CHRISTCHURCH ANNUAL REPORT, 2021/22
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CHRISTCHURCH CLARENDON PARK (BAPTIST/METHODIST)
ANNUAL REPORT, YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022
Administrative information
Christchurch Clarendon Park is a Baptist/Methodist Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP), formed in 1992 by the former Clarendon Park Baptist and Clarendon Park Methodist Churches. The church meets in the premises of the former Methodist Church, which were extensively remodelled and refurbished in 1996/7.
We are members of the Leicester Trinity Methodist Circuit (23/7), the East Midland Baptist Association and the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
The address is Christchurch Clarendon Park
105a Clarendon Park Road LEICESTER LE2 3AH
Tel. (0116) 270 5369
Website: www.christchurchcp.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/christchurchcp Twitter: www.twitter.com/christchurch_cp Email: enquiries@christchurchcp.org.uk
General correspondence should be addressed to the Church Secretary:
Mr Chris Whitford, 23 Brinsmead Road, Leicester LE2 3WD
Correspondence concerning the accounts should be addressed to the Church Treasurer:
Dr Lawrence Whittaker, 24 Stoneygate Court, Leicester LE2 2AH
Christchurch is Registered Charity No.1148934.
Risk Assessment and review is carried out by the Resources Team (in respect of buildings and health and safety) and by the Executive concerning the future viability of the Church.
The number of church members at the beginning and end of this period was
| 31 | August | 2021 | 31 | August | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist | 22 | 15 | ||||
| Methodist | 36 | 34 | ||||
| Joint | 47 | 37 | ||||
| 105 | 86 |
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In addition, there are approximately a further 100 people on the community roll and a considerable number of contacts through groups which use the church premises on a regular basis.
The Managing Trustees are the members of the Executive. Ordained ministers in pastoral charge are ex officio members of the Executive. The other members are elected by the Annual Church Meeting. The Trustees have the power to co-opt up to a further four Trustees.
The current Trustees and those who served during the year ended 31 August 2022 are
| Mr Mark Asher | Mr David Eyre |
|---|---|
| Miss Alison Charlesworth | Mr Alan Stead |
| Rev Debra Chidakwa Akue (to Feb.2022) Mr Chris Whitford (Secretary | |
| Rev Kate Cook | Dr Lawrence Whittaker (Treasurer) |
Independent Examiner
Barry W Wilford, 7 Wickham Road, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5SJ
Bankers
Barclays Bank, 1–3 Haymarket Towers, Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE1 1WA National Westminster Bank, 1 Granby Street, Leicester LE1 6EJ
Aims and organisation
The purpose of Christchurch is to advance the Christian faith primarily in Clarendon Park, Knighton, Knighton Fields and Stoneygate, in the city of Leicester. In achieving its purpose, the Church engages in a range of activities both on its own and with others, as described later in this document. The agreed aims and objectives are the responsibilities of a number of Teams and Committees, especially the Executive, the Mission & Ministry Team and the Resources Team.
During the year, pastoral oversight was provided by Rev Debra Chidakwa Akue, who was our Methodist Minister until February 2022 followed by Rev Kate Cook, a Methodist supernumerary Presbyter, who was fortunately available when Rev Debra left. A Baptist input was maintained by our Associate Baptist Minister Rev John Rackley, who conducted services and gave other input when requested.
Public benefit
The Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in “The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit” and have regard to it in their administration of the Church. The Trustees believe that, by fulfilling their responsibility to work together with the ministers and co-operate in all matters of concern and importance for the promotion of the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical, they provide benefit to the public by:
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Providing resources and facilities for public worship, pastoral care and spiritual, moral and intellectual development, both for the Church members and for anyone who wishes to benefit from what the Church offers;
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Promoting Christian values and service by members of the Church to the community, to the benefit of individuals and society as a whole;
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Providing attractive meeting facilities to a wide range of community groups.
