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← Hermon Mar Thoma Church

2024-03-31-accounts

HERMON MAR THOMA CHURCH

THE MIDLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM

UK & Europe Zone

17[TH] ANNUAL REPORT & STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

2023-24

For Private Circulation Only

Estd 2007

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

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||||| |---|---|---|---| |Notice for the 17|[th]|AGM|_________ 1| |Charity Information|__________ 2| |Purpose, Objectives and Mission|________ 3| |Governance|___________ 4| |Statement of Trustee’s Responsibilities|_______ 7| |Purpose Oriented Activities|___________ 8| |Performance and Outlook|__________ 23| |Over Expenditure & Non-Budgeted Items|_______ 26| |Independent Examiner’s Report|_________ 27| |Internal Auditor’s Report|_________ 29| |Statement of Financial Activities|_________ 30| |Income Budget Proposal for 2024-25|_________ 47| |Expenditure Budget Proposal for 2024-25|_______ 48| |2024-25 Administrative Team|___________ 50|

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NOTICE AND CHARITY INFORMATION ~~See~~

Hermon Mar Thoma Church, Midlands, UK

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NOTICE AND CHARITY INFORMATION

Charity Information

Hermon Mar Thoma Church is a registered Charity in The United Kingdom, with its registered address at 83 Cheswood Drive, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1XU. It is one of the 13 churches in the UK-Europe& Africa Diocese of the Mar Thoma Church.

Charity No : 1137185 Charity Name : Hermon Mar Thoma Church

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PURPOSE OBJECTIVES AND MISSION ,

Purpose, Objectives and Mission

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Charity is to advance Christian faith and develop a community rooted in biblical doctrine to lead a Christian life.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the Church are to,

MISSION

The Mar Thoma Church defines itself as ‘Oriental in origin, Eastern in traditions, Episcopal in nature, Democratic in administration, Catholic in mission, Reformed in faith, Evangelical in outreach work and Ecumenical in vision. Each and every adult member of the Church is considered to be an Evangelist’.

The Church may participate in collaborative programmes with other Churches with which it has communal relationships and also participate in all acceptable ecumenical relationships as a full member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Churches Together in England (CTE) and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).

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GOVERNANCE

Governance

The charity is an unincorporated charity. Hermon Mar Thoms Church is controlled by the Constitution of Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, which is approved and adapted for use in the United Kingdom by the Sabha through The Diocese of North America and Europe. The Governing Document is dated 01 April 2010.

MANAGEMENT

Hermon Mar Thoms Church is a Parish of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, which has its head office in Tiruvalla, Kerala, India and reports to the Diocese of UK-Europe & Africa in the region.

The Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar is led by Marthoma Metropolitan, His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan who resides at Church Headquarters, Poolatheen, Tiruvalla, Kerala. Hermon MTC belongs to the UK & Europe Zone, which administers the local governance of the Church in the region. The Diocesan Bishop of North America & Europe, Rt Rev Dr Isaac Mar Philoxenos Episcopa who resided at Sinai Mar Thoma Centre, New York, USA supervised the regional administration subject to the approval of the Metropolitan until December 31st, 2023. From 1st January 2024, Rt Rev Dr Joseph Mar Ivanios took over as the Diocesan bishop of Mumbai & UK-Europe & Africa dioceses and supervises the regional administration subject to the approval of the Metropolitan.

Locally, Hermon MTC is managed by its Trustees, also called Executive Committee Members, that are elected by the General Body. Vicar of Church acts as the President of Executive Committee.

VICAR

Hermon Mar Thoms Church are blessed to have a fulltime resident Vicar to provide pastoral care to the members of the church and the community around the Midlands region. Rev. John T Thomas is serving as the Vicar of the Church since May 2023. The Church is very grateful to have Achen and his family with us.

TRUSTEES / EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Executive Committee members or Trustees ensure day-to-day running and maintenance of Hermon MTC in accordance to the Constitution of Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar. The trustees are all individuals. The Vicar of Hermon Mar Thoma Church also holds the position of the President. Except for the President and the representatives to the Sabha Mandalam and the Diocesan Assembly, all the other members are

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GOVERNANCE

elected by the general body or appointed by their respective organisations on an annual basis. The representatives to the Sabha Mandalam and the Diocesan Assembly of the parent church are elected, and the terms of office to these bodies are for a period of three years.

The members of the Executive Committee (EC) for financial year ended 31st Mar 2024 are as follows:

POSITION NAME
President Rev. John T Thomas
Vice President Mr Sudeep K Thomas
Secretary Mr Georgie P Thomas
Trustee (Accounts) Mr Aby Abraham Chandy
Trustee (Finance) Mr Shiju Abraham
Lay Leader 1 Mr Binoy Thomas
Lay Leader 2 Mr Joji K John
Mandalam Member Mr Thomas Koshy
Diocesan Assembly Member Mr Thomas Abraham
Nominated Diocesan Assembly member Mr Sherry Matthews
Organization Representatives
Choir Mr. Gaius Thomson
Sevika Sangham Mrs Reeba George
Sunday school Dr Noel Jacob
Youth Fellowship Mr Monish Varghese
Edavaka Mission Mrs Jejo Joji
Couple Fellowship Mrs Tania Thomas
Area Representatives
Birmingham & Solihull Mr Blessen Mathew
Coventry, Warwickshire & Nuneaton Mr Sujith Mathew
Walsall, Wolverhampton & Stafford Mr Abraham Varghese
Nottingham, Derby & Burton-Upon-Trent Mr Jiji Kurien
Leicester Mr Sanish Mathew

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GOVERNANCE

RECRUITMENT OF TRUSTEES

The trustees are elected every year before the commencement of the fiscal year in the month of February. They are elected by the General Body. The recruitment and appointment of Trustees are as per the Constitution of Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar.

