## Gillingham Baptist
## Church
## Annual Report 2022
Registered Charity Number 1169769
## **CONTENTS**
Elders’ Review 3 Regulatory Information 3 Risk Management 5 Review of activities 5
## **APPENDICES**
Appendix 1 Church Annual Accounts & Independent Examiner’s Report Appendix 2 Chapel and Manse Holding Trustees
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## **ELDERS’ REVIEW**
[on behalf of the Management Trustees]
Whilst 2021 could be characterised as recovery from Covid 19, this year has seen development and progress. Again the Lord has been faithful and has blessed the church. But this year has seen an expansion in the organised life of the church, which had not been possible for a few years.
By the end of the year the church had 21 members, a decrease of three over 2021. Nevertheless, the congregation has increased and this gives grounds for hope of numerical increase as well as the increase in fellowship and love that we have seen.
The leadership and ‘management’ of the church has returned to its usual format, with quarterly church members’ meetings and regular meetings of the elders and deacons.
The church has maintained its concern for the spread the gospel in other parts of this country and the world. We have welcomed those who either are working for the Lord overseas or are representatives of organisations involved in such activities. This helps us to take a global view of the kingdom of God, whilst remaining fully involved with our locality.
## **REGULATORY INFORMATION**
## **1. History**
Christians identifying themselves as Baptists have been gathering for worship in Gillingham since the 1830s. After a while land was given in trust and a chapel was erected. This stipulated that worship should be according to the principles of the Particular Baptists. A church has existed continuously since then and, in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission, was registered as a charity on 19 October 2016.
## **2. Details**
Charity Name: Gillingham Baptist Church, Dorset
Registration Number: 1169769
Address: Gillingham Baptist Church, Newbury, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4HZ
Current Trustees: John Blake, Simon Chase, Peter Gray, Gilbert Muspratt, David Poolman, Peter Wick. These trustees have served for the whole of the calendar year 2022.
## **3. Structure and Governance**
The church has a Constitution and Rules & Regulations which were formally revised and adopted in 2016, pursuant to Charity Commission registration.
The functional operation of the church is intended to reflect the teachings and principles revealed in the Bible. Therefore, the leadership is by elders supported by deacons. All these
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church officers are trustees and each is appointed by the church meeting of all members, at which approval by a substantial majority is required. Only those persons meeting the Scriptural criteria should be considered and appointed.
Whilst persons in whom the appropriate gifts are seen can be encouraged and developed, we believe these persons are gifted by God and cannot be manufactured. Thus, formal appointment to serve the church is more an act of recognition than of creation.
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
5
6|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Name of person (or body) entitled to**
**appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|
||John Blake|Elder|Members of Gillingham Baptist Church|
||Simon Chase|Elder & Pastor|Members of Gillingham Baptist Church|
||Peter Gray|Deacon & Treasurer|Members of Gillingham Baptist Church|
||Gilbert Muspratt|Deacon|Members of Gillingham Baptist Church|
||David Poolman|Deacon|Members of Gillingham Baptist Church|
||Peter Wick|Deacon & Secretary|Members of Gillingham Baptist Church|
## **4. Financial Review**
The church believes God will provide and that the chief instrument he will use is the free and voluntary giving of his people. No fund raising is undertaken and no contribution levels are set for members. As an independent church there is no overarching body to provide support, but we believe the Lord Jesus Christ is the direct head of each true church and provides as he pleases. We are grateful to God for providing our needs over 2022, the details of which are in the annual accounts in Appendix 1.
It is not the church’s policy to create reserves, however some amount will be retained in order to meet the inevitable demands of buildings that are over a century old. The church officers agreed that £10,000 is the appropriate amount to hold as an operating reserve. Apart from that it is the church’s practise to use funds that have been given to further its objects.
## **5. Public Benefit**
The trustees confirm that the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit has been carefully considered and helps to frame the context for all trustee meetings.