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Safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults
There were no serious incidents or other matters relating to Christchurch during the year ended 31 August 2022 which the Trustees should have brought to the attention of the Charity Commission.
Review of significant events, progress and achievements
As in daily life, precautions against Covid-19 have been relaxed during the year and they now have very little impact on the life of the church. The pattern of services has changed, with two services a month being ‘café church’ in the hall and the remainder in the Worship Centre. Evening services have not resumed but a new mid-week service is being planned. The Sunday afternoon service on Zoom came to a natural end but we continue to stream services in the Worship Centre which is appreciated by members of the congregation who cannot attend in person. In person Church Meetings resumed in September, and a Covenant Service was held in September also (postponed from January).
Some weekday church activities have resumed, others have decided that it is time to finish. During the year a new lettings officer was appointed, who has been very effective in attracting new lettings for the premises. This not only provides income but also increases our engagement with the local community.
Discussions were held throughout 2021 regarding changes to the LEP Constitution (2012) with the relevant Baptist, Methodist and Ecumenical authorities, leading to revisions being approved by a Special Church Meeting on 27[th] January 2022. Hilary Treavis at the Baptist Union was particularly helpful in drafting these changes.
Following the decision by the Methodist Conference in June 2021 to allow Methodist chapels to be used for same-sex marriages, the Annual Church Meeting in November approved resolutions to allow same-sex marriages to be conducted at Christchurch. This was subsequently ratified by the Methodist Church Council and a meeting of Baptist members, and the building has been duly registered.
Towards the end of 2021 our minister, Rev Debra Akue, decided that this Methodist Circuit was not the right appointment for her and it was agreed that her appointment would be curtailed at the end of March 2022. This was naturally a disappointment for the church as she had only been with us for just over a year and had guided us through the difficult period of the pandemic. The Circuit arranged for a supernumerary Methodist minister, Rev Kate Cook, to have pastoral charge of Christchurch for 18 months, until August 2023, and she has been our minister now for 6 months. It is anticipated that a new Methodist minister will be appointed from September 2023 for the usual 5 year term.
Rev John Rackley (retired Baptist minister) continues to provide additional support, but the Church Meeting decided that it would be good to get back to the arrangement which existed in the past, with pastoral charge of the church shared jointly by Baptist and Methodist ministers. A search team has been appointed which is preparing a church profile – effectively a job description – for a part-time Baptist minister and it is hoped that an appointment can be made in the coming year.
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There has been a significant drop in membership over the year, some due to death or moving away, but the effect of the pandemic on people’s lives has also played a part. This is reflected in the attendance on Sunday mornings, which was about 70 three years ago but is now in the mid forties. The membership is getting older and the church has been giving a lot of thought and prayer to how it can adapt to the expectations of younger people.
Financial review
With the Covid-19 pandemic easing, church life returned closer to normality this year, with some of our internal organisations resuming their operations and outside organisations and families again hiring our rooms.
Personal giving held up very well despite the loss of a number of members and lettings income returned towards its pre-pandemic level. We have so far been protected from the large increases in fuel costs, as our fixed-price contracts continued throughout the year. We still recorded an annual deficit but this fell from £8,600 to £5,200.
Reserves Policy
Christchurch seeks to expand its membership amongst all age groups and makes provision for the expected expenditure in maintaining its witness. In common with most UK churches, however, its membership has declined in recent decades.
The income of the church depends critically on some two dozen key supporters, any of whom could move away or otherwise cease to be with us. As the membership falls, there are fewer volunteers for the tasks of maintenance, necessitating increased expenditure on professional services. With buildings valued at £5.5m, some of which are more than a century old, there is also the risk of exceptional property expenditure, for example for a new roof or the remedy of an infestation of dry rot.
The church therefore considers it appropriate to maintain financial reserves in the range £50,000 – £100,000, for uninsurable risks, such as loss of income and exceptional property expenditure. At 31[st] August 2021 the reserves (General Fund and Legacy Fund) amounted to some £60,300. There was one Designated Fund, a Renovation Fund (£19,900) for major maintenance of the fabric.
