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2020-12-31-accounts

ST KATHERINE, WESTWAY ANNUAL REPORT

April 2020 to March 2021

PCC BUSINESS REPORT – Elizabeth Day, PCC Secretary

There were 7 PCC meetings during the year. Business included:

Ministry and Growth:

Other planned events that were curtailed were: Children and families’ Easter activities

Quiz and curry evening

However, a welcome community event between lockdowns, a Christmas Fayre, was able to be held by St Kat’s in the church grounds at the beginning of December.

Safeguarding

Business and Finance:

Regular updates and discussions on finances in line with St Katherine’s Strategic Plan included:

Buildings and Fabric:

FINANCE REPORT – Barbara Studd, PCC Treasurer

The financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December so this financial report mainly relates to 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

INCOME

The total income of £73k in 2020 is a decrease on usual annual income over previous years.

Tax Efficient Giving (which is mainly the monthly Standing Order and Direct Debit donations) decreased by £2k in comparison to the previous year and Collections had also decreased by £2.5k as a result of the church closure due to national COVID measures. The total Gift Aid Recovered of £8.5k is the

usual annual amount and relates to giving in the previous year.

Income from property remained similar to 2019 but other lettings decreased significantly due to a business renting our car park closing due to COVID.

OUTGOINGS

Our Giving to charitable organisations remained at the same level as 2019. The Common Fund contribution for the year decreased by £5k.

In comparison to the previous year, most outgoings remained largely the same. However, maintenance increased by £14k as works were carried out on the building. Salaries increased by £17k due to the appointment of an Administrator and an increase in salary for the Curate. Costs of office equipment also increased as St Kat’s upgraded and purchased technology for online services.

AUDIT

Our Independent Examiner has carried out an initial check of our accounting records and finds the financial statements give a true and fair account of the position at 31 December 2020.

Incoming Resources
Collection and donations
Tax efficient giving
Other giving & donations
Tax recovered
Other income
Fees and Events
Investments & Interest
Property & Lettings

Outgoing Resources
Giving
Diocese
Services
Utilities
Maintenance
Administration
Wages
Houses
Balance
Monetary Assets
Cash
Bank Accounts
CBF Deposit Fund
CBF Fixed Interest Securities fund		 2020
2491
29501
150
8497
0
0
455
31951
73,044
2020
11,097
55,700
6,936
9,869
24,184
6,955
32,517
0
147,259
-74,215
2020
427
397,785
0
8,604
406,817

FABRIC REPORT – Jonathan Walker, Churchwarden

This is a brief report due to the current and ongoing external challenge of Covid-19 and the current and ongoing question of the church’s future, either as a complete redevelopment on the existing site or a relocation to another site.

Each fabric report I have written reflects the fact that for many years the St Katherine’s church building has been in slow decline. The list of urgent and necessary work from the recent quinquennial report is long, among the things mentioned were the box gutters which now allow water to leak down the walls of the worship area, the whole building’s electrical system which is old and in need of overhaul and the statues on the side that may need securing. Among other pressing issues is the church heating system, which is now inefficient, often temperamental and becoming harder to repair.

With a small congregation and limited resources, the idea of tackling the big problems seems out of our reach and this combined with the ongoing question of St Katherine’s future has meant that decisions of the PCC have focused on the short term ‘make do and mend’ approach to allow the activities of the Church to continue.

With this approach in mind the worship area has been re-decorated and new carpet laid. A large screen TV has replaced the projector screen and a modest upgrade to the sound system and cabling implemented. (This process is currently incomplete due to a shortage of the PA speakers due to Covid-19 pandemic.) The choir room and toilet (next to the vestry) has been completely revamped with new windows, wiring and heating system. This room now provides a smart, self-contained area for small meetings and services. Repair work to the skylights (tested and started in 2019) was rolled out over all 6 of the skylights (aided by a grant from the Kensington diocese); costing a fraction of the huge cost of a full replacement, it has meant the main roof no longer leaks and hopefully will endure until the future of St Kat’s is fully decided.

