St Leonards Baptist Church Annual report 2020.
We started 2020 with many activities planned and held an Alpha course in conjunction with Kings Church in January/February. We also welcomed year 4 from Christ Church School into the building for their annual visit. The Winter Night shelter also used our premises up until February as did the local Chinese Church fellowship.
However, the church’s activities were significantly curtailed during most of the year due to the COVID pandemic.
Following government advice we ceased meeting in person during March and have produced video Sunday services throughout the year. We were able to use the building for a few weeks from mid September and then again leading up to Christmas. However, even during these periods we were limited in what we were able to do, restricting use to Sunday mornings only. We produced an on-line carol service which received over 80 views and have had anything up to 60 video views in other weeks. These have included family and friends throughout the UK and abroad. We have continued to produce pre-recorded videos for the weeks when we have been able to use the building so that we could cater for those unable to return for any reason.
When we were able to use the building we followed all the government advice with regard to social distancing and mask wearing and used a mixture of video songs and those led by our music team although congregational singing has not been permitted.
We did manage two in-person church meetings during the year, one in February before the pandemic started and another in December to attend to necessary church business. This included recording two deaths, one transfer to another fellowship, two people leaving the area and three new members being admitted during 2020.
Pastoral care continued via telephone calls throughout the year and we provided a care package for Advent which was delivered to all those connected with the church and included various Christmas themed items.
Rev Janet Mardell.
## **ST LEONARDS BAPTIST CHURCH**
**UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**
**ST LEONARDS BAPTIST CHURCH**
## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION**
Trustees Mrs J Mardell Mr G Hodge Mrs N Cudmore Mr A Skelton Mrs F Nosrati Mr M Fletcher Charity number 1150270 Address Chapel Park Road St Leonards on sea East Sussex TN37 6HR Independent Examiner Holland Harper LLP 26 High Street Battle East Sussex TN33 0EA
2
ST LEONARDS BAPTIST CHURCH
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2020
||**2020**|_2019_|
|---|---|---|
|ASSETS|**£**|_£_|
|Lloyds Bank – Business Extra Account|**3,000**|_1,500_|
|Lloyds Bank – 30 Day Notice Account|**25,415**|_24,974_|
||**______**|_____|
||**£28,415**|_£26,474_|
||**=====**|=====|
|GENERAL FUND (unrestricted)|||
|As at 1 January 2020|**26,474**|_22,831_|
|Surplus for the year|**1,941**|_3,643_|
||**______**
|______|
||**£28,415**
|_£26,474_|
||=====|=====|
The above accounts and the notes and other information shown on pages 2 to 3 for the year ended 31 December 2020 are as approved by the Trustees. Signed by two trustees on behalf of the board on 25th May 2021.
Rev Janet Mardell
Graham Hodge
3
## ST LEONARDS BAPTIST CHURCH
## GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
## FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
||**2020**||_2019_|
|---|---|---|---|
|RECEIPTS|**£**|_£_||
|Tithes and offerings|**22,456**||_25,928_|
|Tax refunds recovered|
**4,349**||_2,078_|
|Donations received|**500**||_950_|
|Bank interest received|**10**||_13_|
|Net rents from Manse|**11,582**||_11,976_|
|Grants|**700**||_1,695_|
|Sundry|**-**||_72_|
|Church venue hire (including funerals)|**422**||_260_|
|Insurance claim|**4,100**||**-**|
||**_______**||______|
||**44,119**||_42,972_|
||======||=====|
|LESS: PAYMENTS||||
|Stipend and pension contributions|**19,971**||_20,590_|
|Minister’s expenses|**1,873**||_1,854_|
|Ministry|**142**||_355_|
|Utilities and manse expenses|**4,218**||_5,727_|
|Insurances|**2,052**||_1,703_|
|Repairs and maintenance|**7,538**||_1,152_|
|Music Group|**-**||_51_|
|Mission (note 3)|**4,230**||_5,642_|
|Bank service charges|**92**||_95_|
|Donations|**650**||_100_|
|Admin and telephone|**702**||_778_|
|Miscellaneous|**710**||_1,282_|
||**_____**||_____|
||**42,178**||_39,329_|
||_____||______|
|SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR|**£1,941**||_£3,643_|
||**=====**||=====|
4
ST LEONARDS BAPTIST CHURCH
## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
1. These accounts have been prepared on a "receipts and payments" basis, in accordance with Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.
2. The church is the beneficial owner at a combined insurance value of £3,073,703 ( _2019 £3,024,649_ ) of premises at Chapel Park Road, St Leonards-on-Sea and at 27 Clinton Crescent, St Leonards-on-Sea, the legal title to which is held by the Baptist Union Corporation Limited as custodian trustee. The church also owns fixtures, furniture and equipment with an insured value of £62,362 ( _2019 £62,362_ ).
## 3. Payments - Mission
||**2020**|_2019_|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|_£_|
|S.E.B.A.|**2,460**|_2,712_|
|Baptist Mission|**1,680**|_1,680_|
|Christian Schools Workers Hastings|**-**|_750_|
|Christians Against Poverty Hastings|**-**|_500_|
|Evangelical Alliance|**90**||
||_____|____|
||**4,230**|_5,642_|
||====|====|
4. The church pays pension contributions to the Baptist Ministers’ Pension Fund on behalf of the minster. The fund is currently in deficit and the church is required to make increased contributions. This amounted to 12% of minimum pensionable income.
5
## REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
## TO THE TRUSTEES OF ST LEONARDS BAPTIST CHURCH
This report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020 which are set out on pages 1 to 3, is in respect of an examination carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011.
## RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES AND THE EXAMINER
As trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements; you consider that the audit requirement of section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of the procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioner under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. That examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the church and a comparison of the financial statements with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the financial statements.
## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the requirements of the 2011 Act, have not been met; or
- (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
Roy M Holland BSc(Econ), FCA
Holland Harper LLP Chartered Accountants 26 High Street Battle East Sussex TN33 0EA
25th May 2021
6