pay their assessment each quarter. In the event of any inability to raise the full Circuit Assessment from churches the reserves funds will ensure that that District/Connexional assessment, stipends, salaries and other commitments are met as they fall due. (iii) To ensure the circuit can meet any unforeseen item of major expenditure on manses or other circuit managed property.

In addition, currently the Circuit is also holding (unrestricted funds) monies for mission, outreach and redevelopment projects across the circuit.

Safeguarding Policy:

Every person has a value and dignity which comes directly from the creation of male and female in God’s own image and likeness. Christians see this potential as fulfilled by God’s re-creation of us in Christ. Among other things this implies a duty to value all people as bearing the image of God and therefore to protect them from harm .

"Methodist Connexional practice outlines commitment to the following principles:

• the care and nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with, all children, young people and adults

• the safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults when they are vulnerable

• the establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where there is informed vigilance as to the dangers of abuse.

• We will carefully select and train all those with any responsibility within the Church, in line with Safer Recruitment principles, including the use of criminal records disclosures and registration with the relevant vetting and barring schemes.

• We will respond without delay to every complaint made which suggests that an adult, child or young person may have been harmed, cooperating with the police and local authority in any investigation.

• We will seek to work with anyone who has suffered abuse, developing with them an appropriate ministry of informed pastoral care.

• We will seek to challenge any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust.

• We will seek to offer pastoral care and support, including supervision and referral to the proper authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerable adult.

• In all these principles we will follow legislation, guidance and recognised good practice

The Banbury Circuit commits itself to ensuring the implementation of The Methodist Connexional Safeguarding Policy; government legislation, guidance and safe practice in the circuit and in the churches.

The Banbury Circuit commits itself to the provision of support, advice and training for lay and ordained people that will ensure people are clear and confident about their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults who may be vulnerable.

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