Following the same ethos, plans for a substantial upgrade of the coffee bar area and toilets were drawn up and quotes provided; even going as far as thinking about start dates, when three events happened. First, problems with the church became more apparent (we had hoped that the box gutters and heating system would see us through for a number of years, but increasingly we have had to face the fact that they probably won’t). Second, the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that many of the plans and upgrades have either been paused or rolled out more slowly. And third, the idea of redeveloping the whole site by the C of E has been taken off the shelf again after eight or so years, which essentially means that any large-scale building work and repair on a building that may not exist in the next few years would be an unwise investment at this stage.

Therefore, moving forward into 2021, the current plan of the PCC is to pay for a parish audit to determine the demographic of our parish and any needs and considerations that we must bear in mind as we plan for the next step.

On a personal note, I would like to add that despite the many rough waters we have been through St Kat’s continues to float; I feel sure that God is with us and will continue to guide us through this next phase as we seek His will and ask His blessing.

DEANERY SYNOD REPORT – Linda Haysman-Walker, Deanery Synod Rep

In 2020-21 the Deanery Synod covered such topics as:

Diocesan 2030 Vision the Bishop of Kensington gave a very well received presentation on the aims and context of this new vision for the Church of England in the Diocese of London. The Bishop encouraged participation of the parishes based on the framework which had been developed during the last couple of years. He stated that his own intended Mission in the Area had started in January this year in the Spelthorne Deanery but had to be paused by reason of the pandemic and would then be reworked for the new circumstances during the next year. The Bishop was able to take and respond to six substantive questions and comments.

Crosslight/St Paul’s Centre on Debt Counselling in our Compassionate Communities – Restoring Dignity and Renewing Hope . Deanery Synod member for St Paul’s, Stephen Richards, introduced the work of the charity in the context of the Diocesan Vision 2030 element, Compassionate Community, and the St Paul’s Debt Advisory Centre. The charity is an independent, community-focused charity working to alleviate poverty caused by debt and lack of financial capability in partnership with and through action in local churches. There are currently 40 volunteers from different Deanery churches some of long standing. The advice is currently given over the phone in roughly 40 minute sessions although normally it would be in person. Because of Covid-19 measures all training and advice is currently remote. Training is provided in association with Advice UK and to obtain the qualification as a debt adviser takes 6-8 hours online, 3 days of practical experience and there is then an obligation to undertake continuing training. Groups were asked to discuss what was already going on in the parishes and where they could see openings for new work on help for parishioners in financial difficulties and debt are looking for premises for a further hub in Fulham, the south of the Deanery and Borough.

MINISTER’s REPORT – Revd Jim Tate

Even as I prepare this report, the ominous rumblings of the Indian variant of Covid-19 continue to make themselves heard as the World Health Organisation recently classify it as ‘a variant of global concern’, and Boris Johnson says he is ‘ruling nothing out’ when it comes to tackling its spread. So, while people are taking optimistic steps to ease their way out of lockdown, we may not have seen the back of restrictions just yet.

It will be apparent to us all that, whatever the immediate future brings, the world has already undergone a huge change that has affected our thinking, as well as our behaviour. If recent times were scarred by division over Brexit, the impact of lockdown has probably been even more damaging; both to our mental well-being, and to our relationships. However we choose to interpret the recent events, it would be hard to deny that a shaking of immense proportions is going on. Some have been more adversely affected by it than others.

This last year has been a difficult one for us as a church. We negotiated the use of new technology to help us continue our services on YouTube, and then via Zoom, before we returned to our building to worship together, with the livestreaming option provided. We also used the Zoom option for other meetings during the week, including an Alpha course. Zoom will no doubt play a part in the life of our church for the immediate future, and we have been grateful for it, as well as for Jon and Andrew making it work for us. At the same time, we need to ensure that it doesn’t become the primary means of interaction – unless external factors dictate it. As I said in last year’s report: ‘Zoom can be our friend, but it is not our Saviour… Church is to be experienced in a physical and embodied way. God sent his Son to be with us in a physical way and it’s one of the most important aspects of the Christian faith.’

