The MIDLANDS GOSPEL PARTNERSHIP TRUST
ANNUAL REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
for the year ended 31[st] August 2024
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1 |
| Receipts and Payments Accounts for year ended 31st August 2024 | 8 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees | 10 |
Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Charity Name The Midlands Gospel Partnership Trust Status Trust Registered Charity with effect from 12[th ] November 2010 Registered Charity Number 1138999 Registered Office Stapleford Baptist Church Albert Street Stapleford NG9 8DB
Trustees Trustees who served during the year are set out below: -
Mr S Allen Rev C Hobbs (Co-Chair, resigned 17[th] July 2024) Mr D James Mr J James Mr R Lacey Mr P Mallard Mr J Russell (Co-Chair) Mr P Skerratt (Co-Chair)
None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the Trust and all served without remuneration in their capacity as Trustees.
Administrator
A Deane
Independent Examiner
Mr S Adam 1 Sherroside Close, Allestree, Derby DE22 2HN
Bankers
Lloyds TSB Bank plc - Commercial Banking P O Box 10000 Bexhill BX1 1LT
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
Trustees Annual Report for the period 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
The trustees are pleased to present this Annual Report and Financial Statements for The Midlands Gospel Partnership (charity number 1138999) for the year ending 31[st] August 2024.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing Document
The Trust is a registered charity governed in accord with its Declaration of Trust dated 25[th] May 2010. The Charity Commission granted registered charity status on 12[th] November 2010.
Organisational structure
The Trust is governed by a Steering Committee (Trustees) comprising of those involved in the leadership of evangelical churches across the Midlands. They meet monthly to set policy and review the activities of the Trust.
Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees
Trustees are elected by nomination and resolution of the existing Trustees. Trustees don’t receive remuneration or any other benefits from their work with MGP.
Trustees Induction and Training
New Trustees are given training and an induction process that is overseen by the existing Trustees, who may delegate certain elements of the induction process to staff members.
Risk Management
The Trustees examine the major strategic and operational risks which the Trust faces regularly at their monthly meetings, and formally before the end of the financial year.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The Trustees apply the income of the Trust in furthering the following objects, namely for the promotion and the advancement of evangelical, protestant, reformed Christian religion (“the Faith”) including in particular but not so as to limit the generality of the foregoing by:-
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i) The support and furtherance of the religious and other charitable work of congregations meeting for religious worship in the counties of Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire, and such other counties as the Trustees may from time to time determine.
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ii) The establishment, support and furtherance of new congregations meeting for religious worship in the said or such other counties by way of Church plants and otherwise.
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iii) The support of presbyters, deacons, youth workers, pastoral workers, teachers, evangelists, musicians, and administrators.
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iv) The advancement of religious education in accordance with the Faith by means of ministry, children’s and youth workers, and other training courses, classes, seminars, lectures, conferences, and other events, and otherwise.
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
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v) The holding of public meetings and assemblies.
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vi) The award of grants to, and otherwise supporting those training for the Ministry, or other religious positions as youth workers, pastoral workers, teachers, evangelists, musicians, and administrators.
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vii) The production, publication, and dissemination of religious work.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Review of activities and impact for Public Benefit
The Midlands Gospel Partnership is a network of local churches committed to expanding gospel ministry across the Midlands through training in biblical ministry, co-operating in evangelism and partnering in church planting initiatives.
The main activities of the Midlands Gospel Partnership Trust for the year ended 31[st] August 2024 included-
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i) A leaders’ conference (the Leaders’ Conference), which is open to senior ministers and other leaders. This annually recurring event was designed to support and encourage those involved in Christian leadership, and other church members and to assist them in leading and building up the wider church family.
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ii) A partnership day conference (MGP Partnership Day), which is open to senior ministers of partner churches, bringing one colleague. The day provides a chance for partnership members to get together and see our development in achieving our vision of seeing healthy local churches in every Midlands community.
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iii) An affordable Bible training course, the Midlands Ministry Training Course (MMTC). The course is designed to help church members, including ministry trainees, to better understand how to read and teach the bible.
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iv) Specific MGP Youth and Children’s ministry training day courses (Re:Charge, Next Generation Conference) as well as an annual event for young people and their youth group leaders (Midlands Youth Convention). These are designed to support and encourage Christian fellowships across the Midlands and enable them to be more effective in their Christian ministry and their walk with God.
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v) Midlands Women’s Convention and Midlands Men’s Convention provide a place for men and women to hear God speak through His Word, to sing His praises and to think together what it means to live for Christ in today’s world.
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vi) Involvement in national Gospel centred initiatives alongside other Regional Gospel Partnerships.
The Trust aims to continue to deliver services and benefits through the key activities outlined above, and to see growth in the number of partner churches. In the 2023-2024 we welcomed one new church into the partnership.
The Partnership Day was held in October 2023 at Holy Trinity Church, Hinckley. Approximately 40 delegates, representing 24 partner churches across 8 regions, attended the event. It provided an important opportunity to gather and reflect on our vision for training and the role of MGP within it.
