Faringdon Baptist Church Trustees Annual Report (TAR) for 2020/21
The Trustees present their Annual Report and financial statements for 2020/21.
Charitable Object
The Charity is governed by an Approved Governing Document which states that the principal purpose of the charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination to include the advancement of education, community service and such other general charitable purposes in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the Church shall determine.
The Church occupies premises which are held by the Baptist Union Corporation Ltd, on Trusts which are entirely compatible with the above object.
Organisational Structure and Decision-making processes
Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the Constitution which requires them to be or to have been publicly baptised on the profession of faith in Jesus Christ, or following other modes of baptism to renew their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
The Members’ Meeting normally takes place six times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the church. In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint Trustees, who together with the Minister, Church Secretary and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the members), and collectively known as the Leadership Team, are responsible for the day to day running of the church’s work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objective.
Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church meeting by the Trustees for guidance, or may be raised by members in Church meetings for further consideration by the Trustees. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible.
Objectives and Activities
In order to achieve the principal objective, which is set out above, the Church provides a variety of activities both to its membership and to the community generally. The aim is to show the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed and to bring people into a closer relationship with Christ as living Lord.
Central to the work and witness of the Church is the provision of regular public services of Christian worship. These services take place each Sunday at 10.30 am. There are also weekly midweek services at other times which are advertised on the Church notices and the website at www.faringdon-baptist.org. There is a children’s programme during the morning services. The church seeks to be a friendly and welcoming community and anybody is free to attend any of these services.
The Church runs a series of house groups for the growth of faith and discipleship in the homes of some members, and further details of these can be obtained from the Trustees on request, or
at the Sunday services.
From time to time the Church runs courses for people interested in discovering more about Christianity.
Due the Covid-19 pandemic, the Church premises have not been used by the community. However, under normal circumstances, the Church premises are used by the community and the Faringdon Food Bank, Bromsgrove Day Centre Lunch Club and FAAZE centre for teenagers with learning disabilities use the building regularly during the week.
The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately vetted with regard to the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Church has read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, and is satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrates that the charity is providing a benefit to the public.
Achievements and Performance
The Church does not measure the success of its programmes only in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas like fellowship and encouragement. The Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure but believe that 2020/21 was a positive year in the life of the church. It is cognisant of both the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the changes taking place in the local community and is exploring new avenues to pursue its mission purposes in the future with equal enthusiasm.
As always, membership and attendance has fluctuated during the year, sadly, we have had to bid farewell to a number of members who have moved on however attendance on a Sunday morning has remained stable. On 1st March 2020 the membership stood at 57.
The church continues to work with other organisations within the town of Faringdon. The Bromsgrove lunch and social club continue to meet here providing a lunch and support for older members of the community. The ‘Messy Dads’ on the first Saturday of each month giving space for male carers and their children to meet together with food, play and friendship is universally popular.
Financial Review
The Church continues to raise the funds which it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation. No wider public appeal was made for funds during the year.
The most significant cost is the employment of staff, a Pastor, and a Pastoral Worker, together with the cost of providing a Manse for the Pastor. These work to lead and co-ordinate the church’s activities including the Sunday Services, to provide pastoral care for the congregation and other people, and to equip and encourage the membership in their life, Christian witness and service.
The Church expressed its part in the life of the wider church by making grants to national and international Christian organisations and societies with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the church’s own charitable purpose.
The Church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of the
church’s activities, many of which run with little or no impact on the church’s expenditure, but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of the church’s objectives.
The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted are set out in the accompanying financial statements.
The Trustees have made an assessment of the major risks facing the church, and are satisfied that there are policies in place to minimise these risks.