COUNCIL OF MAR THOMA PARISHES IN UK & EUROPE

The Council of Mar Thoma Parishes in UK and Europe, a charity by its own right, is the UK-Europe & Africa diocese’s administrative organization of the Mar Thoma Church acting as Diocesan office for effective directorial coordination between the headquarters in Tiruvalla, India and the parishes and congregations of the European Region. The Dicesan Bishop is the President of Council. President, Vice-president, Secretary, Trustee Finance, Trustee Accounts and Diocesan Assembly Member from Hermon MTC represents Councils’ General Body.

GENERAL BODY

All persons whose names are borne on the Hermon MTC register who receive holy communion in the parish and who have completed 18 years of age and whose parish membership has not been barred in any disciplinary proceeding, by appropriate authority, are entitled to be the members of the General Body.

MEMBERSHIP

As of 31st March 2024, there are 152 families who are registered as members or member families.

AUDITORS

Mr Verghese Philip and Mrs Minu Sherry were appointed as internal auditors for the year 2023-24.

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TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES

Statement of Trustee’s Responsibilities

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Notwithstanding the explicit requirement in the extant statutory regulations, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the SORP 2005, however since the SORP 2005 has been withdrawn, the Trustees have determined to interpret this responsibility as requiring them to follow current best practice and prepare the accounts according to the FRS 102 SORP 2015.

In particular, charity law requires the Trustees, if they prepare accounts on an accruals basis, to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity as at the end of the financial year and of the surplus or deficit of the charity. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to,

The law requires that the trustees must not approve the accounts unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for the year. The Trustees are also responsible for maintaining adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with regulations made under the charity legislation. 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.

The Trustees are also responsible for the contents of the Trustees’ report, and the statutory responsibility of the Independent Examiner in relation to the Trustees’ report is limited to examining the report and ensuring that, on the face of the report, there are no material inconsistencies with the figures disclosed in the financial statements.

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PURPOSE ORIENTED ACTIVITIES

Purpose Oriented Activities

This section summarises the main the main activities undertaken by the church during the year 2023-24 to achieve its constitutionally declared purposes that include the spiritual enrichment of its members and participation in attending to the needs of the community during this year. A report on these activities is summarized as below.

By the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, it has been the blessing & privilege of Hermon Mar Thoma Church to serve the Mar Thoma diaspora community in the Midlands area of the United Kingdom for past 17 years. We have come a long way from when we started as a prayer group of St John Mar Thoma Church some 20 odd years back, over the past 17 year we have grown as a parish. We one of the largest parishes in the UK by geographical spread, from Stoke on Trent in the North to Banbury in the South and from Mansfield in the North-East to Worcester in the South-West. Our membership has been steadily growing, we now have 152 registered families & individuals and there are a good number of regular guest worshippers too. Over the years we have worshipped in 5 venues around Birmingham, and we have been here at St Marys for the past 8 years. We thank God for His immense blessing on us and our fellowship and pray that He continues to guide us to thrive in his Ministry in the years to come.

The year 2023-24, has been challenging the war in Ukraine has raged on for a year with no sign of resolution, and war broke out in the Middle east following the October 7th attack on civilians in Israel which saw a military response that has seen unimaginable death and displacement of the Palestinian population. The events around the world have affected the UK too so has many domestic issues; The cancer diagnoses of the King & Princess of Wales have shaken the nation, the cost-of-living issues, issues with the NHS are all cause for concern.

However, during these trying times, we have seen God’s miracles all around us and in our personal lives, we praise him for all his mercies on all of us.

The past year was quite special for us as a Mar Thoma Community, on December 2[nd] , 2023, we were blessed with the consecration of three new Bishops Rt Rev Zacharias Mar Aprem, Rt Rev Dr Joseph Mar Ivanios, & Rt Rev Mathews Mar Seraphim. For us in the UK it was particularly special as in January as per Kalpana 115 from the Metropolitan Rt Rev Theodosius Mar Thoma the UK-Europe Zone was separated from the North America

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& Europe Diocese and a new Diocese of UK Europe & Africa formed, Rt Rev Dr Joseph Mar Ivanios has been appointed the Diocesan Episcopa.

For us as a parish we had our Vicar transfer during this financial year, in April 2023 Rev Saju Chacko left to take charge at St Johns MTC Vechoochira and Rev John T Thomas of Valakom Mar Thoma Valiyapally took charge of our parish in May 2023. Rev John T Thomas is our 3[rd] full-time Vicar.

WORSHIP SERVICES

In the past year we have had regular Holy communion services, in English on the 1[st] & 3[rd] Sundays & in Malayalam on 2[nd] , 4[th] & 5[th] Sundays.