The Reserves Policy is reviewed each spring by the Resources Team, whose recommendations are brought before the Trustees.
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CHRISTCHURCH ANNUAL REPORT, 2021/22
CHRISTCHURCH, CLARENDON PARK
RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT for the year ended 31 August 2022
| Notes Receipts Planned Giving Loose Cash Donations Legacies Interest Tax recovered Sundry Lettings Benevolence Collections, etc, for external orgs 3 Sub total Asset & Investment sales, etc Total Receipts Payments Methodist Circuit Baptist Ministry, etc 4 Charities Benevolence Communication Utilities 5 Repairs & Maintenance Sundry 6 Passed to external organisations 3 Sub total Asset & Investment purchases Total Payments Net of receipts/(payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
Unrestricted Funds, £ Restricted Funds, £ Total Funds, £ Last Year, £ £ £ 39,830 39,830 40,186 4,195 4,195 3,547 3,075 1,465 4,540 5,600 - - - 381 381 106 12,438 360 12,798 12,207 565 1,810 2,375 6,463 15,584 15,584 2,086 - - - 670 670 202 76,068 4,305 80,373 70,398 - - - - 76,068 4,305 80,373 70,398 50,346 50,346 50,211 5,084 5,084 4,163 3,870 3,870 3,868 - - 100 1,843 1,843 2,117 9,844 9,844 7,387 8,053 1,800 9,853 10,693 2,126 1,935 4,061 232 670 670 202 81,165 4,405 85,570 78,973 - - - - 81,165 4,405 85,570 78,973 (5,097) (100) (5,197) (8,575) - - - - 80,197 575 80,772 89,347 75,100 475 75,575 80,772 |
|---|---|
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CHRISTCHURCH, CLARENDON PARK
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT for the year ended 31 August 2022
ASSETS and LIABILITIES as at 31 August 2022
| ASSETS Cash Funds Barclays Bank National Westminster Bank CFB Deposit Account Deposits with Baptist Union Corporation Cash in Hand Investment Assets Land and Church Buildings Note 1.2 Tangible Fixed Assets Church contents, including furniture, fixtures, Note 1.3 fittings, computers and other equipment LIABILITIES Current Liabilities Lettings Officer Pension Scheme Liability Note 8 |
£ 5,918 6,047 28,161 35,304 144 75,575 None 606,381 217,341 42,800 |
£ 9,132 4,897 31,466 35,006 272 |
|---|---|---|
| 80,772 None 606,381 187,849 132 18,200 |
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - 31 August 2022
1 GENERAL
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1.1 The basis of preparation is in accordance with the Charities Act 2011, on a Receipts and Payments basis.
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1.2 The Church Land and Buildings are valued at cost, as follows: Land and original buildings (1900) 9,822 Refurbishment and new buildings (1996/97) 596,559
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1.3 The Church Contents are valued as for insurance.
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1.4 The only current Restricted Funds which had a balance at 31st August 2022 are the Key Deposits Fund (£275) and the Party Deposits Fund (£200).
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There is one Designated Fund, a Renovation Fund (£19,954) for major maintenance of the fabric. The Legacy Fund (£30,788) is unrestricted but is named to indicate the accumulated value of unspent legacies received.
2 INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS
The following organisations come within the control of the Church Meeting and operate their own independent accounts. Their transactions for the year, which have been independently examined, are summarised below:
| Art Group Junior Church Luncheon Club Parent & Toddler Group Wesley Guild _Wild Honey_Project TOTALS 3 COLLECTIONS, ETC, FOR EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS Christian Aid 218 Methodist World Mission 175 Action for Children 116 Spurgeon's 116 Methodist Homes 45 670 6 SUNDRY EXPENSES Lettings Officer 924 |
Balance 31.8.2021 Receipts Payments 48 286 237 830 - - 578 2,280 1,353 1,185 300 45 203 - - 787 1 - |
Balance 31.8.2022 97 830 1,505 1,440 203 788 |
|---|---|---|
| 3,631 2,867 1,635 4 BAPTIST MINISTRY, etc Baptist Pension Scheme Rev John Rackley 5 UTILITIES Gas Electricity Water Insurance |
4,863 3,608 1,476 |
|
| 5,084 | ||
| 4,536 1,930 137 3,241 |
||
| 9,844 |
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RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT for the year ended 31 August 2022
7 BAPTIST FUNDS
Various Baptist monies are held for the benefit of the church by the East Midland Baptist Trust Company (EMBTC) as Custodian Trustee, and these are set out below:-.