Technology has helped us out in a big way but like everything else, it has been unable to prevent the loss of momentum we have experienced. Last time around I mentioned how the Bishop of Kensington along with the Diocese had rather surprisingly raised the prospect of revisiting the building project. Progress on that was halted because of lockdown 3.0, but Les and I have very recently met with the Property Department to explore the way forward. The PCC is now engaging with this and it will become a prominent agenda item for the new PCC to discern what God is saying. I won’t go into details now, other than to say that we don’t know for certain if this will get off the ground - and we have more reason than most to be wary - but there is a decent chance that it might, and there is a huge amount of potential for it.

Before the idea of a new building project was suggested to us, we had decided as a PCC to carry out as much work on the existing building as possible. This was both to make it a nicer environment for us, and to make the building more usable for mission. In fact, it was only when our roof started to leak after remedial work to our roof windows that we called a halt to work on the kitchen and toilets. And these annoying leaks occurred not long after we had decorated the worship area, believing it to be water-tight! It hasn’t stopped us working on the Prayer Room, which, thanks to the initiative of Les, is almost done. We will also have to do some more work on the roof, regardless of a building project, in order to keep the water out.

So despite the lockdowns, things have still taken place, and will continue to do so. Jordan’s year long contract as our intern came to an end, and we thank her for her contribution. It certainly wasn’t an easy time for her as it was rudely interrupted by you-know-what and a period of furlough, which could not have been anticipated. She is still sorting out our Sunday rotas, behind the scenes.

There will be more changes to come in the lives of our ‘personnel’. Liz will be moving back up north later on in the year after many years of being part of the life of St Kat’s, and serving in many ways. She will be greatly missed. In recent years she has diligently served as PCC Secretary and will be leaving an immediate and obvious gap. We thank her for everything she has so generously contributed. There will be some changes too for Barb, as she gets licensed in June as an LLM (Licensed Lay Minister). This comes after three years study at St Mellitus College and will be a significant milestone in her life and in the life of the church. How this will pan out will be gradually discerned over the coming months. In order to give some space to this, she has stepped down as Churchwarden and Treasurer after years of holding these positions and taking on various other responsibilities. She has done a great job in all of them, and in supporting Jim and Les. We thank her for all that she has done, particularly in the two key aforementioned roles that have demanded on-going attention and which can be demanding. We thank her for all she has done and look forward to what is yet to come. Thankfully, Jon is continuing as Churchwarden, even though he may be working in China at some point in the year. Once again, we want to thank Jon for his support, as well as his contribution to the technical aspects of this church, as well as for the improvements he has made to our building, both inside and out – the most glaringly obvious being the TV screen!

A special thanks to everyone who worked hard to make the Christmas Fayre a real success, an event which we managed to squeeze in before restrictions were re-introduced. It was encouraging for us all to see our grounds transformed into a winter wonderland with the Christmas tree company selling their trees and making St Kat’s something of a focus for the locals and for the traffic. Perhaps more importantly, it was a bonus for local people, starved of contact and interaction for so long, given an opportunity to come out and brave the cold in order to live a little more normally for a fleeting moment. We hope it will be able to happen again, and it will depend in part whether it is thought to be commercially viable by the Christmas Tree company.

A potentially exciting development that is in the very early stages of exploration is to use St Kat’s building as a Foodbank. There is an obvious need, and it would be a really positive thing, if it could get underway. Of course, our building is not the most practical and it may be coming down anyway, but if it could function for a while, it be a real help to those in the parish who are struggling to make ends meet. It would also help us in our contact with them. Do please pray about this.