All the worship services have been well attended by our members and guests. The fellowship and the opportunity to worship has been a true blessing that we cherish when many are deprived of the opportunity.

OUTREACH SERVICES

We also have had our outreach services in Leicester, every 4th Saturday.

In February 2024 due to difficulties for children from Leicester area to attend the central Sunday school regularly, following deliberation on a request received by the Executive Committee and its recommendation (added at GBM) , the Leicester area prayer group registered as a independent Sunday school with the Diocesan Sunday School for the children of the area.

Chronologically, the following are the special services and events that took place during the past year.

GREAT LENT 2023

The Great Lent in 2023 ran from the 27th of February to 17th of April.

We had in person Sandhyanamaskaram worship in respective area prayer groups on Fridays & Saturdays and virtual worship on weekdays from Mid-Lent onwards. We had 40th Friday Holy Communion Service. During Passion week we had all our Special Worship services, and these were well attended.

During the Great Lent, our Youth and Sunday School prepared daily Lent meditations which were circulated through our church Whatsapp group. This is a great new initiative and continues to be well-received by all our members.

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Rev SAJU CHACKO’S SEND-OFF

On April 23rd, 2023, after the service we had a send-off meeting for Achen and family. It was a heartfelt and emotional event. Achen and family left the UK on 26th of April.

Rev JOHN T THOMAS’ WELCOME

Achen arrived in the UK on 12/5/23, Achen celebrated his first Holy Communion in our church on 14/5/23 and following the service a welcome meeting.

16TH PARISH DAY

Our 16th Parish Day was held on the 28th of May 2023, the Rev Thomas Baby of Tabore Mar Thoma Church Manchester was the chief guest. Tithe was collected on the day. A total Tithe Collection of £7780 was made this year.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

The Vacation Bible School was conducted from June 1st to June 4th, 2023. The theme for the year was Roots & Fruits . The program was conducted at St Mary’s Church & Hall Hobs Moat, Solihull. 75 children participated in the VBS. Mrs Regina Mathew was the convener and the directors were Thejus George Palooran and Anugraha Abraham from Tabore MTC Manchester. Rev John T Thomas & Rev MJ Cherian oversaw the whole program. The children whole-heartedly participated in all the activities & enjoyed the whole program and a charity fund of £525/- was raised by the children and donated to the ACORNS Children hospital charity.

ZONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL EXAM

The Zonal Sunday School exam was held on 2nd July 2023 after the Holy Communion service 46 children took the exam which started at 2pm.

PARISH PICNIC

On the 28th of August, a parish day trip & picnic was organised by the Couple fellowship under the leadership of Mrs Tania Thomas, we visited Skegness beach We travelled by 2 coaches and all who attended had a wonderful time.

CHURCH CULTURAL DAY & ONASADYA

On September 2nd Saturday we had our annual Church Cultural Festival and the Onasadya to commemorate the Onam Harvest festival in Kerala. Our Youth league took leadership and hosted the event and all our members actively participated.

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STUDENTS’ THANKSGIVING & DEDICATION SERVICE

The Students’ Thanksgiving and Dedication services was held on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023. As a part of thanksgiving service, a special offertory was collected. An amount of £1288/- was raised. The money raised is used to support the development of 3 children at Abhayam Children’s Home, Kottarakara, Kerala.

SEVIKA SANGHAM SUNDAY

The Sevika Sangham Sunday was celebrated on the 10th of September. The members of the Sevika Sangham (Women’s fellowship) assisted in various parts of the Holy Communion service including assisting at the altar. Minu Kochamma delivered the message on the occasion.

SENIOR CITIZEN SUNDAY

The 17th of September was celebrated as Senior Citizen Sunday. Our senior members helped with the Holy Communion service.

ZONAL SUNDAY

The 24th of September was celebrated as Zonal Sunday. On the occasion Rev John Mathew C from St John’s Mar Thoma Church, Hounslow visited our parish as part of the Pulpit Exchange programme.

HARVEST FESTIVAL

A Special Thanksgiving Service to celebrate the Harvest Festival was held on of 1st of October 2023. The congregation contributed generously toward the Harvest offertory and charity auction & food sale. A total collection of £21536/- was made.

ZONAL SEVIKA SANGAM CONFERENCE

The conference was hosted by our church and was well attended by Sevika Sangam members from all around the UK-Europe Zone. Rev Merin Mathew was the chief guest.

FAMILY RETREAT AND FAMILY SUNDAY

The Parish Family Retreat away weekend was held on the 13th, 14th, & 15th October 2023 at Pioneer Centre, Cleobury Mortimer, Kidderminister. Rev Shemil Mathew was leader at the retreat. We meditated on the book of Nehemiah. On 15th we had Holy Communion service which was commemorated as the Family Sunday. The retreat was in part also an informal fellowship with games, talent displays. The retreat was a blessed experience for all who attended. 70 participants including children attended the retreated.

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Mrs Anu Shaji was the convenor for the event and made all arrangements and made it a big success.

YOUTH SUNDAY

Youth Sunday was celebrated on 22nd October. The members of the Youth Leagues assisted in various parts of the service. Miss Christine Mathew delivered the sermon on the occasion.

