## **Trustees Annual Report – 2024** Many individuals show resilience in attending and contributing to church activities despite challenging personal circumstances and we are starting to see new people visit and continue join in fellowship. We have lost some of our key members to death and family re-location during 2024 but have also been encouraged by the arrival of several new local members, so our formally listed members now number 37. Ill-health now keeps some individuals confined at home, so the number of regular attendees has diminished (currently 35/40 on Sundays). We continue to pray for them all. In 2024 we hosted a weekend away at the High Leigh Conference Centre during the first weekend of October which was led by our Assistant Minister Simon Black and supported by our Minister Rev Freddy Farias Palacios. Focus on this was the need to move forward in mission, and was attended by 30 members and friends of the church and a follow up meeting was held in November 2024. We will hold a similar away weekend in September 2025. ## **Regular public worship, prayer, Bible study, preaching and teaching** We are blessed that the teaching brought by both Rev Freddy Farias Palacios and Simon Black (our minister in training) has encouraged and directed the fellowship to explore in depth what God is wanting from us. In 2024, the Church was open every Sunday throughout the year, typically but not exclusively led by the Pastor or Assistant Minister. The Elders have met together regularly with our minister to pray and plan the way forward. We have a full team of elected Deacons, who work together with the Elders and Minister in leading the Church forward on a day-to-day basis. Our worship via on-line conferencing software, continues to stream the live services to those who being unable to attend through illness or other infirmities. We continue to invite folk from other parts of the United Kingdom to join us in worship which are well received. Recordings of these services are posted to our web site, as well as on an on-line database. Attendance at Sunday Zoom Church averages in the order of 3 logins indicating a loyal attendance in the region of 6 to 7 people. This is in addition to the regular attendance in Church of between 35-40 people every Sunday. Zoom attendance has been helpful for family members unable to attend funerals in-person (including overseas) in the past year. We continue to be supported during our worship services by a talented group of musicians. The Music Group has blessed us week after week with their songs of praise and worship and for responding to the call to lead us in prayer and preaching when asked. The Church and Music Group could not function without the support of the small team of computer operators who control the PA system and overhead projector **,** who in recent months have engaged themselves in the continued presentation of Sunday services, prayer and administrative meetings by means of Zoom conferencing. We have been blessed with children now attending our services on a regular basis and they are supported via additional teaching given during the service and their own time in Sunday school led by members of the church A number of Home Groups exist and meet throughout the week in person to provide attenders with a Bible Study and fellowship opportunity. There were Bi-weekly and Monthly Prayer meetings in the Church for corporate prayer to complement the existing opportunities at various times during the week. ## **Baptism, as defined in the Union's Declaration of Principle.** There have been **no baptisms in 2024** **Marriages & Funerals** . We had one wedding during 2024 and one funeral of a church member. **The Communion of the Lord's Supper** continues to be observed at least twice a month throughout the year, Communion on every 1st and 3[rd] Sundays during public worship. ## **Evangelism and mission (locally, regionally, nationally and internationally).** Mission has always remained a priority in Zion as we continue to look beyond our building at the mission opportunities presented to us. The preaching series on various themes has helped to focus the church on our mission responsibilities. Internationally we continue to support our Baptist Missionary Society link missionaries working overseas, and we also support and engage with Christian charities such as Mission Aviation Fellowship and Ambassadors Football. Financial support continues to support these organizations. Closer to home we continue to hold an informal Thursday coffee morning and also have the Church to open for prayer on Friday mornings. We have found this invaluable in identifying social needs in non-church members and has resulted in us being able to offer advice and practical help where needed. The toddler group called Rainbow Tots under the leadership of Suzanne Martin and Christine Hendry, have been instrumental in identifying ongoing local family needs. There is also a regular evangelistic presence in the High Street by some members of the church. In 2024 we were able to have our “ Christmas Tree Festival”, and we had a “ Tree of Peace” allowing local people to write and place on the tree prayers and messages of hope. This was very well attended with over 1600 people through our doors. ## **Other churches and ecumenical links** Regionally we are proactive with the South Eastern Baptist Association, the body that represents Baptist Churches throughout the South East region. More locally, we are encouraged to network with other Baptist Churches, and we do this through the South Kent Network that consists of 17 Churches across Kent. Nationally, we are a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. We will seek to support, certainly by prayer, all current mission initiatives that they are engaging with across the UK. Locally we support Churches Together in Tenterden through shared services and festival activities. ## **Nurture and growth of Christian disciples** The Church through its elders and leadership team has concentrated on ensuring that those Christians attending Church are cared for and nurtured in their faith and growth. A preaching/teaching address is always available on a Sunday morning, all of which is intended to enable attenders to move on in the faith walk. Mid-week, at various times, home group meetings provide for the same. ## **Education and training for Christian and community service** There have been DBS checks made on all the trustees and leadership team, and those engaged in work with children and the community. In 2024 saw Simon Black continuing his ministerial training at Spurgeon ’ s College the course will concluded in July 2025 with Simon seeking a full time ministry role . Simon continues to provide ministry through his football outreach. There has been growth across the age groups and the Women’s team won the title at the London Churches football tournament. ## **Pastoral care for local people.