As a Christian church we are devoted to the ‘advancement of religion’, one of the original purposes of a charity and dating back to 1601. In the original sense ‘religion’ meant Christianity, although subsequent centuries have significantly changed this meaning. Christianity proclaims the Gospel – ‘good news’ – to all. Once the good news is believed, it must be lived out through love to God and love to our neighbour – Jesus’ own summary of the Bible’s message. Such an approach in itself is aimed at all the public. And such a message, as a living reality in people’s lives, changes both them and their relationships for the better, both personally and for the community. It is the testimony of countless Christians living today that their conversion changed their lives for the better – in ways their families, friends, colleagues and neighbours could observe and benefit from. It is also demonstrable historically and from
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other parts of the world that where Christian values permeate a society, that society values human life more highly, cares for the vulnerable and marginalised more generously and displays higher levels of honesty and integrity in community and public life. The Christian faith, lived out in the world, measurably benefits all aspects of society.
The church is known in the local community and the evidence of this is that people seek us out for spiritual help and encouragement.
## **6. Objectives, Activities, Achievement and Performance**
The core elements of church life were resumed during 2022. In 2022 we began a monthly afternoon meeting to provide increased opportunities for church fellowship. This is particularly aimed at those who are unable to get out in the evenings. It also is an opportunity for those interested in the faith to relate to us, and we have been encouraged by the success on both counts. Financially the church has paid its way and has no outstanding obligations.
In summary, the trustees are thankful to the members and principally to God for the ability to function as a Christian church throughout 2022.
## **RISK MANAGEMENT REPORT 2022**
The church continued to implement safely the Covid secure environment that regulations required. The local arrangements were discussed and agreed with the officers and members, always seeking to ensure the well-being of more vulnerable persons.
The advantage of a large Victorian chapel is that there is plenty of space for distancing, and plenty of capacity for good ventilation. This meant that we did not have to place restrictions on numbers. The congregation is not large, but the building is, so there was even scope for the occasional visitor.
Other risk management issues of a more routine order have still been overseen by the church officers and the fellowship has benefited from a safe environment during the year.
## **REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES**
There is no separate section included here. The morning and evening Sunday services, along with the Wednesday and Thursday Bible study and prayer meeting arrangements are the principal activities of the church, along with the additional meeting mentioned in section 6 of Regulatory Information.
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APPENDICES
## **Appendix 1 Gillingham Baptist Church Annual Accounts 2022**
|||**Accounts for the year to December 31st 2022**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
|**GENERAL FUND**|||||
|RECEIPTS
Balance brought forward from 2022
Offerings
Gift Aid
HMRC
Gift Aid - Small Donation Scheme
Bank Account Inetrest Liquidity/Reserve
Estate of Late Jane Harris|9,817.00
£
17,375.00
£
5,215.00
£
750.00
£
19.89
£
500.00
£|PAYMENTS
16129.95
Missionary Support
NI Payments
Building services
Buildings & equipment maintenance
Buildings insurance (Chapel) + employer's liability
Cullingfords carpets
Sunday Ministry
Payroll services
Mmeyou communion
New Hymn books/Bibles
CCLI Licence renewal
Zoom licence renewal
Bourne-Romsey fire certificate
Charity payment re Audit
Advertising
33,676.89
£
New Projector
Pastors salary
Printing costs
Chaffers Solicitors
Sundry items
_Balance as at 31st December 2022_
**49,806.84**
**£**|4,350.00
£
1,214.84
£
1,993.00
£
2,408.62
£
2,006.16
£
991.15
£
465.00
£
292.00
£
81.05
£
650.40
£
87.00
£
143.88
£
252.20
£
50.00
£
209.54
£
549.99
£
14,400.96
£
481.66
£
1,020.00
£
123.03
£|TOTAL
31,770.48
£
18,036.36
£|
||||||
||||||
|||||**49,806.84**
**£**|
|**CONTINGENCY FUND**|||||
|RECEIPTS
Balance brought forward from 2021
From Manse maintenance fund||PAYMENTS
TOTAL
22,173.30
£
_Balance 31st December 2022_
**22,173.30**
**£**||TOTAL
-
£
22,173.30
£|
||||||
||||||
|||||**22,173.30**
**£**|
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## **MANSE MAINTENANCE FUND**
|RECEIPTS
Balance brought forward from 2021
Manse rent (nett)|5,006.50
£|PAYMENTS
TOTAL
6,658.67
£
Baptist Insurance(Manse)
Electric/Gas
5,006.50
£
_Balance 31st December 2022_
**11,665.17**
**£**|761.71
£
252.77
£|TOTAL
1,014.48
£
10,650.69
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
||||||
|||||**11,665.17**
**£**|
|**SUMMARY**|||||
|General Fund
18,036.36
£
Manse Maintenance Fund
10,650.69
£
Contingency Fund
22,173.30
£
**TOTAL**
**50,860.35**
**£**||_Represented by_
Current Account
34,158.67
£
Reserve Account
3,211.20
£
Liquidity manager Account
13,490.48
£
**Total monies held**
**50,860.35**
**£**|||
## **NOTE**
## Statement of Assets and Liabilities of the Gillingham Baptist Church membership
Other than the above account balances the assets comprise kitchen equipment, 2 pianos, a laser printer, stack away tables and chairs, games and play equipment, a display stand, sound recording computer, hymn books etc. Projector. The value of these is unknown.