NORTH CENTRE WORLD SUNDAY SCHOOL DAY

On the 4th of November 2023 as part of the World Sunday School Day was held at Birkenhead School, Birkenhead hosted by Tabore Mar Thoma Church Manchester, our Sunday school children participated in the event.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

On the 5th of November 2023 we celebrated the Sunday school anniversary children took the lead in various roles during the Holy Communion service. Mrs Christus Wincy Thomas delivered the sermon on the day. We had a small anniversary meeting after the service when the Sunday school children performed various items based on their lessons. A prize distribution ceremony was also held on the occasion.

MAR THOMA KUDUMBA SANGAMAM

The UK-Europe Zone Mar Thoma Family Meet was held at Coton Centre, Tamworth 11/11/2023. There was a very enthusiastic participation by all parishes in the Zone. Rt Rev Dr Isaac Mar Philoxenos presided over the function which consisted of Holy Communion Service, Farwell ceremony to our Diocesan Bishop and a light devotional music programme. Rt Rev Saju Muthalaly Bishop of the Diocese of Loughborough was the chief guest.

CAROL ROUNDS

Carol rounds are a Christmas time Door to Door fellowship and this year also we were able to visit almost all of our families and spread the joy & message of the birth of Christ. The visits were conducted from December 1st to 23rd over the weekends. Each family were presented a Parish Calendar and a cake. Carol rounds offertory was collected by the respective area prayer groups during their rounds. A total of £ 7810/- was collected.

CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE

The Christmas Carol service was held on 16th December at Solihull Methodist Church. Fr Kuriakose Thadathil was the chief guest & the Vicar of Solihull Methodist Church Rev Molly Chitokwondo was also present on the

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occasion & gave a message. Choir put on an exemplary performance. Our Sunday school children, Sevika Sangam & Youth also put on beautiful meaningful performances.

This year as part of the festive season of sharing we had a Secret Gift Exchange on the day of the carol service.

CHIRSTMAS DAY HOLY COMMUNION

On Christmas day, the 25th of December we had the Holy Communion service at 8am.

ZONAL CAROL SERVICE

The Zonal Ecumenical Carol service was hosted by All Saint Mar Thoma Church Peterborough. The service was a touching feast Christmas Carols. Our Choir was among the 6 choirs that participated.

NEW YEAR WATCH NIGHT SERVICE

Holy Communion and Watch-night service was held on the 31st of December from 9pm onwards. Many members took the opportunity to share their testimonies and to thank God Almighty for all the blessing showered on them.

PARISH CONVENTION

We had our annual Parish Convention over 3 days in February on 16th ,17th& 18th. On the 16th, the 1st day of the convention was held at St Martin Church Hall, Walsall. On the 17th, the 2nd day of the convention was held at St Andrew’s Church, Leicester. On the 18th, the final day of the convention was held along with the Holy communion service at St Mary’s Hobs Moat Hall.

Rev Johnson M John from Switzerland Mar Thoma congregation was our chief speaker, and the theme was ‘God’s Promise & Human Participation’.

GREAT LENT 2024

The Great Lent 2024 commenced on the 11th of February and ended on March 31st. We had in person Sandhyanamaskaram worship in respective area prayer groups on Fridays & Saturdays and virtual worship on weekdays from Mid-Lent onwards. We had 40th Friday Holy Communion Service and we had Mr Sunny Stephen as a guest speaker on the occasion. During Passion week we had all our Special Worship services, and these were well attended.

During this Great Lent period also, our Youth and Sunday School continued to prepare & share daily Lent meditations. This involves our youngsters in church life and is well-received by all our members.

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MOTHER’S DAY

On 10th March, special prayers were offered during the Holy Communion to celebrate our mothers.

PRAYER MEETINGS

Area Prayer Meetings

Area prayer meetings across all area groups have been held regularly and our Vicar is providing good leadership for them. This were held at homes or in rented halls in the local areas. These continued to be followed as per our set schedule, 1st Saturdays Walsall Wolverhampton & Stafford Area, 2nd Fridays evening or 2nd Saturdays morning Birmingham Solihull &Worcester Area, 2nd Saturdays evening Burton Derby Nottingham Area and 3rd Saturdays morning in Leicester Area and evening in Coventry Area. Organisation Prayer Meetings

Edavaka Mission & Sevika Sangham held periodic combined prayer meetings at various residences across the congregation.

Sevika Sangam has been having regular online intercessory prayers

Chain prayer

Under the leadership of the Sevika Sangam chain prayers were held to dwell on the prayer requests received from the congregation and the wider community, these were held twice a week. Individual members of the congregation devote their time in prayer in a relay fashion. God Almighty acknowledges to supplication of his faithful. The Sevika Sangam also participated in an alternate week Zonal Chain prayer.

PARTICIPATION IN UK-EUROPE ZONAL ACTIVITIES

As per Kalpana 115 from the Metropolitan Rt Rev Thedosius Mar Thoma dated 9th December 2023 the UKEurope Zone was separated from the North America & Europe Diocese and a new Diocese of UK Europe & Africa formed and the newly installed Thirumeni (Bishop) Rt Rev Dr Joseph Mar Ivanios has appointed the Diocesan Episcopa.

Hermon Mar Thoma Church is extremely proud to be an active part of the functioning of the UK-Europe Zone and look forward to the growth of the newly formed Diocese both in its spiritual mission and administrative activities.