Faringdon Baptist Church
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Profit and loss account For the year ending 28th February 2021
INCOME 2021 2020 2021 Budget
Giving
General Offering £505 £4,824 £5,000
Regular giving (inc. tax refunds) £74,357 £79,242 £75,000
Gifts and bequests £4,290 £2,406 £4,500
£79,152 £86,472 £84,500
Other income
Lunch and Leisure Club rent £120 £2,000 £2,000
Licence Fee £0 £4,085 £4,500
Rent £0 £0 £0
Dividends and interest received £0 £431 £350
£120 £6,516 £6,850
Gifts for specific purposes
£490 £940 £0
TOTAL INCOME £79,762 £93,929 £91,350
EXPENSES £72,526 £91,543 £90,635
NET SURPLUS/ (DEFICIT) £7,236 £2,386 £715
EXPENSES
Bromsgrove expenses
Repairs £1,006 £7,190 £5,000
Heat, light and water £3,468 £2,321 £4,500
Insurance £1,441 £1,436 £1,470
Telephone £626 £536 £510
Manse running expenses £4,630 £5,596 £6,000
School rent £960 £4,723 £5,800
Stationery, new equip, copier etc. £599 £513 £2,200
Books and courses £32 £1,107 £1,500
Hospitality £0 £581 £650
Moderator/ interregnum/ Sabbatical costs £0 £0 £1,000
£12,760 £24,004 £28,630
Miscellaneous
Subscriptions £1,427 £1,886 £1,300
Speakers costs/events/Outreach £651 £1,243 £900
Music licence/legal fees £0 £582 £850
Web hosting £249 £249 £600
£2,327 £3,959 £3,650
Salary expenses
Pastor - Stipend & Expenses £19,905 £19,855 £20,000
Intern Youth Worker £0 £2,014 £0
Pastoral Wkr - Salary, NI and expenses £12,365 £14,388 £13,000
Pension Contributions £8,948 £9,600 £9,700
PAYE and NI £4,990 £4,545 £5,100
£46,208 £50,402 £47,800
General Giving
Baptist Missionary Society £2,700 £2,700 £3,900
Home Mission Fund £3,900 £3,900 £2,695
Swindon Youth for Christ £240 £240 £260
Arshad's Mission £1,500 £1,500 £1,300
Wycliffe - Matt & Liz Wisbey £2,400 £2,400 £2,400
£10,740 £10,740 £10,555
Giving re specific donations with gift aid
Eleanor Kelsey £0 £0 £0
Anonymous £490 £1,698 £0
Food bank £0 £378 £0
Christian Aid £0 £362 £0
£490 £2,438
TOTAL EXPENDITURE £72,526 £91,543 £90,635
5 Year summary
INCOME 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Regular giving (inc. tax refunds) £79,152 £86,472 £92,214 £92,045 £78,648
Other income £120 £6,516 £4,722 £8,090 £16,145
Money received for specific purposes £490 £940 £2,320 £4,520 £1,814
Total income £79,762 £93,928 £99,256 £104,655 £96,607
EXPENSES
Staff £46,208 £50,402 £49,094 £50,465 £23,127
Giving £11,230 £13,178 £14,337 £19,204 £13,484
Other expenses £15,087 £8,946 £41,100 £33,699 £19,933
Total expenses £72,526 £91,543 £104,531 £103,369 £56,544
Surplus/ (Deficit) £7,236 £2,385 -£5,276 £1,286 £40,063
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Balance sheet at 28 February 2021
2021 2020 2019
Manse (at valuation) £300,000 £290,000 £285,000
Current Assets
Debtors £8,359 £11,055 £13,029
Bank and cash £182,085 £97,072 £86,909
£190,444 £108,127 £99,938
Current liabilities
Creditors and accrued expenditure £616 £7,382 £1,577
£189,828 £100,745 £98,360
£489,828 £390,745 £383,360
REPRESENTED BY:
General fund
Balance at 1 March 2020 £137,405 £135,020 £140,296
Surplus for the year £7,236 £2,385 -£5,276
£144,641 £137,405 £135,020
Manse revaluation reserve £180,555 £170,555 £165,555
Future Fund
Balance at 1 March 2020 £82,785 £82,785 £80,745
Income £81,847 £-00 £2,040
£164,632 £82,785
£82,785
£489,828 £390,745 £388,636
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Independent examinerfs report on the accounts portto th8 tru5to m•mb•rn of FARINGDON BAPTIST CHURCH On accounts forthe y•ar end 28TH February 2021 Ch•rity no Ilf anyl 1138446 Sot out on pages 1- 3. attach•d Respective The charity's trustees con$i¢Jerthat on audit is not required for this year resp0nslbl1•S of lunder section 43121 of the Charities A¢X 1993 (the Aclll and that an trustees and examlngr independent examination is nggdad. is my responsith.lrty lo examine the aOUnts (under section 43 ¢ff the AfAI. lo follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission lundei stion 43{7llbl ofthe Adl, and to state whether palar rn8tterB he come to my ¥ttenlion. Bas1$ of indop•ndonl My exam¢rtIOn was carried ¢xt in accorflance wrth General DilOn$ given •umln•rf$ ststsm•nt by the Charity Commissioriers. An examin8b.on in¢ludes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented w(¢h those records. 11 also indudes consideration ol any unusual items or disdosures in the acix)unts. snd seeking explanations from the tnjstees concerning any such matters. The prdureS undertaken do not prowde all the ev7dence that would be required in an audit. and consequèntly I do not express an audrt okynion on the accounts. Independent In the course of my exinatiOn, no mattef has me lo my attention examiner'$ ststemont 1. which gives me rea5(ae cause to believe th8t in, any material resF¢Ct. the trustees have rt met the requirements to ensure that.. proper accounting records are kept lin ac&)rdance wth section 41 of the Act),. and acojunts are prepared which agree with the attounls'ng records and CoMY with the &counting reqUireEntS of the Act,. or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should te drawn in orderto enaNe a proper understanding ofthe ntS to be re*hed. Slgn•d: 14 May 2021 Name: Martin Spackman Relevant professional quallflcallonlsl or body 1Sf any): Chart•r•d Management Accountant Address: 12 Mapl• Road Farlngdon Oxfordshlro SN7 8BE IER December 2005