## **ADDRESS OF CHURCH'S BANKERS**
Nat West Bank The Commons, Shaftesbury SP7 8JY
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CHARITY COMMISSION;
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES !
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent ExarninÈrfs Repryt
Report to the trusteesl
members of. GILLI*A 8AP i is I
On ac¢ounl$ forthe year rt%b¢ r 31 2012
ended
Charity no
lif any)
Set out on pages
7his p"J¢
I report to the Irust8es on my 8xamination of the 8ccounts of the aty)ve
¢harity 1.the Trust") for the year ended 3 1112129 ZZ
Respot)$lbllltie$ and As th8 charity trustees of the Trust. you are spOnsIble for the preparation
basi$ of report of the accounts in 8ccoI'dance with the requirements of the Chanties Act
2011 1'th8 Act l.
I report in respect of my exafflination of the TNst's accounts carried out
under sectioll 145 of the 2011 Act and in earying out my examinab'on. I
have followed the applicable Diwlions given by the Charity Commission
under section 14515llbl of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matellal matters have
come to rny 8ttention Icther than that disclosed below'l in connection wlth
the examination which gives me cause lo believe that in, any m8lerial
respect.
acctsullting records were not kept in accordan with section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
Indep•rtdent
examinerfs statèment
I have no contems and have come across no other matters in ¢onne¢tion
with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable a
proper understanding of Ihe accounts to be r8ached.
Please tlelete Ihe words in th8 br8ck8ts rflhey rlo not apply.
Signed:
Oate:
g 2025,
Name:
Tom
KS
Relevant profvssional
qualrficatiofblsl or body
lif any)..
fvJ/A
Address..
No KM4
oJe•M4 SF P•£1
T35
IER
O¢tober 2018
## **Appendix 2 Holding Trustees of Gillingham Baptist Chapel**
The governing document of the Trust is the Trust Deed of 1838. Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Trust Deed and the Constitution of Gillingham Baptist Church.
## **The following persons were the Holding Trustees at 31 December 2022**
Mr J A C Blake, ‘Sundown’, Cucklington, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 9PT
Mr R E Burge, 5 Banstead Road, Broadstone, Dorset, BH18 9BB Pastor S V Chase, 27 Bayfields, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4AE
Mr P C Gray, 21 Thrift Close, Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 2LE Mr G Muspratt, 11 Birdbush, Ludwell, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 0PR
Mr B Thomason, The Old Malt House, Bridge Street, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1BZ Mr P J Wick, Oak Cottage, 10 Olde Fairfield, Bourton, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 5YG
The Trust properties and assets consist of the Chapel Building and Hall with the Pipe Organ, Fixtures and Fittings, together with the Baptist Manse, situated at Newbury, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5HZ.
The Holding Trustees have no financial administration responsibilities, as there are no trust funds and management of the Manse tenancy has been delegated to the Management Trustees.
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