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We participated in various Zonal programmes such as the Monthly Edavaka Mission Online Intercessory prayer meetings, the Mar Thoma Kudumba Sangamam, Zonal Sunday School meet, and Zonal Christmas Carol service.

It is a privilege to have our members, Mr Thomas Abraham (Zonal Treasurer) taking key administrative positions within Zone. Few of our choir members are also part of the Zonal Choir.

ORGANISATION REPORTS

SUNDAY SCHOOL

During 2023-24 there were 92 students registered in 13 classes. We are blessed with the leadership and guidance from our Vicar, Rev John T Thomas from May last year.

Sunday school classes are held every Sunday before the Holy Communion service. The 2023-24 academic year in September. The Sunday school lessons from 9:45 -10;15am followed by a Common session from 10:15-10:45 am. Our children have been having a blessed time learning the word of God and participating in songs, bible reading and games. The Sunday school thanks the parents for their role in nurturing the children’s growth in Christian spiritual life by bringing them in regularly for the Sunday School and also at their own homes.

The Sunday school curriculum is based on the official Sunday school material provided by the Diocese of North America and Europe of the Mar Thoma Church.

On 18th April 2023 we had a special Sunday school celebration especially to appreciate and present prizes to children who completed Sunday school between 2020-2022 and those who sat exams in 2021-22.

Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2023 was another great blessing for the children, this was held from 1st to 4th June 2023. Mrs Regina Mathew was the convener of the VBS 2023. The church Sunday school teachers under the leadership of the vibrant VBS directors, Thejus & Anugraha engaged the children with lesson, songs and activities on the theme Roots &Fruits.

On the 2nd of July 2023, the 2022-23 cohort of Sunday school students sat the annual UK & Europe zonal exams. We are proud of all the children for their great effort and thank parents for the immense support in preparing children for the exams.

Sunday school teachers attended the North zone teachers retreat held at Peterborough on 30th September. Our Sunday school students, teachers and parents attended the World Sunday School Day celebration held on 4th November at Liverpool hosted by Tabore Marthoma church. On 5th November we celebrated as our

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Sunday school anniversary and children assisted in various parts of the service and the sermon was delivered by Mrs Wincy Christus Thomas

During the Lent season, from Mid-Lent onwards Sunday school children and youth made daily devotion videos based on the bible readings for the day which were shared on the Hermon MTC WhatsApp group every morning until Easter. These messages were well received by the congregation and we are proud of all our students and parents for their dedication and contribution.

COUPLE FELLOWSHIP

The Couple fellowship has been working with the church to improve the fellowship between all members. As part of this initiative, the Parish Picnic to Skegness on August 19th ,2023 was organized. This was well participated, we had hired 2 coaches to accommodate all the participants. Everyone had an enjoyable time. Altar Flower contribution is a new initiative by the Couple fellowship started from December 2022. Families have been voluntarily supporting the initiative by bringing fresh flowers for the altar

EDAVAKA MISSION

The Edavaka mission’s role is to nurture the spiritual growth of the parish. The Edavaka Mission coordinated the Parish Convention and held Prayer meeting in coordination with the Sevika Sangham, The Edavaka mission thanks Mrs Sunila Viji, for hosting an Edavaka Mission prayer meeting.

CHOIR

Our choir as always is an indispensable component of our worship.

The Hermon Mar Thoma Church choir is proud to report a year of beautiful music, fellowship, and spiritual connection. Throughout the year, our dedicated choir members have come together to lift their voices in harmony, bringing joy and inspiration to our congregation.

In the past year, we have had the privilege of leading worship services, performing at special events, and spreading the message of faith through song. Our selection has included traditional hymns, contemporary worship songs, and seasonal favourites that have touched the hearts of all who have listened.

Our choir has grown not only in numbers but also in spirit, as we have formed strong bonds of friendship and support. Each member brings their unique talents and passion for music, creating a harmonious blend that resonates with the soul. In the year 2023-24, we have 45 members who had led the worship and other services actively under the leadership and guidance of our Vicar, Rev John T Thomas along with the talented choir leaders Mr Gaius Thomson and Mr Mathew K Thomas.

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On Choir Dedication Sunday, 2nd April 2023, we come together to celebrate the beautiful voices and talents of our choir members. It is a special day where we honour our dedication, hard work, and commitment to bringing joy and harmony to our community through music.

Our choir has performed in the Ecumenical Christmas Carol Competition ‘Joy to the World’ this year organised by Garshom TV and London Asaphians. We performed beautifully and by God’s grace, we won the second prize with a cash prize of £500.00.

Hermon Mar Thoma Choir is registered with the Department of Sacred Music and Communication (DSMC), musical department of the Malankara Mar Thoma Church. We follow the DSMC guidelines for our choir administration.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we are excited to continue our musical journey together, spreading love and light through the power of music. The choir remains a vital part of our church community, uplifting spirits and bringing people closer to God through the gift of song.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our church in this way and look forward to the music-filled adventures that lie ahead. Thank you to all who have supported and encouraged us on this beautiful musical path.

SEVIKA SANGAM

The Sevika Sangham has continued to fulfil its role of helping in all spheres of our church life and upholding the various needs of the parish and its individuals by means of our prayers and physical assistance.

