Waterford House Evangelical Free Church Registration Number 1151599
Trustees' Annual Report for the year ending 31st December 2021
| Trustees for the year 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Mr. Adrian Tribe | pastor |
| Mr. Norman Hopkins | elder |
| Mr. Peter Adams | elder |
| Mr. Paul Chandler | elder |
| Mr. Martin Earle | deacon |
| Mr. Dennis Hayes | deacon |
| Mr. Andrew Silver | deacon |
| Mr. Barry Smallman | deacon |
| Mr. Robert Sutton | deacon |
| Mr. Kevin Tomaschek | deacon |
| The trustees are appointed by the church members. |
Objectives
The principal object of the charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to Holy Scripture and in accordance with the principles of the reformed faith and the church's Doctrine as stated in the Trust Deed.
The charity may also support other charitable works in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world in furtherance of this principal object.
Ongoing Activities
1/ The church has continued to maintain the premises at 101 Rede Court Road, Strood for public worship and other activities, and to employ Mr. Adrian Tribe as Pastor.
2/ Two worship services each Sunday and a Bible study and prayer meeting on Tuesday have been maintained at the church premises and through online facilities.
3/ Meetings for men and women were held monthly when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
4/ All meetings and activities at the church premises were affected during the COVID-19 lockdown. These were resumed when the restrictions were lifted. Also, the Sunday School, Children's Club, Friday 101 (a club for young people), Friday Youth (a club for older teenagers) and Holiday Bible Club (for local children) were all restarted.
5/ The church continued to encourage the advancement of Christianity at home and abroad by support for - Christian Prison Resources The European Mission Fellowship Pastor Training International United Beach Missions Middle East Reformed Fellowship Christian Books Worldwide Grace Ministerial Academy Portuguese summer children’s camp
6/ The church has encouraged the practical expression of Christian charity by supporting - The Falconer Trust (running an orphanage in Zambia)
Christian Compassion Ministries (working with street children in Manila) Pastor Jose Rodrigues (Portuguese EMF missionary) children’s summer camp
Public Benefit
1/ The trustees have taken the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission into account when making their decisions.
2/ The local community have benefited by the opportunity for Christian worship and prayer, and access to Christian instruction and counselling in the services, bible studies and men's and women's meetings either at the church premises or via the online facilities.
3/ After the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted, children and young people in the neighbourhood benefited from the Sunday School, Children's Club, Friday 101, Friday Youth and Holiday Bible Club.
4/ Those in prison in England and Wales have benefited from the Christian instruction provided by our support for Christian Prison Resources.
5/ In other parts of the world our support for Christian missions has brought the benefits of Christian instruction and education.
6/ Impoverished children in Zambia and Manila have benefited from our support of the Falconer Orphanage and the works of Christian Compassion Ministries. Persecuted Christians have benefited from support of Middle East Reformed Fellowship. Children from poor families in Portugal have benefited from our support of a summer camp which was run by pastor Jose Rodrigues (EMF missionary).
Financial Review
Total income for the year was £113,494.27 Total expenditure for the year was £88,416.66
Reserves Policy
The trustees shall seek to maintain a reserve sufficient to ensure the smooth running of the church and to cover the cost of necessary maintenance. The trustees believe a sum of between £15,000 and £25,000 will achieve this aim.
The reserves shall be reviewed periodically at trustee meetings.
At 31[st] December 2021 the total reserves stood at £58,057. This is higher than expected as we received some bequests late in the year. Some of this has since been used for one off projects.
With the death of several members and the expectation of lower income, the trustees consider it right to maintain the reserve at its present level.
Serious Incidents
There have been no serious incidents during the year that should have been reported to the Charity Commission.