| (EMBTC) as Custodian Trustee, and these are set out | below:-. |
|---|---|
| Balances as at 1 September 2021 Interest received less Trustee's charges Balances as at 31 August 2022 The figures exclude accrued interest. |
Capital Income Total 103,789 49,111 152,900 5,734 5,734 |
| 103,789 54,845 158,634 |
The funds are invested and managed by Messrs Charles Stanley to achieve income returns with some capital growth on a low to medium risk basis.
The amount held on Income Account can be used for any purpose agreed by the Church Meeting. Capital Account represents the proceeds of sale of the Baptist manse in 1999 for £99,620 plus surplus on disposal of investments in which the proceeds were originally held.
8 BAPTIST PENSION SCHEME LIABILIITY
The Church is an employer participating in the Baptist Pension Scheme (“the Scheme”), which is a separate legal entity administered by the Pension Trustee (Baptist Pension Trust Limited). The assets of the Scheme are held separately from those of the employer and other participating employers. Baptist Ministers of Christchurch are eligible to join the Scheme.
The Scheme, previously known as the Baptist Ministers' Pension Fund, started in 1925 but was closed to future accrual of defined benefits on 31 December 2011. Prior to this date the main benefit provided through the Defined Benefit (DB) Plan was a pension of one eightieth of final minimum pensionable income for each year of pensionable service together with additional pension in respect of premiums paid on Pensionable Income in excess of Minimum Pensionable Income. Since 1 January 2012, benefits have been provided through a Defined Contribution (DC) Plan.
A formal valuation of the DB Plan as at 31 December 2019 was made by a professionally qualified Actuary using the Projected Unit Method. At the valuation date the market value of the DB Plan assets was £298m, whilst the level of assets needed to pay benefits was £316m, giving a deficit of £18m (equivalent to a past service funding level of 94%). The Church and the other participating employers in the DB Plan are collectively responsible for funding this deficit. The next actuarial valuation of the DB Plan within the Scheme is due to take place not later than as at 31 December 2022.
Until July 2022, the church was making a monthly payment of £319 in respect of the DB scheme deficit.
Recently, the Trustees of the Pension Scheme signed an agreement with an insurance company to secure the DB Plan members' pension benefits. As a result, deficit recovery contributions have been reduced to a nominal £1 per month for each participating church.
Consequent upon the departure of the Baptist Minister from the Church in 2016, the Church could have had a cessation event under Section 75 of the Pensions Act 1995. This would make the Church liable for the proportion of the overall deficit (assessed by reference to the cost of securing benefits by the purchase of annuities) applicable to its previous Ministers who were members of the Scheme, calculated as at 31 October 2016. An estimate of this debt was £62,000.
In order to prevent such a cessation event, the Church applied for a 'period of grace' before employing another member of the Scheme. The period of grace lasted three years, following which Rev John Rackley, a retired Baptist Minister, was appointed as Associate Minister. John is a interim member of the Scheme. The Church makes a nominal contribution on behalf of John to the DC Plan, and this prevents a cessation event from occurring.
Should Christchurch fail to appoint a full member of the Scheme during the period for which the interim membership arrangement is allowed, this would trigger a cessation event for which he liability would be as at October 2016 less the contibutions already paid. This is estimated as £42,800. [The comparative figure for 2020/21 assumed that a cessation event would not occur].