## **TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH RAINSFORD ROAD, CHELMSFORD CM1 2XB** ## **ANNUAL REPORT** **SEPTEMBER 2020- AUGUST 2021** |CONTENTS|| |---|---| |Index|
2| |Trustees Report|3 - 13| |Accounts|14 –20| |Reference and administrative information|21| ## **Trustees’ Annual Report for year ended 31 August 2021** ## **Governing Documents and Objectives** Trinity Methodist Church is governed by the Methodist Church Act 1976, the Deed of Union and the Model Trusts of the Methodist Church. The purposes of the Methodist Church are and shall be deemed to have been since the date of union the advancement of: (a) the Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the discipline of the Methodist Church; (b) any charitable purpose for the time being of any Connexional district, circuit, local or other organisation of the Methodist Church; (c) any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church; (d) any purpose for the time being of any charity being a charity subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church. Trinity Methodist Church has taken into account the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance on advancing a charity’s aims when carrying out its range of activities. The trustees consider that these provide benefit to those who worship in our church and to the wider local community. ## **Organisational Structure** Overall control rests with the Methodist Conference. The Connexional office implements decisions made by Conference and is also responsible for the stationing of Ministers in this Circuit. Connexional decisions are passed to the Chair of the District and the appropriate Officers of the District for regional implementation. Trinity is part of the Chelmsford Circuit which is part of the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex District. The District passes control down to circuit level for local implementation by the Superintendent Minister, supported by ministerial staff and circuit stewards. At local church level authority is delegated to the Church Council as the decision making body. The policies of the Church Council are implemented by the minister in pastoral charge supported by church stewards. In addition to this, the Church Council is required to ensure all property and financial reports are submitted to the Circuit in a timely fashion. Trustees of the church who served during the year are listed at the end of this report. ## **Church Membership** The period covered in this report was seriously affected by the COVID Pandemic. For much of the year there were no services or events on the premises, when the entire country and much of the world was in lockdown. During this period the church adapted its worshipping life and many of groups and committees working online in various ways. It has been good to realise that whatever challenges we face the church continues it’s work of witness and praise to God. Membership remains at 137. We have once again been blessed with new worshippers joining our fellowship from other churches/circuits and countries. However, growth is not simply a matter of numbers but one of spirituality. We have continued to provide opportunity for fellowship through our House groups, special Sunday services and seasonal study evenings. Over the course of the year we have moved to a one Presbyter / one Deacon team of five churches sharing the mission of God in the City ## **Staffing** Ministerial input remains the same in the Circuit since the previous year: Deacon Ramona Samuel and Presbyter Mark Pengelly being the ministers. The Circuit employed a new part time safeguarding officer to support local Church safeguarding officers. Staff in the Church office continue to support the work of Trinity. Before the pandemic lockdowns the church office was open three mornings a week, staffed by volunteers. We have two fully accredited Local Preachers, and two worship Leaders. Since lockdown office volunteers have continued to support the life of the church from home, including the provision of hard copy notices and service sheets for those not online, as well as emailed information for those who are. ## **Training** Creating Safer Space Safeguarding training has continued to meet the requirements of our Safeguarding Policy: since March 2020 such training has not been available. Online courses have now been made available. Following the installation of new projection equipment members of the AV team have been further trained in operating the sound and digital projection systems. ## **Support** One of the Circuit Stewards attends our Church Council meetings, held three times each year. S/he takes note of issues raised at these meetings and reports back to the Circuit Leadership Team which offers encouragement and guidance as necessary. The church property committee has undertaken a risk assessment and all electrical appliances have been PAT tested. Representatives from the Church council attend the Circuit Meeting. ## **Plans for the Forthcoming Year** The pandemic has brought into question almost everything that our church has done, and many things have had to have a radical rethink of approach. This includes pastoral care, severely affected by the inability to have face to face encounters; with the closing down of our buildings worship has gone online (mainly YouTube); all of the fellowship meetings ceased to meet on the premises after March, and even in the summer when some restrictions were eased there was very little opportunity to meet. Latterly some fellowship and study opportunities re-established themselves using Zoom. In the coming year Trinity will hope to re-establish many of it’s meetings and worship and to re-think how we offer ministry when so much has been