** During the year our fellowship have continued to assist the Pastor in offering much needed help and prayer to those within our fellowship and outside. There have as always been some intense needs over this last year due to illness, hospitalization and bereavement and the fellowship have addressed them all with love and compassion dealing with spiritual and practical needs. We have been really blessed at Zion with the willingness of the fellowship to volunteer to help wherever needed which has meant that any new initiatives can move forward and existing ones to function fully. **Supporting and encouraging charitable social action in the United Kingdom and abroad.** Local community groups continue to use the building for their activities, including local clubs and branches of well-known national charities (Community Support [CAB], Addiction Recovery [AA], Dementia Group [Together We Thrive] ). We continue to support debt counselling and other initiatives run by CTIT. ## **Communication** Throughout the year the church produces a quarterly newsletter listing activities and containing a message from the pastor. This is in print form available in the church and is sent to the membership in electronic form. As nearly all the membership is now online, communication can be achieved quickly and economically by e-mail from the churchsuite application. The Church Web Site communicates general information to the wider world. ## **Buildings & Refurbishment** There have been some concerns about the church building. Towards the end of 2023, cracks appeared in the external fabric of the Church which has been confirmed as a drainage problem caused by facilities under the adjacent public highway. We have installed a support mechanism and previous movement appears to be stabilized. We will commission another report and if satisfactory we will repair the damage to the arch above the affected window as we have not noticed any further issues. Local authority and service providers have been informed of their future obligations relating to the highway. The building has disabled facilities to Building Regulations Part M so allowing the church to meaningfully engage with the needs of the disabled community in a new and contemporary way (for example a Dementia support charity now runs a regular meeting in our building, accessible by local dementia sufferers). We continue to invest in the fabric of the church with planned repairs to the Manse roof scheduled in 2025. Permission was granted in 2024 to demolish the old garage, it being replaced with hard-standing to accommodate the minister’s car. CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES No Ilf aFry) Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Peri(MJ start dat8 Petiod end dak 3111212024 To olK>1r2￿24 Section A Receipts and payments Unfestrietsd Restricted Endowment funds T¢)tsl funds Last year ID near8st£ to the n&Ar•8t£ tott* nearest£ t£*thp fie8fOSt £ A1 R•eèipts DonoliDns OiherGIw Giving GiRAid T8x Reb*efr(wn HMRC 561 9.1( $6.724 15,627 4.129 10.820 86,638 24084 1391 7J74 11.461 361 16.4BO 68,185 19.987 3,954 Rents Recwved other Re¥en 4,740 4,529 Sub total(Gmss income ftjr AR) 117869 13£231 94.1111 A2 Asset and investment sale¥. Isee table). Sub total 94.180 117h69 134.231 A3Pa ments EM￿0Yrne￿t NIC & Pwr Admin151rab Giving 10 otherc r2uses Mission 26.107 56.667 16,24D 4.296 930 11.965 &187 10.319 28.071 1855 332 9.912 Premi SEBA Loan rep¥ynwnts 19.551 333 Sub total 743D4 39,924 114,229 91017 A4 Asset and SnvestThent urchases. Isee table) Audio Transcribar ChairsforChapÈi Sub total 1,169 75.304 40,093 115.39B 98,017 Net of receipts1{￿￿Ments) AS Tran$fÈrs between fvnds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 18.875 15.786 93,101 96.190 2.071 36.214 15,786 14.226 13.208 107.327 109,398 71,112 107,326 CCXX R1 accounts ISSI Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period UnrÈstricted Restrlctsd funds funds to n8•r*£ Endoydment funds to nearost£ Lategones i)etaiis I￿arest£ Bl Cash funds 13208 31 Rwntxms 7S Total Cash funds 96.190 13,208 Unrestrlcted funts nth￿t£ Restrictsd fund5 to Ewre5t£ En(lowment fijnds to Dearesif Details B2 Other monetsry assets Fundto whlch Curteotvalue Co&lWlonal> Details Fund towhKh C(6t loptithMII 50.01$ CuYr•ntv¥luÈ Dpta115 B4 Assets rotsined for th• charfty's own uso Ikwe 20241 Fund IoT•hich Amtyjtttdue Whon duè Details 85 Liabilltlas Signed by or* trLtytee5 on beha￿ of all the try$tees Date of roval Pml Narne CCXX R2 accounts ISSI 02104r2025 ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** **Report to the trustees** Charity Name Zion Baptist Church (Tenterden **On accounts for the year** 31[st] December 2024 **Charity no** 1149069 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 1-2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **DD / MM / YYYY** . **Responsibilities and** As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the **basis of report** accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. **Independent** [The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to **examiner's statement** undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]]. _Delete_ [ ] _if not applicable._ I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or - the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or - the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. * _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._ **Signed: Date: Name:** **Relevant professional qualification(s) or body** 1 **Oct 2018** **IER** ## **(if any):** **Address:** ## **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . 2 **Oct 2018** **IER**