‘Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs’ - Psalms 100:2

By God's abundant mercy and grace, we have completed another year of our Fellowship. God has guided us throughout this year and enabled us to meet all our responsibilities.

Over the last year we have been blessed with our Rev John T Thomas Achen’s leadership and guidance. Minu Kochamma has been a source of inspiration for us too. She has particularly used her musical talents to help us with our presentations and songs for many of the church events this year.

Sevikasangham members were actively involved in various events of the Church.

Every second Sunday, after service we had meetings which were utilised for song practices and also to learn about the Women in the Bible and their contributions.

On Sevika Sangham Sunday (10th of September 2023) as dedicated by the Mar Thoma Church, many of our members (Sevinis) helped by assisting in various parts of the Holy Communion service and for the first time assisted at the altar on the day.

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As usual during the Harvest Festival which was held on the 1st of October 2023, all Sevika Sangham members actively participated & contributed actively. We also took an active part in the Carol service on 16th December 2023, we sang a beautiful Carol on the occasion. For Maundy Thursday as always, many members helped by making Pesaha-appam and for Good Friday this year we contributed towards the expense of food that day (Kanji).

The Sevika Sangham Annual conference 2023 was hosted by our church on 7th of October 2023. We had about 180 guests from all Marthoma Churches in UK. The day was quite fruitful and blessed for all participants.

We continue to have our Chain prayers and Intercessory prayer meetings. The Intercessory prayers are held virtually on Tuesdays between 8 and 9pm

We also joined with the Edavaka mission to hold the fasting prayers. The offertory collected during this prayer is set aside for buying Malayalam & Malayalam-English Transliterated Liturgy books for the Church.

We also made a contribution towards Bhavana Nirmana Padhadhi (house building help scheme) of Salem Bhavan, Tiruvalla through the Diocesan Sevika Sangham charity.

We continued the Little Drops collection, the money collected was donated as Medical Aid to support the treatment of an individual through our Church’s Helping Hand scheme.

We also have been continuing our Manna fundraising project, by auctioning homemade food or homegrown fruit& vegetables that our members brought from time to time. The amount collected is contributed towards the Church development fund.

A huge thanks to all the Sevinis for their dedicated support and contribution to all activities and Achen & Kochamma for their guidance throughout the past year. Above all thank God Almighty for all His blessings.

YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

The Hermon Youth are a vibrant and active community of young people dedicated to their faith and service to the community. Throughout the year the youth took on various roles in leading in Church life. Over the past year, the Hermon Youth has been actively engaged in various events and activities aimed at building fellowship and promoting growth in faith among our youth.

This year, the Hermon Youth organized the annual Cultural Fest which is aimed to celebrate the diverse cultural heritage within our community, it featured a variety of cultural performances, showcasing dances, music, and theatrical presentations from various backgrounds. We also had interactive games traditional to our community.

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PURPOSE ORIENTED ACTIVITIES

The Hermon Youth participated in several zonal youth fellowship events throughout the year. These events provided valuable opportunities to connect with peers from across the region and the country, fostering a sense of fellowship and shared faith.

Every third Sunday the youth took leading roles in the Church service. This initiative allowed our young people to grow in their faith and developing their leadership skills.

We look forward to continued growth and development of our young people and their involvement in upcoming events and activities in the coming financial year.

HELPING HAND

As a charitable organization, it is our Christian responsibility and duty to identify those in need within our community and assist them where possible. The Helping Hand program, a charitable initiative of Hermon Mar Thoma Church, Midlands UK, was introduced to streamline the church's charitable activities. This project offers us an opportunity to reflect on the free, generous, and undeserved divine love we have received in our lives. Our church and its members have been at the forefront of supporting various charitable activities, both locally and abroad, particularly in India, under the guidance of the Malankara Mar Thoma Church.

For the 2023-2024 period, our social aid project focuses on the following areas, specifically directed toward our charitable work in India and the UK:

We have distributed a total of £4,940.00 towards various charitable activities in the year 2023-2024. We have provided £650 for Educational Aid, £900 for Medical Aid, and £250 for housing aid to individuals in need in India. In response to the catastrophic disasters that occurred in Libya and Morocco in September 2023, Helping Hand launched an emergency appeal and collected £500.00, which has been transferred through the British Red Cross.

In association with Sunday School(VBS), we donated £560.00 to Acorns Children’s Hospice, UK. Our Sevika Sangam has generously donated £1,800.00 for the Medical aid of a family in UK and £510.00 towards housing aid for Shalem Home in Kerala, India.

The Helping Hand team at Hermon Mar Thoma Church extends our sincere thanks to all our members for the support you have provided throughout this year. We also kindly request all members to continue contributing

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to these charitable projects by donating to the church bank account, so we can extend our support to even more people in need.

CHURCH DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Church Development Committee have been constantly looking for suitable properties to achieve the ambition securing our own church. A suitable property eludes us still but the search continue and we are sure in HIS time God will provide.

NEWSLETTER

During the past year on 2nd July, we relaunched our Church Newsletter. Under the leadership of our Vicar & the Newsletter Editor Mrs Riji Gevarghese the newsletter is being published as a quarterly edition in a digital format. We thank the effort the editor and all the contributors of the various kinds of articles.

