Herne Hill Baptist Church
Report and Accounts Year ended 30 September 2025
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
HERNE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
| ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE | Half Moon Lane (corner of Winterbrook Road) |
|---|---|
| Herne Hill | |
| London | |
| SE24 9HU | |
| GOVERNING DOCUMENT | Trust Deed dated 12 March 1907 (revised 3 July 1994) that |
| governs the use of a Church building. | |
| Constitution for a Trust dated 30 January 2013, which governs the | |
| charity's other activities. | |
| CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER | 1153419 |
| TRUSTEES | Monica Barnes (Deacon) |
| Elizabeth Brown (Treasurer) | |
| Elizabeth Emes (Church Secretary) | |
| Matthew Gale (Deacon) | |
| Samantha Joseph (Deacon) | |
| Anne Kemp (Elder) (Resigned Sep 2025) | |
| Beatrice Stevens (Elder) (Resigned Sep 2025) | |
| Timothy Tree (Elder) (Resigned Jan 2026) | |
| Richard Brown (Appointed 16 Jul 2025) | |
| Marina Faribairn (Appointed 16 Jul 2025) | |
| John Auger (Appointed Mar 2026) | |
| CUSTODIAN TRUSTEES | The London Baptist Property Board Limited |
| 235 Shaftsbury Avenue | |
| London | |
| WC2H 8EP | |
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER | Hannah Clack |
| Stewardship | |
| 1 Lamb's Passage | |
| LONDON | |
| EC1Y 8AB | |
| INDEX | |
| Page 1 | Legal & Administrative Details |
| Pages 2-4 | Trustees' Report |
| Page 5 | Independent Examiner's Report |
| Page 6 | Receipts and Payments Account |
| Page 7 | Statement of Assets & Liabilities |
| Pages 8-9 | Notes to the Accounts |
Page 1
HERNE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
Purpose
The principal purpose of Herne Hill Baptist Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and/or other parts of the world.
Herne Hill Baptist Church is a member of The Baptist Union of Great Britain and the London Baptist Association.
As a member of The Baptist Union of Great Britain the Church subscribes to the Union’s Declaration of Principle:
That our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again on the third day.
That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
Herne Hill Baptist Church is an ‘open membership’ Church. Baptism by immersion upon personal profession of faith is the normal mode of entry into membership of the Church. Persons seeking membership who have not been baptised in the manner described in the Union’s Declaration of Principle may, at the discretion of the Church Members’ Meeting, be accepted for full membership based on their own public profession of faith.
Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements
The life and fellowship of HHBC has continued to be supportive of all who gather with us to worship God, those who are no longer able to attend services and those who join us midweek from our community. The leadership team of the Elders and Deacons, along with the staff , have worked hard to build up the church with prayer, worship and preaching series delivered by both members and visiting preachers for which we are very grateful.
Our Trustee Team bid farewell to two Elders who had each served 6 years in our Leadership Team. Anne Kemp and Beatrice Stevens will indeed be sadly missed in the Trustee group, and we give them both enormous thanks for all the work they both completed while serving the Church as Elders. Two new appointments to the leadership team have been made: Richard Brown and Marina Fairbairn have been appointed as Elders, and Tim Tree has been reappointed as an Elder for a Second Term.
Our Second Annual Christmas party and evening entertainment was held on a Saturday again this year, following the great success of our first venture into Saturday Christmas Family Meals in 2023. Again, although the day proved to be very busy for those involved in the preparations, everyone had a really enjoyable evening.
Our search for a new Pastor has continued throughout 2025. The Search Team has continued to work closely with our Moderator, Richard Marzetti in that search, but as yet we have not filled the vacancy. We continue to pray that God will direct us to the right person.
Our staff team have continued to work well together, with a great number of projects reaching completion under their guidance. Our appointment last year of Mark Sloan as Church Manager has proved really valuable, and he has taken great delight in uncovering a vast amount of out of date objects and waste paper which has revealed fresh storage from areas previously swamped by a great deal of clutter. He has been very ably assisted in much of the painting, general maintenance and repairs, and the Big Sort Out, which are now completed, by our amazing Volunteer, Peter, who has turned his hand to all sorts of tasks. So to Anne, John, Mark, and Peter, and to our cleaner Bankin, thank you.
Page 2
Chris Willis, our Families and Youth Worker has continued to work with the children and young people both on Sundays and during the week both in church and at St Jude’s Primary School.
Our midweek groups continue to flourish supporting those in the community and church members. We have shared soup, cake, drinks, fun, singing, knitting, chatting, playing, praying and Bible study, and thanks are due to so many among us for all this activity every week.
The Manse has had a change of tenants this year, but we are very grateful to the efforts of Tamsin Symonds in all she has done to ensure smooth operation for the tenants in the Manse with regards to overseeing various repairs and refurbishments for which we are very grateful.
Recently, our Church has welcomed about 13 guests who have been participating in the Alpha Course, run by David Meader, with the help of a number of volunteers. The course is still continuing, and has been very well received by all those taking part.
