Page | 1
Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic Bristol (CIO) Trustees Report Financial Year 1[st] April 2024 Ending 31[st] March 2025 Charity No: 1165866
| Reference and Administrative Details of Charity: | Reference and Administrative Details of Charity: |
|---|---|
| Charity Registered Number | 1165866 |
| Registered Trustees | Claudette Campbell |
| David Collins | |
| Rohan Smith | |
| Annette Davis | |
| Joanne Lindsay | |
| Jenifer Donatien | |
| Charity Address | 254a Church Road |
| Place of Worship | St George |
| Bristol | |
| BS5 8AF | |
| Contact Details: | |
| Landline | 0117 9393374 |
| Mobile | 07814 765887 |
| connect@bethelchurchbristol.org | |
| Website | www.bethelchurchbristol.org |
| Auditor: | Easy Accounts & Tax |
| 510 Bristol Business Park | |
| Coldharbour Lane | |
| BS16 1EJ | |
| Bank: | Lloyds Bank PLC |
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing Document Constitution Charity is constituted CIO
The Charity is a�iliated to Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic UK whose headquarters is based at Bethel Convention Centre, Kelvin Way, West Bromwich and has 42 church assemblies over England and Wales. We continue under the leadership of the National Ecclesiastical Council (NEC) for Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic UK.
Page | 3
This charity commits to making a contribution of 10% of its income to assist Bethel UK and its ministry endeavours.
This Charity’s main objective is to continue promoting and advancing the Christian faith in Bristol and the wider community, to be a beacon of light, providing a haven for all to find support and counselling.
Bethel Church Bristol is the lead church in the West of England. There are 7 other district churches based in the following cities, Newport | Cardi� | Trowbridge | Gloucester | Southampton | Swindon | Bristol Lyde Green, designated by the NEC as the District 7 region. As the lead church Bristol leads and supports the District Bishop oversee the mission across the West of England.
The Board of Trustees
Policies
To oversee our ministry operations, Bristol Bethel has in place robust policies and procedures that are reviewed and added to as circumstances change.
Safeguarding
We adhere to and have adopted the Bethel United Church National Safeguarding policy. We have appointed a lead O�icer who operates locally & throughout the southwest region to take responsibility to oversee and implement training of volunteers; to refresh & review the policy, for the protection of our children and young people and vulnerable adults.
Bishop Nathan Simmonds is the National Safeguarding Lead working with our local lead o�icer. They take charge of regularly reviewing the DBS checks issued to those operating in the mission who have contact with children and vulnerable adults.
It is our practice to include a refresh, as a matter of good practice, in our yearly Ministry O�icers and Leaders training day, on matters of Safeguarding. All who have attended reported back that this interactive session adds great value and keeps the key principles at the forefront, of all that we do in ministry.
Our congregation are reminded of potential risks and the need to be mindful of the vulnerable and that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. This reminder is on our written event newsletter that is shared with our visiting congregation on a weekly basis.
Church Risk Management
Our Risk Manager leads on Health and Safety Risk Assessment on site; to include paying particularly attention to risks arising from large worship events. Ensuring that a risk and mitigation plan is written, reviewed and available to all. That Fire Marshalls are identified & trained with the appropriate signage displayed on walls and suitable emergency clothing, is available & accessible, to be used, should an emergency arise. We appoint medically trained persons to act as First Aiders; they meet; assess the emergency bag; appoint a lead and ensure that processes are clear as to how to proceed in the event of a medical emergency.
Ministry Activities
The Mission team at Bristol Bethel Church covers a wide spectrum of activities and services within our church community.
Our mission covers
-
Our Children in our Royal Kidz team
-
Women’s ministry with our Women of Excellence team
-
Men’s ministry with our Aaron’s Army
-
The senior members of our congregation in our Treasured Saints team
-
All those who are sick and in hospital and nursing homes and require care and support by our Care Ministry team
-
Prayer & Altar workers team that pray without ceasing to support all
-
Music ministry team who are integral to our Worship service
-
Audio & visual team who ensure that we Broadcast via YouTube to those members of the congregation who are at home and to ensure our mission is available worldwide
-
Social Media team who maintain our digital presence and website
-
Ushers and hospitality team that welcome and support all when they visit, in person Bethel Church at 254a Church Road
-
Outreach Sunday School in St Pauls
-
Outreach church in Lyde Green
Ministry Developments
Following the appointment of Bishop Lance Dinnall, as Bethel Bristol’s Senior Pastor, during Autumn 2024, the Board has aligned ministry operations to his vision. He continues to guide and support ministry operations as detailed above looking for our focus to be concerned with ‘Meeting the Needs of Today’s World’.
The Children’s Ministry continues to be endorsed due to its outreach capability. We have discovered events centred around children and young people, draws participation and engagement from the community. We will continue to support the Summer Sunday Trip underwriting the transport cost. This enables those who would not commonly a�ord to take children to family leisure destination to do so.
To enable the ongoing Outreach Ministry in St Pauls and Lyde Green we underwrite the cost of venue hire and this sits within the church’s vision to meet the ‘needs of our local community’.
We support the Senior members of our congregation who are referred to as Treasured Saints. We greatly respect and honour the contribution they have made to the ministry to establish the
Page | 5
church in Bristol. We therefore do all we can to ensure there are accessible activities available to them. That the ministry team visit them at home, housebound or unwell in hospital and those being taken care of in Residential Homes. We work to ensure that the church family remains a part of their lives even when they are unable to attend ‘in person’ services or events.
Financial Review
The Trustee’s work programme was reviewed and refreshed for 2024-25.
The Board agreed to introduce Business Meetings outside the standard Annual General Meeting to enable the Members of the church to receive timely updates on the financial status of the church ministry. We wanted to provide assurances that the church charity and ministry remained a going concern.
It was also deemed necessary to work with the Ministry Leaders to ensure that they were fully informed about the ministry operating cost and the essential need to ensure that the church operated within the Operating Budget and was able to meet all expenses.
We provided all Ministry leaders with a Budget Statement. Ministry leaders, are those leading on an area of operation that require funding. This statement informed leaders how funds were allocated and to which ministry area. Provided an understanding of the categories of spend. Setting out clearly the priority ministry areas. What we must do. In addition, the document set out the policy and principles on how funds are to be managed, the must and must not. Finally, the budget statement confirmed the allocation for each ministry event and/or service.
not required to operate the ministry and or support the maintenance of the tenanted properties to a high interest account. This will enable financial growth on those sums not required for immediate use.
Tenanted Properties
We continue to work with our Letting Agents, Property Wise.
A substantial amount of funds was spent refurbishing and maintaining the tenanted properties on Salisbury Street and Church Road. They meet the decent homes standard. We were able to increase the rents so that they now align with local market rents.
The income generated goes back into the upkeep of the properties and what remains assist the mission.
The Church Building
We undertook a review of the main building establishing a work programme. The immediate need was the re-design and improvement to the steps by the side entrance into the church building from Salisbury Street. We commissioned a builder to reconfigure the steps to make them safe and usable by all.
Road, to ensure our main place of worship continues to meet Health & Safety Standards. That with a large congregation often in attendance at events their safety and wellbeing remains our
priority. We project that through 2025 to beginning of 2027 a large portion of our income will be used to manage this refurbishment.
In conclusion
The Trustee Board will continue to maximise income and minimise expenditure to ensure the mission continues to be a going concern.
This report is signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees by
Claudette Campbell – Chair