## **Chairman’s Report for 2020** If one had to choose to be chair of anything… 2020 would not be the Year! However – despite the challenges that the Pandemic has brought to World and to our own County of Lancashire – what we have seen has been real growth in ‘unity in mission’ as churches have come together to respond to the crisis and serve their communities. There are many wonderful examples – from larger scale programmes such as The Pantry in Fleetwood – a partnership between the Healthcare Trust with the Catholic and Anglican churches of Fleetwood, to single acts of random kindness such as the “Slice Guy” in Preston donating a 100 pizzas to needy families in the community. We are aware of the work of our chaplains who work ecumenically in high risk environments such as Hospitals and Prisons. One of our most recently ordained Priests in the Diocese of Blackburn, the Revd Susan Salt, chose to return to her work as a Doctor in order to serve on the frontline of the NHS in the battle against COVID. The Salvation Army has always been in the forefront of community support and it has been heartening to hear of churches across the denominations giving support. Some of the stories of hope and good news will feature in this year’s Lancashire Sings Christmas which will be broadcast on Thursday 17[th] December at 7pm on Radio Lancashire. The Churches in Lancashire have been full participants with the Lancashire Resilience Forum, working with civic leaders and with leaders of the other Faith communities. We have been represented across a number of sub groups such as recovery group, the faiths group and the volunteer and community group. In November members of the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Bahai communities along with civic leaders met with the Christian leaders for Lancashire and most recently a Webinar, organised by CTL and the Lancashire Forum of Faiths was held to explore “Hope” in our communities. This coming together will continue. The meeting of the Church Leaders through the year has been especially valuable. This year Churches Together in Lancashire welcomed Bishop John Fenwick to the meeting. Bishop John is the Bishop for the Northern Province of the Free Church of England and is a Trustee of Churches Together in England. It is always a challenge to get all the Leaders together but in this time of Zoom the meetings have been well supported and have been a time of much needed encouragement. We are also encouraged to hear of many local groups coming together ecumenically by Zoom, in prayer & study, fellowship & worship. We are all in unprecedented times and unprecedented times calls us all to do unprecedented things. The Church in Lancashire has been called to action together and is responding: that work will and must continue as together, in prayer and in hope, we work bring light to the darkness – trusting in the One who is the Light of the World. ## **County Ecumenical Officer (CEO) Report 2020** The Revd Anton Müller continues represent North West Regions (Intermediate Bodies) of Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria on the Enabling Group of Churches Together in England. These meetings have taken place via Zoom. The Enabling Group has facilitated discussion around the 4[th] Presidency of CTE (the Empty Chair, in the light of the nominated candidate being in a same sex marriage); discussion forums on church responses to Black Lives Matters – Bishop Joe Aldred has been pivotal in this work; The CEO has been appointed Deputy Moderator of the 2022 Forum, the national conference of Churches Together in England. The CEO with some of the DEOs (Denominational Ecumenical Officers) are serving as Ecumenical Observers on the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s Synod. Throughout the Pandemic the CEO and DEOs have participated in meetings of the Lancashire Resilience Forum and sub groups. The CEO has continued to develop the Ecumenical Discussion platform working with the Lancashire Theological Society, Lancashire Forum of Faiths and A Company of Speakers. The most recent event was an interfaith webinar on Hope Development of the Ecumenical Working Parties (EWP) was put on hold earlier in the year but work on this has now resumed. Representatives from each of the denominations have been invited to