NEW MEMBERSHIPS

During the past year, Hermon MTC witnessed an influx of new members in the region and who joined our worshiping community, 25 new families and individuals joined us.

  1. Mr Jinu P Mathew, Mrs Anithamol Achankunju, Jiana Jinu (Birmingham)

  2. Mr George Thomas, Mrs Susamma Thomas, Mr Alan Thomas, Mrs Chinnu Thomas, Aaron Alan George (Coventry)

  3. Mrs Jessy Mathew, Aldora Jepsin (Leicester)

  4. Mr Jethin Mammen, Mrs Juby Thomas {Birmingham)

  5. Mr Sony Mammen, Mrs Aji Thomas, Anwil Mammen Sony, Albin Mammen Sony(Birmingham)

  6. Mr Navin Joseph Thomas, Mrs Daisy Samuel, Athen Navin, Anugraha Mariam Navin (Coventry)

  7. Mr Nibu Verghis Abraham, Mrs Cristin Thomas, Nathaniel Verghis, Noah Verghis (Telford)

  8. Mr Justine Thomas George, Mrs Pretty Roy, Mr Thomas Eattickal, Mrs Jessy George (Coventry)

  9. Mr Ajeesh Yohannan, Mrs Merin Raju, Evan Yohannan, Ryan Yohannan (Shrewsbury)

  10. Mr Sanju Jacob, Mrs Jisha John, Rohan Philip (Birmingham)

  11. Mr Chris K Thomas, Mrs Jomy Joy, Cadric Thomas (Burton-on-Trent)

  12. Mr Sony Mathew, Mrs Minu Abraham, Serah Sony, Jonathan Sony (Coventry)

  13. Mr Jince Cherian, Mrs Lisa Merin Thomas, Chrisson Cherian Jince (Stoke-on-Trent)

  14. Mr Reji K George, Mrs July Reji, Joshua Reji George (Dudley)

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  1. Mr Binu Benny, Mrs Sinu Vincilas, David Binu (Redditch)

  2. Mr Jose Pappachan, Mrs Joby Jose, Haania Jose, Heavana Jose, Hanok Malayilazhikam (Worcester)

  3. Mr Ajeesh P Chacko, Mrs Sheemamol Scaria, Evlin Ajeesh, Eben Ajeesh (Leicester)

  4. Mr Agith Varghese, Mrs Annama C Sam, Johan Agith, Joel Agith (Dudley)

  5. Mr Anson Samuel, Mrs Sibi Mathew, Nanma Ann Grace (Coventry)

  6. Miss Jitty Sara Sajan (Coventry)

  7. Mr Ajil Alexander Johns Mrs Geba Alexander, Jayden Alexander Dave Alexander (Leicester)

  8. Ms Josena Josekutty, Elisha Thaoms (Wolverhampton)

  9. Mr Sajan Parackal, Dr Sherin Shaji (Coventry)

  10. Mr Shijo Thomas, Mrs Sara Shijo Thomas, Adlyn Shijo (Birmingham)

We warmly welcome them to our midst and hope that they will enjoy a blessed fellowship in our parish through the love of Christ Jesus

We would also like to thank all members who had to leave our congregation for various reasons, their support to the church was invaluable. We wish them all the very best wherever God places them, and we are sure He will surround them with His continued love and grace.

BAPTISMS

Over the past year, 1 child received Baptism and were welcomed to the Christian fellowship of the Mar Thoma Church

NEW ARRIVALS

In the last 12 months many of our members were blessed with new babies. Hermon Mar Thoma Church wishes them all the very best and promises to provide an environment of spiritual nurturing to them and their families.

BEREAVEMENTS

This year we lost Mr Kurian Thomas , husband of Mrs Annamma Thomas. We mourn his untimely demise and thank God Almighty for his life and the people he touched during his lifetime and even after his death. The parish extended all help and support both spiritually and in practical terms to the bereaved family.

Many of our members lost their loved ones over the past year. We express our deepest condolences to these families and pray that they will be strengthened to move forward and cherish the lives of their loved ones.

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EXPRESSIONS OF GRATITUDE

Hermon Mar Thoma Church is indebted to all who sincerely helped us through the various stages and who served us faithfully in the past year. We are truly grateful for all the provisions and services received and thank Almighty for making it possible.

Clergy / Guest Visits

We express our sincere gratitude to the following distinguished guest/visitors for their gracious presence on the Online platform and valuable service to the parish during the year 2023-2024.

Rev. Thomas Baby Fr Kuriakose Thadathil Rev. John Mathew C Rev Molly Chitokwondo Rev Shemil Mathew Rev. Johnson M John Rev. MJ Cherian Mr Sunny Stephen Rev Sunny Thomas

Hermon Mar Thoma Church has always encouraged its members to express their faith and given opportunity to take part in various charitable activities to promote their spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Regular Divine Services and Prayer meetings serve as foundation for growth and upliftment of the beneficiaries constantly throughout the year. Presence of locally resident vicar proved helpful in promoting regional bible study classes and /or cottage fellowship. Various sub-organisations also played its role of encouraging and sustaining the unity of community at all age groups.

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PERFORMANCE AND OUTLOOK

Performance and Outlook

FINANCIAL ACTIVITY

The Parish is grateful for the wholehearted response of the members to the Stewardship campaign. The parish is wholly dependent on the voluntary contributions of members and friends to whom Hermon MTC is greatly indebted, for their financial support during the year under review.