So we face some real challenges over the next year. We do need to stay focused on the Lord and on our fellowship and unity as the body of Christ. We need to watch out for one another; some of us are really feeling the impact of the events of the last year and a bit, perhaps more so than others. Some of us may even be unaware of the full psychological and emotional impact on us. Remember that I spoke on collective and individual trauma last year, the reason being because some of us have been traumatised by the unprecedented changes. We need to bear with one another in this, and also make every effort to bear with one another’s viewpoints. It’s very clear that different people are interpreting things in very different ways. There are clear differences of opinion as to how Covid-19 should be managed by those in

positions of power, including differing views on social contact, family gatherings, church services, vaccines and facemasks etc. Added to this, we have the added stress of racial tensions, which erupted during the first lockdown, and could easily escalate.

We all have our views, and of course, we are all right in what we think! I seriously believe that the division in society is not unintentional and the culture wars and cancellation culture that we are engaged with will only increase. We are living in a world where division is the new normal. We need to make sure that we, as the Church, do not fall into the trap that our spiritual enemy has set for us. We are meant to be different – God’s New Society, full of people who are ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light to the world’.

As I have already stated, the changes we have had to endure has affected our thinking, which in turn affects our behaviour. It has become very apparent to me that this is now a very serious issue. Over the years the Christian faith has been undermined to such an extent that we are now a very marginalized minority. The attack on our Judeo-Christian heritage and culture was intensified over this past year as freedoms and liberties were stripped away, while various groups and organizations saw and took their opportunities, to bring in the changes they want to see. Of course, change can be a good thing; we could certainly do with quite a bit in many areas of society, especially in bringing about God’s justice. The problem comes when the driving force behind the change is energized by a godless, anti-Christian root, particularly neo-Marxism, which is probably the greatest threat that we have had to face in many years. This dangerous deception speaks into areas of sexuality, race, economics, justice, philosophy, thinking - just about everything - and hijacks it all for its own ends.

I believe that we are entering into a very dangerous stage in our history, as the demonic moves into the void that has been created by our society’s rejection of God. Hence the divisions in our society that are now even more pronounced. Unfortunately, it is obvious that well-meaning Christians have fallen into the trap of embracing deceptive doctrines and ideologies that do not originate from God and are being manipulated by them. The reason for deception is always the same: false prophets or teachers, a lack of biblical thinking and the consequent inability to think Christianly about everything . None of us has got this sussed! Godly thinking is a life-long learning process, to be undertaken in a fallen world that will constantly throw up new enticements that will seek to pull us away from the ‘narrow path’.

With this in mind, I want to begin some mid-week sessions soon (starting on Zoom) with Andrew and Les to help us all learn to think ‘Christianly’ so that we can continue to walk in truth, as well as sniff out deception when it arises. This is not a bible study, rather it will be time spent looking at the underlying worldview that the bible gives us, in order to shape us and do its job.

As Paul says in Romans 12:2 ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect’. Have these words ever been more relevant than they are today? In order to help us, we will be looking at real and pressing issues that we all face, and how we can

approach them as biblical Christians. I really can’t think of anything more important for our times.

Ps 127:1says, ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain’

Let’s make sure we do stay awake.

Terence Davey Interim Management and Business Consultancy 53 Sandown Lodge Avenue Road Epsom Surrey Kn8 7QU ST KATHERINE'S CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31.111120 Auditorfs Report to the Members of St Katherine's Churcty Westway. London I have reviewed the Financi￿ Statements and workings supporling them. In common with similar organisations, the Church's SYSten￿ of control deE*nd upon the dose involvement of the PCC and its elected 0f￿e of Treasurer. Where additional inforniation to that presented was required, I accepted the ￿UlanceS of the aforementioned that all the tranSa￿￿S were refiected in the records. That sai¢ the Financi￿ Statements &$ attached in my opinlon we a true and fair account of the Church's affairs as at 31 December 2￿20 and the receipts and payments made in that year. Terence Davey Date 12th Juty 2021

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