restricted. Innovation and thinking differently have been inspired by the Spirit. ## **Trustees** Expenses: it is the policy to reimburse trustees and others involved in the administration of church affairs for expenditure properly incurred in carrying out their duties. Apart from ministers no trustees were in receipt of any payment for work undertaken on behalf of the church, although certain travelling and administration costs were re-imbursed as set out in financial statements. ## **Recruitment** We follow the Connexional ‘Safer Recruitment’ guidelines and whilst the appointment of trustees is determined in accordance with Methodist procedures it is the aim to ensure that the Church Council has a broad experience to include pastoral, financial and property matters. Training for stewards and council members is available at circuit level. ## **Responsibilities** The trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the Church’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees have: - selected suitable accounting policies and applied them consistently, - prepared accounts on a cash and receipts basis, - followed applicable accounting standards, - prepared the financial statements on the going concern basis. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the church and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the law. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the church and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. So far as each of the trustees is aware, there is no relevant information that has not been disclosed to the independent examiner and each of the trustees believes that all steps have been taken that ought to have been taken to make him/her aware of any relevant information and to establish that the independent examiner has been made aware of that information. ## **Reserves Policy** The policy ensures that adequate funds are held to meet the day to day expenditures of the church. However, this always acknowledges that the continued payment of the church assessments, as agreed prior to the start of each financial year, will be sufficient to cover the main costs of the church including the circuit assessment. In September 2011 the Reserves Policy was set to require that the church maintains sufficient reserves to be held to cover 6 months expenditure, to pay the circuit assessment and church expenditure. At the end of this financial year we had £160,487.89 in reserves (£136,714.94 Legacies). The previous year we had £203,349.83 (£163,728.14 Legacies) as reserves. We have met our 6 Months policy requirement. ## **Activities** Our mission is to proclaim the love of God, in Jesus, to all people by: being a place of welcome, worship and nurture; belonging, learning and growing together; serving the community in whatever way we can. Trinity provides training and support to its members and the wider church community to enable them to carry out the mission of the Church. It supports other charities in the UK and overseas, financially and with prayer. Trinity seeks ways of engaging with the local community and several members of the congregation serve as school governors, members of local charities and community care and support projects. 5. **Treasurers Report end of year August 2021.** As we have now finished the financial year 2020 to 2021, I can report on our finances for that period. ## **Bank account** We have £11,524.69 in our bank account. ## **Reserve funds** CFB General fund £50,712.03 CFB Lift Fund £577.70 TMCP £91,987.20 **Total £143,276.93** **£134,110.81** is from legacy money. Our true reserve figure is £8,588.42 (Not including the lift fund) We are over the required 6 months reserves that our policy requires (£60,000) if you include the legacy money. Lift fund amount is £577.70. This is now 0.00 as we have had to pay several bills for the lift to be fixed. ## **Offerings** We have only received £43,271.26 in offerings this year. Last year we received £46,017.05. We are £2,745.79 down from the previous year. This is mostly due to the church being closed due to Covid-19. ## **Property Lettings** Lettings raised only £3,060.00 this year. Last year £15,935.61 Down £12,875.61 down from last year **.** This is mostly due to the church being closed due to Covid-19. We must **urgently** look for ways to increase this figure going forward **,** otherwise our reserve figures will decrease rapidly. **Thank you once again Janet and Nick for all your efforts, they are very much appreciated** ## **General** This has been a very challenging year. I predicted a £25k deficit but we managed to reduce that to £14k. This was mainly due to reduced utility charges, contracts stopped and lastly a Grant of £6,437.93 for covid issues. Obviously on our income side our lettings plummeted to only £3,060. We must look to reducing our consumption of electricity & gas i.e., making sure that lights are turned off when not in use. We should urgently look at replacing the old electrical heaters in the upstairs hall, these are old and inefficient. Although there will be an initial outlay, we will very soon recoup this with reduced electricity charges. ## **Circuit** Our contribution was £63,582.00 the same as the previous year ## Treasurer’s Report continued,,,, ## **Future** The next financial year, I think will be even more challenging. We all agreed to continue paying the same assessment to circuit as the previous year. £63,582. We set a budget for lettings of £15k. even with this there will be a predicted **deficit of £24k.