The charity’s financial position at the end of the year ended 31 March 2024.

The financial position of the charity at 31 March 2024 and comparatives for the prior period are detailed in the accounts and can be summarised as follows:-

2024 (£) 2023 (£)
Total Funds
Net Income for the year 17681 68819
Funds brought forward 420053 351234
Total 437734 420053
Funds Allocation
Unrestricted Funds 182556 181973
Designated Revenue Funds 147264 180591
Revenue Restricted Funds 7984 981
Fixed Asset Restricted Funds 99930 56508
Total 437734 420053

The board of trustees is satisfied that the charity's assets in each fund are available and adequate to fulfil its obligations in respect of each fund.

RESERVE POLICY

Designated Funds

The funds are earmarked towards procuring the Church's own vicarage and / or worship place in the future.

Restricted Funds

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Unrestricted Funds

The Parish shall set aside reserves to provide financial stability and the means to sustain, improve and develop its mission and objectives. As the flow of income is not uniform, reserves need to be set aside to meet expenses that are irregular in pattern. The Executive Committee has determined that the approximate level of free reserves should be equivalent to six months expenditure, approximately £40,000. Unrestricted fund in excess of £40,000 at the year-end would be transferred to the Designated funds.

ELECTION OF THE NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2024-2025

The election of the Executive Committee members for 2024-2025 took place during General body meeting on 25th February 2024 at St Marys Hobs Moat Hall. The list of elected members is given on page 53. The organisational representatives were elected by the general bodies of the respective organisations.

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SUMMARY

Under the leadership of Rev John T Thomas, we have now established a strong presence and participation in the region with several new members joining this year. Our church has been dynamic and have been able to reach out to existing and new members has helped the church grow in the community. This year we also welcomed many new members and students to our church worship services.

The Trustees have had to regard the charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in managing the activities of the charity.

This report along with the accounts for the year 2023-24 was approved by the board trustees on 04/09/2024 On behalf of Board of Trustees

Mr Georgie Thomas Secretary

Rev John T Thomas President

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OVER EXPENDITURE & NON-BUDGETED ~~ee~~

Over Expenditure & Non-Budgeted Items

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ~~BP~~

Independent Examiner’s Report

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ~~BP~~

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INTERNAL AUDITOR’S REPORT ~~ee~~

Internal Auditor’s Report

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CASH FLOW STATEMENT ~~BP~~

Statement of Financial Activities

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CASH FLOW STATEMENT ~~BP~~

March 2024

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CASH FLOW STATEMENT ~~Se~~

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CASH FLOW STATEMENT ~~BP~~ Hermon Mar Thoma Church Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 31 March 2024

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~ee~~

Dividends, interest and rents from investments

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~BP~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~BP~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~BP~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~BP~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~BP~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~See~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~BP~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~Ci~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~Pe~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~ee~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~ee~~

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS ~~Be~~

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2024-25 BUDGET PROPOSAL

Income Budget Proposal for 2024-25

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2024-25 BUDGET PROPOSAL

Expenditure Budget Proposal for 2024-25

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DONOR RECEIPTS SUMMARY

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2023-24 ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

2024-25 Administrative Team

President Rev. John T Thomas
Vice President Dr Sudeep K Thomas
Secretary Dr Georgie P Thomas
Trustee (Finance) Mr Shiju Abraham
Trustee (Accounts) Mr Aby Chandy
Lay Leader 1 Mr Binoy Thomas
Lay Leader 2 Mr Monish Varghese
Mandalam Member Mr Thomas Koshy
Diocesan Assembly Member Mr Thomas Abraham
Nominated Zonal Assembly Member Mr Sherry Matthews
Organization Representatives
Choir Mr. Mathew K Thomas
Senior Citizen Fellowship Dr Sunny Thomas
Sevika Sangham Mrs Anu Shaji
Sunday School Dr Noel Abraham
Youth Fellowship Miss Christine Mathew
Edavaka Mission Mr Jinu P Mathew
Couple Fellowship Mrs Tania Thomas
Area Representatives
Birmingham, Worcester & Solihull Mr Jose John
Coventry, Warwickshire & Nuneaton Mr Sam Mathew
Walsall, Wolverhampton & Stafford Mr Thomas Oonnoonny
Nottingham, Derby & Burton-Upon-Trent Dr Susy Jacob
Leicester Mr Sanish Mathew
Safeguarding Officer Mrs Jinu Varghese
Internal Auditors Dr. Reggie John
Internal Auditors Mr Marcus Abraham
Newsletter Editor Mrs. Anisha Sam

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HERMON MAR THOMA CHURCH

UK & Europe Zone

Registered Charity Number – 1137185

Principal Address 83 Cheswood Drive Sutton Coldfield, B76 1XU Tel 01214391700 Place of Worship Saint Marys Hobs Moat 30 Hob's Meadow, Solihull, B92 8PN Bankers Lloyds TSB Bank Plc PO Box 1000, BX1 1LT Independent Examiner Jitender Kaur Chartered Accountant Faith House, Main St., Little Stretton, Leicester LE2 2FS Office:9 Stoughton Road Oadby Leicester, LE2 4DS

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