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
Part of the day was dedicated to small group discussions, which were marked by a high level of engagement and lively conversations.
The Leaders’ Conference 2024 centred on spending the day together as a partnership, refocusing on our mission. The event, titled Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus, challenged us as a network of gospel churches across the Midlands to consider: How might God use us to reap a harvest for his glory?
Nick McQuaker, Director of Passion for Life, was the main speaker. He was joined by several guest speakers who led seminars aimed at helping us cultivate a deeper evangelistic heart within our churches. Each seminar addressed a different aspect of evangelism:
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Mobilising Your Church for Evangelism – Dan James and Richard Lacey
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Evangelising My Muslim Neighbour – Peter Jolly
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Evangelism MOT – Andrew Harris
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Evangelism after Christendom – Nick McQuaker
Hosted at Knighton Church, the conference welcomed 60 attendees from across the Midlands, making it a valuable time of learning, encouragement, and shared vision.
In 2023-2024 the MMTC course reverted to just the one course, for both 1st and 2nd year students, in the East (Nottingham), as we sought to establish the ministry in a viable form going forward. However, our ethos of ‘training gospel people, with the gospel word, for the sake of gospel growth’ remained the same.
Besides welcoming students from the Nottingham and Derby area, we were glad that several people who would more naturally have attended the West course made the cross-country trip, such that overall 29 students were enrolled. Once again, we rejoiced in our social and ethnic diversity in Christ,
which is such a testimony to his gracious work in and among us. A single location also enabled the return each term of the previously popular ‘Book in a Day’, with guest speakers leading us through 1-2 Kings, Proverbs and Revelation.
Our re-named ‘Workshop’ groups were as ever a priority, giving students themselves the opportunity to learn how to give Bible talks in a small and sympathetic setting. The year concluded with an excellent social at a local café, as we sent each other on rejoicing to different parts of the region and indeed the country, to the good works God has already prepared for us to walk in.
Due to ongoing financial difficulties within the MMTC course, a subsidy of £10,000 was transferred from the MGP fund to ensure the program’s continued operation and stability. This support reflects our commitment to our objectives and activities, investing in gospel training and ensuring that future students can benefit from this ministry.
The Next Generation Conference , designed to equip children’s and youth workers for ministry, was successfully delivered by the MGP Youth & Children’s team in March 2024. This year’s theme, The Father Heart of God , was explored through a keynote address by Paul Mallard , FIEC’s Director for the West Midlands.
In addition to the keynote sessions, the conference featured five practical workshops, each running twice—once in the morning and again in the afternoon. These workshops covered key topics, including:
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
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Developing an intergenerational church culture
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Integrating and loving adopted and looked-after children and young people well
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Integrating and loving children and young people with additional needs well
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Teaching children to pray to their Heavenly Father
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Welcoming and supporting young people questioning or deconstructing their faith
The conference was a great success, with 210 delegates from 30 Midlands churches gathering at Cornerstone Church, Nottingham.
Big Day Out was rebranded as Re:Charge. It remains a termly event which aims to inspire and encourage excellence among those involved in fulltime children’s ministry. These all-day training and encouragement sessions, held at St Stephen’s Church Birmingham in November ’23, January’24, June ‘24, have continued to faithfully deliver wise, practical, and worthwhile teachings to a small group of interested participants.
The Midlands Youth Convention (MYC), titled Confident – How God’s Goodness Helps Us Deal with Suffering, Doubts, and Fears, was held in February 2024 at Woodlands Church, Allestree. The event is a day of teaching and worship designed for youth groups and their leaders, and this year it attracted approximately 70 young people along with their leaders.
Midlands Women’s Convention was held in 2023 in Nottingham on Saturday, 7th October at Cornerstone Church, and in the West in Birmingham on Saturday, 21st October at The Ruddock Performing Arts Centre. Clare Heath-Whyte spoke on John Chapters 3 & 4 with the title “God so Loved” This year’s seminars were:
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Listening Well to God’s Word - Abi Coward
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The Amazing Life of Elizabeth Fry: Witnessing through words and works to princes, prisoners and everyone in between - Clare Heath-Whyte
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Navigating Gender Identity - Susan Marriott
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Youth stream East - Debs Hunt, West - Chloe Harrison.
438 women attended in the East and 350 in the West for a total of 788. The Ruddock Centre was a lovely venue but the capacity of the areas surrounding the main auditorium made it unsuitable for future conventions of our size and format. The Convention was very well received by all who attended. The income and expenses should be reflected in the financial statements.
The Midlands Men’s Convention aims to encourage men across the Midlands to live wholeheartedly for Christ. It hosts two conventions each year - one in Nottingham in November and the other in Birmingham in May. These were attended by over 450 and 230 men, respectively.
At the East convention, Graham Beynon encouraged us to live in light of the future. Workshops explored topics such as our emotions, fatherhood, and talking about death.
At the West convention in May, Steve Midgley helped us consider how we could use our conversations for Christ. Workshops focused particularly on how to do this within our marriages and friendships.