We have continued our giving to Baptist Union Home Mission, Beacon CAP Partnership (Christians Against Poverty), Arab World Ministries, Open Doors, Walk through the Bible, and Tear Fund South Sudan. Following last year's Mission Sunday Service where we hosted a team from Operation Mobilisation, including Bankin ( our excellent cleaner) and his wife Ruth, it has been a privilege to start supporting Ruth and Bankin this year and we look forward to continuing to support them next year in their work for OM with refugees in Peckham and further afield.
Very sadly we had to stop supporting Spurgeon's college 3/4s of the way through the year when it had to close down.
The building continues to be used regularly by various groups from our local community including Dulwich U3A, The Half Moon Stitchers, Dulwich Bee Keepers, Play Ball, a local choir and Play the Stage, and also some who meet less often. The church is also used as a polling station for local and national elections.
We thank God for all the teams of volunteers who help in so many areas of church life. So far we have counted 24 different teams! Without these teams we would not have the vibrant Sunday services and weekday activities so many of us enjoy.
We continue to praise God for His faithfulness to us, as we seek to serve Him, each other, our families and friends and reach out to the local community. We look forward to our fellowship ministering together and separately in the coming year .
In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
Financial review
During the year income decreased by £29,244, to £189,732, and expenditure decreased by £26,922, to £121,370. As a result the cash held by the charity increased by £68,362, to £249,025, of which £227,010 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
Herne Hill Baptist Church is, by its nature, a voluntary organisation and no set of financial statements can do justice to all the work done in pursuit of its purposes. In addition, many hours are spent by unpaid volunteer members and associates performing many regular tasks without which Herne Hill Baptist Church would be ineffective. The financial statements do not record the value of such unpaid activities.
Reserves policy
The trustees consider that the charity should aim to hold a reserve of unrestricted general fund cash of no less than three months’ normal operating costs after taking account of the charity’s monetary assets and liabilities at the year end. This would equate to a reserve of no less than £50,000, which the trustees believe would be sufficient to allow the charity to continue to operate smoothly should income and / or expenditure vary unexpectedly. At the year end the charity held unrestricted cash of £226,809.
Page 3
Governance and Management
The activities of the charity are governed by:
• A Trust Deed dated 12 March 1907 (revised 3 July 1994), which governs the use of the Church building.
• A Constitution adopted by the Church Members on 30 January 2013, which governs the rest of the charity’s activities. The charity registered as a charity with the Charity Commission on 15 August 2013. Prior to this date the charity was excepted from the obligation to register because the charity is a member of the Baptist Union and its income was less than £100,000. Meetings of Church members take place from time to time. Such meetings have responsibility for the overall governance of the Church. The Managing Trustees are responsible for the day to day running of the Church’s work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks in the furtherance of the charitable objective.
Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church Meeting by the Managing Trustees for guidance, or may be raised by members in Church Meeting for further consideration by the Managing Trustees.
Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church Meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible.
During the year the Finance Team comprised Anne Kemp, Elizabeth Brown, Lyn Ransom and Fiona Reid.
The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately vetted with regard to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
The Church has considered the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and is satisfied that the activities outlined in this report demonstrate that the charity is providing a benefit to the public.
Risk statement
The charity is exposed to various risks - be they operational, financial or reputational. The trustees review the charity's activities regularly to identify significant risks and, where possible, they take appropriate measures to mitigate those risks.
Responsibilities of trustees
Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
Approval
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
E A Brown
~~……………………………………~~ E A Brown (May 22, 2026 22:58:31 GMT+1) ………………….. Elizabeth Brown May 22, 2026 Date:_____
Page 4
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF
HERNE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Herne Hill Baptist Church ('the charity') for the year ended 30 September 2025 on pages 6 to 9 following.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’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 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Hannah Clack
Hannah Clack (May 26, 2026 09:11:33 GMT+1)
Hannah Clack Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
Date: May 26, 2026
Page 5
HERNE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
| Notes Income receipts Church income Donations Gift aid receipts Legacies Income from church activities Income from letting of premises Bank interest The Mustard Seed Christian Pre-School Bank interest Total receipts Payments 2 3 4 Loan repayment including related interest Total payments Transfers between funds 6 Net movement in funds Cash funds as at last year end Cash funds at this year end A Net of receipts / (payments) before transfers Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others Payments in relation to church activities Payments in relation to The Mustard Seed Christian Pre-School |
Unrestricted funds £ 90,482 23,129 1,088 705 70,132 2,813 - 188,350 188,350 102,938 - 16,850 119,788 - 119,788 68,561 (10,000) 58,561 158,448 217,010 |
Designated Funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10,000 10,000 - 10,000 |
Restricted Funds £ 1,382 - - - - - - 1,382 1,382 957 - 625 1,582 - 1,582 (200) - (200) 22,215 22,016 |
2025 £ 91,865 23,129 1,088 705 70,132 2,813 - 189,732 189,732 103,895 - 17,475 121,370 - 121,370 68,362 - 68,362 180,664 249,025 |
2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102,076 17,853 22,000 698 74,613 1,530 205 |
|||||
| 218,976 | |||||
| 218,976 | |||||
| 101,564 10,054 21,353 |
|||||
| 132,971 15,322 |
|||||
| 148,292 |
|||||
| 70,684 - |
|||||
| 70,684 109,980 |
|||||
| 180,664 |
The notes on pages 8 and 9 form part of these accounts.
