BETHESDA BAPTISTCHURCH
STOWMARKET
Charity No. 1136075
TRUSTEES, REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

BETHESDA BAPTIST CHURCH, STOWMARKET
CONTENTS
Legal and Administrative Information
Trustees, Report
Independent Examiner's Report
Receipts and Payments Accounts
Statement of Assets and Liabilities

BETHESDA BAPTIST CHURCH, STOWMARKET
Legal and Administrative Informatlon
Address
Bury Street
Stowmarket
IP14 1HF
Correspondence Address
Mrj Reeve
Stowmarket Baptist Church
Bury Street
Stowmarket
IP141HF
Trustees
Mr J Reeve ITreasurer}
MrT Cordle
MrJWRPayne
Mr B Levett
Mr H Yousif
Bankers
Barclays
19-21 CornhiLI
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1DY
Independent Examlner
MrSJWhayman
51 Cowper Street
Ipswich
IP4 5JA

BETHESDA BAPTIST CHURCH, STOWMARKET
TRUSTEES, REPORT
Forthe year ended 31 March 2024
Constitution
The church was set up by trust in 1797 and is governed by Rules formulated in 1959 and
amended on 15 November 1995, 5 April 2000 and 26 May 2004. The church was registered with
the Charity Commission on 12 May 2010.
There are no specific restrictions contained in the governing document that limit its activities
or any specific investment powers given to the trustees.
The trustees of our properties, forwhich we are the beneficial owner. is the Grace Baptist Trust
Corporation (previous Trustees were the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (East Angiia)
Ltd.)
Aff iliatlons
The church is a member of the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (East AngLia) Ltd and a
participating church of Grace Baptist Mission.
Objectives and activities for the pubLic benefit
The purpose of the church is to provide a place of worship, instruction and fellowship for
Christians and to carry out the command of Christ to go and make disciples of aLI nations
baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
This is primarily but not exclusivelywithin Stowmarket and the surrounding neighbourhood and
will include other such charitable purposes, as shall in the opinion of the church members in
church meetings, further the work of the Church.
To this end our regular Sunday services of worship are maintained with two services each
Sunday open to members and all visitors.
During school term times. various meetings are held to reach out to different age-groups.
On Tuesday afternoons. the Ladies Meeting offered an afternoon service popular with ladies.
On Thursday afternoons the junior youth group met. and on Thursday evening intermediate
youth group met.
On Friday mornings the mothers and toddLers' group met; and on Friday evenings senior youth
group met.
The youth meetings are designed to give opportunity for children to participate in organised
activities. and to hear a talk from the Bible. This is intended to help the Ghildren gain a basic
understanding of God's word.

Duringthe weekthe church regularly met for prayer, Bible study and fellowship. Apart from the
3 church members, business meetings and a few specific members meetings all our meetings
for prayer and Bible study w8re freely open to the public to come and share in worship. prayer
and the study of the word of God. From time to time visitors come and share in these seniices.
The church has been able to respond financially in some measure to specific requests for help
both in the UK and overseas as brought to the trustees, attention. We continued to provide
ongoing prayerful and financial support forthe work of the Gospel and the relief of poverty and
hardship. Our provision of public benefit in this way is not Limited to the UK as we support
missionary organisations, e3peGially Grace Baptist Mission and with the administration of
direct support into churches in Kenya and those workingwith the orphaned and needy children
associated with those churches.
All our staff and volunteers who work with children. young people or vulnerable adults have a
cLeared CRB/DBS enhanced check.
We operate with a child protection policy. vulnerable adults, policy, employment of ex-
offenders policy, health and safety policy incLuding risk assessment and evacuation
procedures.
Achievements and performance
We are very grateful and thankful to God for our full-time staff member, the Pastor. Through
this. allwho attend have been enabLed to receive a message where the Bible or specific themes
were expounded. This has proved to be a great help in many different ways: to some in
furthering their bibLicaL understanding. some in increasing their love for the Saviour and others
in providing help. encouragement and comfort in times of need.
The interestwe have in overseas missionarywork has been maintained with reports on the work
of various missionaries and whenever possible we take the opportunity for a missionary while
at home in the UK to come and visit us. People from other churches or organisations who also
have a keen interest in that work. will often come and support these occasions.
Financial Review
We are grateful to God that He continues to bLess His Church in Stowmarket in providing the
financial resources for the ongoing work of the gospel.
To maintain the financial equilibrium. any assistance given for Gospel work and the relief of
poverty both in the UK and overseas is reviewed on a regular basis and help is given when
resources enable.
The work of maintaining all our premises both internally and externaLly continues.
These accounts have been prepared on 8 non-accrual basis.
The Trustees have reviewed the balances held at 31 March 2024 and they consider these to be
sufficient to cover existing commitments and provide a sufficient level of resenies in line with
our policies.