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
At both conventions, it was encouraging to see a growing number attending the Youth Stream, which seeks to equip teenagers to grow as disciples of Christ.
Public Benefit
In accordance with our stated objectives, we exist for the benefit of individuals, primarily within the Midlands region of England, through the promotion and advancement of the evangelical protestant Christian religion.
The Trustees wish to express their sincere gratitude for the contributions made by our volunteers and supporters, whose dedication complements the work of our staff members. We affirm our conviction that it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings about true and lasting transformation, drawing individuals into relationship with Him. From this foundational and life-changing relationship flows the generous support of many, which enables and sustains the ministry of the Midlands Gospel Partnership.
We remain committed to ensuring that our courses and events are offered at an affordable cost. We continue to provide additional concessions where necessary, in order to make these opportunities accessible to all.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Having regard to the size and turnover of the Trust, the financial statements for the year have been drawn up on a receipts and payments basis and should be viewed in conjunction with this Trustee’s Report.
The Trust’s income is derived primarily from event and training course fees, as well as donations from partner churches and individual supporters. The Trustees wish to express their sincere appreciation to all who contribute financially to the work of the Trust.
MGP’s total receipts in the year ended 31 August 2024 were £61,466.61 and its total payments were £61,229.48, resulting in net surplus of £237.13. The Trustees are carefully monitoring the financial situation and planning for various future scenarios.
Expenditure for the year included staff salaries, costs associated with organising events, and expenditure on wider initiatives designed to support and encourage churches and individuals across the Midlands. We seek to make all events self-funding. However, we are prepared to subsidise events using funds received from partner churches and other donors, when doing so serves to advance the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ across the region. We also aim to ensure access for individuals who would otherwise be unable to participate due to financial constraints.
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
RESERVES POLICY
The Trustees are committed to maintaining reserves for General Funds equivalent to three months of operational costs, provided sufficient funding is available to achieve this, without hindering the ongoing development of the Trust’s ministry.
This reserve is intended to ensure the charity can continue to operate its essential services, remunerate its employees, and meet necessary expenses in the event of an unforeseen reduction in donations or unexpected expenditure.
On 31 August 2024, the reserves totalled £27,851.
DECLARATION
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above
Signed on behalf of the trustees P SKERRATT Date 17/6/25 Co-Chair of Trustees
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS for the year ended 31[st] August 2024
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS
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Unrestricted Restricted 2024 2023
Funds Funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
RECEIPTS
Gifts, donations, legacies and other 9,507 9,507 8,626
MGP conferences income 1,332 1,332 1,444
MGP YC conferences income 2,822 2,822 2,542
Midlands Men’s Convention income 6,449 6,449 5,626
Midlands Women’s Convention income 10,516 10,516 7,056
MMTC fees 19,892 19,892 26,535
MMTC gifts 949 949 2,170
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MMTC subsidy -internal transfer 10,000 10,000
Sub total 61,467 61,467 53,999
Asset and investment sales - - -
Total receipts 61,467 61,467 53,999
PAYMENTS
Grants and gifts 1,165 1,165 1,300
Managements and administration 1,230 1,230 1,679
Staff costs (salary, pensions, expenses) 6,270 6,270 7,435
MGP conferences costs 1,091 1,091 1,848
MGP YC conferences costs 2,288 2,288 2,426
Midlands Men’s Convention costs 5,841 5,841 4,597
Midlands Women’s Convention costs 5,767 5,767 5,802
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MMTC subsidy -internal transfer 10,000 10,000
Sub total 33,652 33,652 25,086
MMTC Hire costs 2,900 2,900 6,720
MMTC Speakers costs 1,763 1,763 1,808
MMTC Publicity costs - - 110
MMTC Printing, stationery, catering 189 189 123
MMTC Staff costs (director, admin) 22,725 22,725 29,894
Sub total 61,229 61,229 63,742
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Asset and investment purchases 1,216
Total payments 61,229 61,229 64,958
Net receipts / (payment) 238 238 (10,959)
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS for the year ended 31[st] August 2024
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
| Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Transfer between funds - Cash funds last year end 27,614 Cash funds this year end 27,851 Cash funds Lloyds TSB Bank plc Total cash funds 27,851 Other monetary assets - - Investment assets - - Assets retained for the charity’s own use Laptop (x2) estimated value based on straight line depreciation method over 5 years 973 Data projectors (x2) - Liabilities - - Signed on behalf of the trustees P SKERRATT Date Co-Chair of Trustees |
2024 Total £ 2023 Total £ - - 27,614 38,572 27,851 27,614 27,851 27,614 - - - - 973 1,216 - - - - 17/6/25 |
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Midlands Gospel Partnership Annual Report and Accounts 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE MIDLANDS GOSPEL PARTNERSHIP TRUST
Midland% Gospcl Partncrship Annual Rcport and Accounts 0110912023 to 3110812024 Give here briet d8tai15 of any Items that the èxamlngr wlshes to disclose. None IER October 2018 11