Page 6
HERNE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
| Notes A Cash funds Church current account Church deposit account Petty cash B Other monetary assets Gift aid due to charity Debtors for letting premises C Liabilities Creditors Payroll taxes & pension Grants payable Fee for Independent Examination Gas and electricity Hall hire income received in advance |
Unrestricted funds £ 7,789 209,118 103 217,010 2,220 1,636 3,856 2,026 1,136 - 1,920 664 375 6,121 |
Designated funds £ - 10,000 - 10,000 - - - - - - - - - - |
Restricted funds £ - 22,016 - 22,016 - - - - - - - - - - |
2025 £ 7,789 241,133 103 249,025 2,220 1,636 3,856 2,026 1,136 - 1,920 664 375 6,121 |
2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,878 175,320 466 |
|||||
| 180,664 | |||||
| 6,549 160 |
|||||
| 6,709 |
|||||
| - 606 700 1,890 500 2,320 |
|||||
| 6,016 |
D Assets retained for charity's own use
| Manse Church building |
Fund to which asset belongs Restricted Restricted |
Cost £ |
|---|---|---|
| 174,250 1 |
||
| 174,251 |
The manse was purchased in 1998 and cost represents the amount paid to purchase the property.
The church building is situated on land leased from Dulwich Estates. The land is held under a separate Trust Deed that only allows the land to be used as a public place of worship. The historic cost of the building is not known and has been include at a nominal value of £1. The property's insurance value is now £7.7m.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
E A Brown
E A Brown (May 22, 2026 22:58:31 GMT+1)
-------------------------------------------Elizabeth Brown - Treasurer
Date: May 22, 2026
The notes on pages 8 and 9 form part of these accounts.
Page 7
HERNE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
1 Accounting policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
Unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
| 2 Payments in relation to Church activities Ministry expenses Staff costs Church expenses Equipment Training and conferences Youth and children's work Property expenses Routine maintenance and repairs Major property repairs Manse expenses including letting fees Insurance Electricity and gas Other support costs Bank charges and interest Independent examiner's fee 3 Payments in relation to The Mustard Seed Christian Pre-School Staff costs 4 Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others Grants to institutions Arab World Mission for mission Baptist Home Mission for mission Beacon CAP partnership relief of hardship Open Doors for mission Operation Mobilsation for mission Spurgeons College for mission Tearfund for mission Walk through the Bible for mission Other small grants relief of hardship Grants to individuals Support for those engaged in, or training for, UK and overseas mission |
Unrestricted general funds £ 59,146 13,876 1,888 600 567 4,586 - 3,473 5,909 10,855 177 1,860 102,938 - - 600 5,000 4,000 600 2,000 1,750 1,500 1,400 - - 16,850 |
Restricted Funds £ - 347 - - 610 - - - - - - - 957 - - - - - - - - - - 625 - 625 |
Total 2025 £ 59,146 14,223 1,888 600 1,177 4,586 - 3,473 5,909 10,855 177 1,860 103,895 - - 600 5,000 4,000 600 2,000 1,750 1,500 1,400 625 - 17,475 |
Total 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53,192 11,344 2,819 428 1,759 6,707 - 5,874 5,731 11,618 291 1,800 |
||||
| 101,564 | ||||
| 10,054 | ||||
| 10,054 |
||||
| 3,200 5,000 4,000 3,200 - 2,000 3,100 700 53 100 |
||||
| 21,353 |
Page 8
HERNE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
5 Transactions with related parties
During the year Anne Kemp was employed by the charity and received employment benefits totalling £1,717 (2024: £1,642). She received this payment for helping look after the charity's finances, not for serving as a trustee; this payment is permitted by the charity's governing document.
During the year the charity received £24,550 of donations from the trustees and related parties.
6 Movements on restricted funds
| Movements on restricted funds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designated funds Major Works fund Restricted funds Children's and Families fund Major Works fund Church Equipment fund Other small funds |
Opening balance £ - 11,165 11,020 30 - 22,215 |
Receipts £ - 7 - 669 706 1,382 |
Payments £ - 876 - - - 706 - 1,582 - |
Transfers £ 10,000 - - - - - |
Closing balance £ 10,000 |
| 10,296 11,020 699 - |
|||||
| 22,016 |
The Childrens and Families fund represents left over balance from the now-closed Pre-school, to be used to help support the Church's work with children and families.
The restricted Major Works Fund represents amounts set aside by the trustees to help meet the cost of future repairs and improvements to church property. It also contains donations received to help repair the church’s stained glass window.
Page 9