Reserve Policy
The church rolies chiefly on its income from members from which it pays the running costs of
the church. The Trustees have decided to not hold significant reserves as the Church is a
member of the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (East Angiia). In the event of significant
items of expenditure being incurred, the church would look to the Association for grants or
loans to cover the expenditure.
Statement of trustees, responsibillties in respect of the accounts
The charity's trustees are responsible for preparing the financial statements for each financial
year that give a true and fair view of the charity's incoming resources and application of
resources duringthe period of its state of affairs at the end of theyear. In preparingthe financial
statements. the trustees are required to-
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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 charitywill continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with
reasonable accuracyat anytime the financial position of the charityand enable them to ensure
that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993. They are aLso responsibLe for
safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the provision
and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approval
This report was approved by the trustees on 12 J
uary 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
J Reeve
Cordle
H Yousif
JWRPayne
B Levett

Independent examinerfs report to the trustees of Stowmarket
Baptist Church
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Stowmarket Baptist Church (the
Trust) for the year ended 31" March 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charitvs 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 Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of
the 2011 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 examinerfs statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my
attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any
material respect:.
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act;
or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form
and contents of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations
2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which
is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
Signed:_
Name:_
Mr S J Whayman
Address:_
51 Cowper Street
Ipswich
IP4 5JA
Date:_ 21st May 2024

Stowmarket Baptist Church
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the poriod
from
0110412023
3110312024
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
to the nearest
£1
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
Totsl funds
Last year
to the noarest £1
to the neartst £1
to th¢ nearest £1
to the neat¥$t £1
A1 Receipts
Offerings
Gift Aid
66,729
9,092
3.500
767
20,850
87.579
9,092
3.500
767
77.038
6.317
Sale of Mini Bus
Other income
520
Sub total(Gross inGome for
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
80.088
20,860
100,938
83,875
Sub total
80.088
20.8SO
100.938
83,875
A3 Payments
Ministerial Expenses
Support to other organisalions
Premis6s Cost$
Manse Costs
Minibus Costs
Cost ofActivthes
Sundries
Loan repayment
35,856
7,150
ZO,163
370
2,795
1,533
3,558
5.120
35,856
27,834
20.163
370
2,795
1,533
3,S58
5.120
32.174
16.675
t8.012
1.574
3,821
T88
3.284
640
20,684
Sub total
76.545
20.684
97,229
76,968
A4 Asset and investment
purchases,
see table
Sub total
zzzz
76,545
20.684
97,229
76,968
Net of receipts/{payments)
A5 Transfors between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash fvnds this year end
3,543
166
3.709
6.907
42,624
46,167
1,065
1,231
43,689
47.398
36,782
43,689
CCKK R1 acGounts ISSI
2110512024

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted
funds
to nearèst £
Restricted
funds
to nearost £
Endowment
funds
to noarest £
Categories
Details
B1 Cash funds
Cash In Hand
179
Current Account
45,988
1.231
Total cash funds
46,167
1,231
(agree tsa5aJKes￿th r*pt5 and payments
a￿￿[￿{$11
Unregtriet•d
funds
to nèarest £
Re¥tri¢tèd
funds
to ne8￿$t £
Endowment
funds
to n6arast £
Details
B2 Other monetary assets
Fund to whlch
asset bglon
Details
Currentvalue
lonal
Cost loptionall
B3 Investment assets
Fund to whieh
asset belon
Detsils
Cost loptronall
Current value
tional
B4 Assets retalned for the
charity's own use
Fund to which
relat
Details
Amount dug
tional
Whgn due
tlonal
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or ￿ trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
Signature
Print Name
Date of
roval
CCXX R2 accounts ISSI
2110512024