come together to share thoughts and ideas around: Mission and Discipleship (Marks 1 and 2); Social Care (Mark 3), Social Justice (Mark 4), Environment (Mark 5) – in addition there will be EWPs on Children, youth and young adults, spirituality and pilgrimage. An ecumenical “Emergency Planning” working party was suggested last year – we never knew how quickly this would come to pass with the DEOs deployed to various groups within the Lancashire Resilience Forum. ## **Denominational Ecumenical Officers (DEO’s)** Lancashire has developed the most complete team of DEOs with representation across all the church groups in Lancashire. The Revd Stephen Brown has been appointed as the DEO for the Archdeaconry of Blackburn; The Revd Liz Jewitt has stepped down as DEO for the URC NW Synod – a replacement is being sought. ## **(Local Ecumenical Partnerships) LEPs:** _**Trinity Accrington:**_ The Revd Paul McNally appointed last year as Curate in Charge is to be licensed as the Incumbent. _**Churches Together in North Blackburn:**_ is beginning a period of affirmation and review following changes in the team. ## **Ecumenical Project Funding 2020** Grants of £1,000 were awarded to: “Transforming Lives for Good” group in Blackpool – a project to provide meals in the holiday to children who would receive free school meals in term time. “The Well Community Café” – an evangelism programme around a hot breakfast also in the Blackpool area. Churches Together in Lancashire FII%.4NI CIAL ACCOUNTS FOR'fFIE YEAR F,liDF.I) 31, 1)ecember 2020 Towers + Gornall Chartered Certified Accounlants Garstang, Preston ChuiL*e5 fotyhtr In 3tstDeiemberZD20 Statemento*AuoyThfsfyrthe PEiiod ¢ndÈdllsT Dotembet2¢2D Chuithe5Toiether LI￿￿￿￿1re 2019 GÈrtt¢ai 140 AC05 29.452 2R.IS6 Ecyffl•Thd41 O¢vEIypmeTrTOM¢w". IU51 13.5 3.5*1 S16e 364 5L155 22.999 70.417 73181 70.427 £AFG￿0￿Co￿￿I 3S.DF7 ?L*22 •prvs*rt1*4 Dy 71.￿} 3.45S 22,99> Independent examiner's report on the a¢¢ounts of Churches Together in Lancashire R•port on the accounts lor the year ended 31 Decemb8r 2020. Respectlve rèsponslbllltles of trustees and cxarniner= The charity's tru51ees are iesponsible for the preparation ol the accounts in accordance wilh the Charitiès Act 2011 1"Ihe Acl"l. The charity's trJ5tees con51der tnal an audit Is iol required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an Independent examination ,s needed. It Is my responsibi ity to. examine the accoJnls under seclion 145 cf Ihe Charities Act, to ffollow t￿e applicable Directions given by the Cttarity Commission (under section 14515llbl of the Act, and to slate whether particular r)alter$ have wrne to my allenlK)n Basis of Indèp•ndttnt examlner's statement My examination was carr1ed OJI in ac¢orcan¢e wittr general Direciicns giver by the Cha"ity Commission An examination ncludes a review of the accounting re¢ofds kept by the charity and a eomoarison ol the accounts pie5enlec w Ih those records. It also ￿ludeS CDnside"aiion ol any unusual item5 or diselosures In the accounls. an¢ seeking explanations from trustees concerning any such rnaiiers The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evi¢en¢e Inat wobld be required In an audit. and ¢onsequen•ly no opinion is given as 19 whether the accounts prèsènt a 'true and lair, view and Ihe report IS I,.miled lo '.hose rnalters se4 Qut li Ihe stalemenl below Independent examlnefs statement In connec',10n w11k, my examinaiion. no malerial matters have come lo my attention which gives me Cause to Delieve that in. any material respect the accounting records were not kept in accordance with secb'on 130 c)1 the Charitie$ Act., or Ihe accounts did not ac¢ord wilh'.he accourting records. or The ac¢ounis ¢id not Comply viith Ihe appli-able require￿entS concerniig the form apd content ef accounts se: OLI In the ￿haritIeS (Accounts and Regor.sl Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the 8c¢ounls give a 'true ard lair view whi¢h is not a matter con51dered as part ol an indeper,denl examination I have no concerns and have come across ro oltrer matter5 in connection with the exarniialion lo which attenlion should be drawn in Ihis report in order IO enable a proper understanding ol the accounts lo be reached Signad.. Datp..1ilirAL.. Mick Gornall Towers & Gornall Abacu5 House The Ropowalk Garstang PR3 INS