Moldovan Mission
Trustees’ Annual Report for 2021
Name of Charity - Moldovan Mission Charity No. 1166263 Charity address: 142 Harrowby Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 9DU
Trustees
During 2021 the Charity had eight trustees – David Lynn (Chair – temp., Secretary and Treasurer), Neil Robinson, Dermot Parsons, Ian McKnight, Kyle Craig, Lesley Lynn, Peter and Gae Ellis. The aim is for succession, to lower the age of Trustees and to allow the older trustees to retire if they so wish.
David has continued to Chair meetings until one of the new trustees steps up to be appointed as Chair.
Purpose
The principal purpose of Moldovan Mission is the advancement of the Christian Faith in Moldova according to Biblical principles through encouraging and facilitating religious practice by existing followers or adherents and attracting new followers or adherents. The mission may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in Moldova and/or other parts of the world.
Activities and projects in 2021
In fulfilling its Purpose Moldovan Mission engaged in a range of activities either on its own or with others.
The Mission continues to be encouraged in this last year that doors for the ministry of Moldovan Mission continue to remain open in the South of Moldova, while new doors are opening for the mission to work in the West, Centre and North of Moldova.
Mark McCormick is the principal pastor fronting the work of the Mission in Moldova. Mark’s work in 2021 was focused in the following areas.
Since Mark and Mari returned to their home in Bangor, Northern Ireland, about 8 years ago for his youngest daughter to have crucial surgery, they have continued to live in Northern Ireland travelling to Moldova every two months or so to meet with the Mission’s church planting partners. He has been involved practically in the ministry with these pastors in evangelism training and visiting the poor with them as well as a mentoring role alongside them.
2021 has also been a difficult year with restrictions continuing on travel due the impact of the worldwide pandemic due to the Corona COVID-19 virus.
The autumn mission based on Project FRANK was quite limited due to availability of evangelists that were willing to travel. Mark did a couple of missions himself and one team came for the last mission in the North. Nonetheless many were saved and have gone onto baptism and church
membership since. This is an increase on 2020 when no missions took place but a major reduction on missions during the autumn of 2018 and 2019 when over 40 churches were involved.
The activities above during 2021 have been curtailed as Mark’s travelling out to Moldova during the year has been severely restricted as he would normally have travelled about every 2 months to meet and mentor pastors, teaching at FRANK seminars and preaching in the autumn missions and various other events.
However he has kept in touch with all our partners through zoom and has managed to have them all share in the monthly zoom prayer meetings with our supporters
Mark’s usual activities in Moldova have been limited by the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of the virus. In addition to coping with restrictions to social mixing and travel, people in Moldova have suffered from the effects of a summer drought causing widespread shortage of some foods. However, this has given the charity opportunities to continue the Winter Appeal to raise funds for local pastors to buy and deliver essential food parcels and fuel in conjunction with sharing Jesus and running follow up gospel missions
The mission continued to provide financial and spiritual support to eight pastors of churches mostly in the South of Moldova. We continued to support six of these pastors financially directly through Moldovan Mission and added a further key pastor in the North of Moldova. In addition Mark has continued mentoring many of the pastors in one measure or another.
The partnership with pastor Vasile Surdu in both mentoring and financial support continues to prosper. He is pastor of a large church in Soldanesti, capital of the county with the same name, where there are 35 villages, with only Soldanesti and one other village having a church. There are many other villages that he has been working in where we have been assisting with project FRANK missions and have seen individuals saved. With our support his plan is to seek to plant churches in these villages. We had planned in 2020 to start an in-house part time Bible school based at his church to equip new pastors to oversee new church plants, but Covid-19 pandemic has delayed this and many other projects.
In March we also met with pastor Tudor, who is responsible to the Baptist Union of Moldova for overseeing pastors in four counties in central Moldova. Mark, who has known Tudor for many years, his tried and proven character, has wanted to partner with him for at least 5 years, but financial circumstances had not permitted this until now. From August 2020 Moldovan Mission has entered into partnership with Tudor, which opens doors for the Mission to work with another 25 churches in project FRANK.
Moldova remains Europe’s poorest country and following a failed harvest in 2019 and the Covid pandemic, it was clear that even more people than usual would fall into serious financial difficulties by wintertime. The Mission therefore had the vision of making an appeal to its supporters to raise enough money to help feed 1000 needy families with a food aid pack. We
were greatly encouraged that enough was given to so far be able to help 3800 families.
By the end of December 2020 we were already seeing the beginnings of a major expansion in the ministry of the Mission. As additional funds came in response to the appeal to feed the poor, Mark contacted another pastor in the North of Moldova to see if there were church planters that he is working with that could use aid packs to help them in their ministry in these new villages.
Immediately new doors opened and by the end of Dec 2020 we found ourselves working with a further five new pastors with the potential for working out our five primary goals of our mission in a further 30 villages the Mission has not previously worked in.
The Trustees have not received any emoluments other than authorised expenses.
Virtual AGM to be held on Wednesday 04 May 2022
David Lynn, Chair of Trustees, 25 April 2022
Moldovan Mission Annual Statement of Accounts for year ending 2021
| b/f from 2020 59,145.1 5 Per bank & a/cs Receipts in 2021 Donations: Personal 66,274.61 Churches 20,612.70 Organisations - Gift Aid claim 9,759.38 Total Receipts 2021 96,646.69 27,195.50 Gift Aid 69,451.19 Non Gift Aid Transfer from deposit a/c - 96,646.69 Payments in 2021 96,646.69 To UK Expenses 143.12 - To Moldova Pastors' support 25,426.00 Costs (mission/cars/running) 13,015.00 Buildings 5,466.20 Aid/ help 10,630.00 Mission - MMcC support 9,417.32 Mission - MMcC expenses |
b/f from 2020 22,907.7 7 Per bank & a/cs Receipts in 2021 Interest 2.29 Total Receipts 2021 2.29 c/f to 2022 22,910.0 6 per a/cs 22,910.0 6 Per bank - |
|---|---|
584.35 Miscellaneous costs 1,300.00 Administration 1,000.00 Total Payments 2021 66,981.99 66,981.99 - Transfer to deposit a/c - 88,809.8 111,719. c/f to 2022 5 per a/cs Total 91 per a/cs 88,809.8 111,719. Per 5 Per bank Total 91 bank Error - Error - Independentally examined by Louise Lamb and found to be correct Signed Name: by: Date:
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
Report to the Trustees of Moldovan Mission
Charity Number 1166263
On the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2021
Respective Responsibilities of trustees and examiner: The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (The Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
* examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act
* to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and *** to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement: My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement: In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
* to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
* to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Signed:
Date: 27 February 2022
Louise Lamb
Name: Louise Lamb 21 Sidney Street Grantham Lincs NG318AZ