** We must increase our income in all areas. Increased lettings, fundraising and welcoming new people into our congregation to generate more income. We have the space in our building to achieve the lettings issue as long as we have a vision to do so. We must all be more imaginative in the way we operate and cannot just sit on our hands and do nothing. We have major and expensive issues with our building. Unless we generate more income, the financial future looks uncertain for us at Trinity. Nigel Murrell CHURCH S AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS RECEI THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Trinity Methodist Chelmsford Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2021 Circult Clr¢ult no Registered Charity - Charity Reglslration number If not a registered charrty Hor Majostys Rèvenue and Customs Gift Ald number (The HMRC number is equNaFent lo a registered Charity number in terms of evid ststus and may be used lo give to donors or grant funders wishing to see eviden haritable status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not register excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242) 1144627 ce of charttable e of the organisation's charities are Minister. Rev. Mark Pen ChurGh Stewards.. Carol Kellingra Cassels French Roger Fairclou Gillian HArringto Sh¢ila Makumba Treasurer.. Nigel Murr¢ll ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR EI4)ED 31 AUGUST 2021 Trinity Chelm thodist ford Cknurch l* thls Totsl¥ 1831 SECTION A Fund5 Funds RECEIPTS Offerin s and Tax rwvered Bank and CFB interest and Investrnent income and TMCP 55.572.98 572.98 58,160.77 a3 216 66 216.66 1.161.67 3,C60.00 18.684.42 77,$34.06 oeo.00 15,935.61 9,837.25 85,09S.30 othèr receipt¥ TOTAL RECEiprs 18 684.42 S34.08 la71 SECTION B b1 PAYMENTS b2 Circuit Assessmert or Share 63.582.00 2.00 63,582.00 300.00 Don8tK)ns 300.00 .00 Re airs and Maintènance utilrtie5 Ilnsuiances. water char es, heatin tin 7.370.00 70.00 4 861.52 10,177.93 10 Tl.93 16.786.28 b7 Other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS 12.533.66 93.963.59 12 33.66 40,869.04 126J78.84 63.59 (b9} SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ¢1 18,429.53 16 29.63 41,283.54 Total fijnds brought forward from last year 172,290.57 172 90.57 c6 213 574.11 Sub totsl c1+c2 155 61.04 172 290.57 Trdnslers and ad'ustments c5 TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR {c3+e41 155.861.04 155 61.04 172.290.57 Ic61 SECTION D FOR INFORMATION ONLY.. MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORG NISATIONS (th888 amounts are not to be 1￿clud•d in total fecel pa nts floureB abov• d1 Balance bro ht forward from last 22.00 d2 Offerin sIGfft8. rewved for extèmal nisattons 72.73 2.749.56 d3 OfferingslGffts - passed to extemal organisations 35.00 4.307.84 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID {d1+d2431 622.00 21 21. Trini Melhxli Chelrnsfts ¢￿r¢h AI#SAT SECTK¥I E No umNwolthÈ JI AuBust2Q21 am INiBrnal bhatthayox4Ybe￿&roraryKtsl l*eUrvJ. N(1etr￿ithefvnai(rf£Tr must woddacwJn¥tyAND DIFFERENTFORMmtyt¢ a(tOL￿111￿mbI￿15t￿1bl PbwerfertOihgtrldaruNAe¥v¢kn INIÈRIthL rffiGANWITOIIS IleiRe¢Èip bpLqr 170.( 1￿.L¥) 109.92 69.92 Vlomans"Wl 153.34 31.87 174.23 50.77 173.77 12500 Ladk*Grou 2W. 48023 e4a Trf 1.649.71 1.Y23 62021 6*21 132r4 140 140. 1,2$8.se I,￿sse orgaThisaiiDTh5fvr 22.050AO ut¢hkeount•(tol 2-IOtsbtdumnl 9A9$3 1¢7) 17 155 861.04 BYCHURCH 6ll58Jg 9BMU.02 I7￿￿3 1.07 1779IIA4 TOyAL￿cEPT$ TOTAL PAYTrIENTS tots15f￿ SEGvofiF OPEWNG CLO8*IG OALAN¢ES ¢￿￿cH. CASMFLWDS HEtDatJi •t2WI cashli￿r￿j IOWM.01 512*72 91.86172 •1.98720 SUgTOYAL.¢hw¢hx¢tyxts 172 .67 155.Ui.04 Tobl h￿$h￿d a￿￿) ie12) 22.05QAO TOYALC￿￿ FtWDSHELDBY¢HURC 195221￿7 1T7911A4 SEcmoMG At 1 seP￿T￿l2020 31 Auougl2021 DTHERAsSETsandLL￿LIrES iaDd&BUMI Ettn0*8 re 8 764.00 157 546.C¥) 160539.Q) 14thdUdE￿￿FL￿j$1￿￿y0itht¢entr0IF1TrÉfft(* PwpJ&e6 Name of ChurchTrintty Methodist Church Chelmsford No .......... Indopendent Examlnerf8 8tatsmont I have completed my examlnation. I confim that no material matters have ¢ connection with the examination (other than that disclosed belovfi which gN in, any material respecL' to my atterFtron in me cause to believe that the acwunting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 Ihe accounts do not accord with the accounling records. [the Ilhe the Act,. or I have no concems and have come across rto other matters In connection attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper undetstsn reached. the examinalion to which ing of the accounts to be elhave not. obtained Independent verification of all investmènts with t urch Puws or held in other tNsts, bank balan￿S and funds at the Cen Methodtst Church which are individually in ex￿$$ of £10,000 (ten thousand sheet date. stees for Methodist l Finance Board of the unds) at the balance Signalure of independent examiner Name of independent examiner Chris Regan Relevant professional qualification of Independent examiner Name of firm (where appropriate) - Chris Regan Ltd Address CItyGate House RJO 197-199 Baddi)w Road Chelmsford Essex Post Code CM 7PZ Date delete or c￿cle as appropriate Sep20 ## **Trustees of the Church** ## **Minister** Rev Mark Pengelly Chair ## **Stewards** Pam French Eddie Cassels Roger Fairclough Gillian Harrington Carol Kellingray Sheila Mukumba ## **Church Representatives** Val Scott Val Scott Church Council Secretary Nigel Murrell Treasurer Hilary Walden Pastoral secretary Kay Burton Worship & Nurture Group Tony Bender Outreach & Fellowship Group Diane Potter Office representative Eric Smart Property Steward Ian Armstrong Circuit Steward Russell Burton Congregational representative Keith Byatt Congregational representative Jeff Green Congregational representative Joyce Lees Congregational Representative Tony Lees Congregational Representative Karen Murrell Congregational representative Gwen Mumby Congregational representative Janet Wintle Congregational representative 21.