Gillingham Baptist
Church
Annual Report 2024
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
2
ELDERS’ REVIEW
[on behalf of the Management Trustees]
The church ended the year as it began, with 18 members. Nevertheless, the increased congregations and overall attendance has been encouraging. The Lord has also provided financially for the church.
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. All trustees have served for the whole of the calendar year 2024.
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 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.
3
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 |
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 |
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 2023, 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 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.
During the year the house that was the original manse was sold, and an alternative property had been purchased. We are grateful to God for his provision and direction in this matter.
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 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.
4
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 two Sunday services continued during 2024 and the Bible study and prayer meeting on a Wednesday also continued. On Thursday evenings a Zoom version of the meeting is held to enable those who cannot get out in the evenings to participate.
A Tuesday Afternoon Fellowship meets each month during the year, as does a men’s monthly Bible study.
During the year we noticed a steady increase in the number of visitors coming to our morning service. This has been very encouraging, not least because those visitors come from across the whole age range and also from the increasing ethnic diversity in Gillingham.
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 2024.
RISK MANAGEMENT REPORT 2024
The trustees have continued to oversee risk management issues connected with the life of the church. While these risks are of low likelihood and consequence, they need regular attention to ensure that situation does not deteriorate.
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.
5
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Gillingham Baptist Church Annual Accounts 2023
| Accounts for the year to December 31st 2024 | ||||||
| GENERAL FUND | ||||||
| RECEIPTS | PAYMENTS | |||||
| TOTAL | ||||||
| Balance brought forward from 2023 | 26817.52 | |||||
| Offerings | 12,245.00 £ |
Missionary Support | 1,200.00 £ |
|||
| Gift Aid | 23,772.00 £ |
HMRC | 3,272.00 £ |
|||
| Gift Aid Tax Refund | 5,166.50 £ |
Building & Equipment maintenance | 1,867.20 £ |
|||
| Gift Aid-Small Donation Scheme | 615.00 £ |
Sunday ministry | 320.00 £ |
|||
| Bank Account Inetrest Liquidity/Reserve | 246.20 £ |
Buildings insurance (Chapel)+employer's liability | 2,051.25 £ |
|||
| Memorial Hazel Newman | 60.00 £ |
Printing coste/Baptistry | 672.16 £ |
|||
| Rutters solicitors | 400.00 £ |
|||||
| Chaffers Estate agents | 1,084.50 £ |
|||||
| Audit | 50.00 £ |
|||||
| Payroll Services | 292.00 £ |
|||||
| Utility Bills | 2,887.16 £ |
|||||
| Copyright Licence/Zoom Licence | 252.88 £ |
|||||
| Bourne Romsey Fire Inspection | 330.04 £ |
|||||
| Pastors salary | 13,597.60 £ |
|||||
| 42,104.70 £ |
||||||
| 28,276.79 £ |
||||||
| Balance 31st December 2024 | 40,645.43 £ |
|||||
| 68,922.22 £ |
68,922.22 £ |
|||||
7
~~CT~~ CONTINGENCY FUND
| RECEIPTS | PAYMENTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | TOTAL | |||||||||
| Balance brought forward from 2023 | £ | 22,173.30 £ |
||||||||
| £ | - £ |
|||||||||
| Balance 31st December 2024 | £ | 22,173.30 £ |
||||||||
| £ | 22,173.30 £ |
£ | 22,173.30 £ |
|||||||
| ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ |
| MANSE MAINTENANCE FUND ~~CT~~ |
~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ |
| ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ |
| RECEIPTS | PAYMENTS | |||||||||
| TOTAL | TOTAL | |||||||||
| Balance brought forward from 2023 | £ | 6,613.41 £ |
Insurance/Council Tax/utility bills/Electrical Test | £ | 3,999.86 £ |
|||||
| Manse Rent/Bap ins refund/Chaman moore refund | £ | 3,639.47 £ |
||||||||
| £ | 3,639.47 £ |
|||||||||
| £ | 3,999.86 £ |
|||||||||
| Balance 31st December 2024 | £ | 6,253.02 £ |
||||||||
| £ | 10,252.88 £ |
£ | 10,252.88 £ |
|||||||
| SUMMARY ~~CT~~ |
~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ |
| ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ | ~~CT~~ |
| General Fund | £ | 40,645.43 £ |
Represented by | |||||||
| Manse Maintenance Fund | £ | 6,253.02 £ |
||||||||
| Contingency Fund | £ | 22,173.30 £ |
Current Account | £ | 51,937.13 £ |
|||||
| Reserve Account | £ | 3,297.17 £ |
||||||||
| Liquidity manager Account | £ | 13,837.45 £ |
||||||||
| TOTAL | £ | 69,071.75 £ |
Total monies held | £ | 69,071.75 £ |
~~CT~~ MANSE MAINTENANCE FUND
~~CT~~ SUMMARY
~~CT~~ 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, one digital projector, stack away tables and chairs, games and play equipment, a display stand, sound recording computer, hymn books. The value of these is unknown.
~~DT~~ ADDRESS OF CHURCH'S BANKERS
Nat West Bank The Commons, Shaftesbury SP7 8JY
8
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
==> picture [392 x 498] intentionally omitted <==
----- Start of picture text -----
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name
members of Gillingham Baptist Church
On accounts for the December 31 [st] 2024 Charity
year ended no (if any) [1169769]
Set out on pages 1
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/12/2024
Responsibilties and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
(“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity
Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that
disclosed below ) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respect:
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section
130 of the Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records.
examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in
connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in
this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to
be reached.
Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Date: 25 [th] March 2025
Signed:
Tow Bals oe
Name: Tom Oaks
Relevant professional
qualification(s) or body
(if any): N/A
Address: North Knapp, Rosemary Street
Milborne Port, SHERBORNE, Dorset DT9 5AR
IER 1 Oct 2018
----- End of picture text -----
9
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 2024
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 A E Chase, 16 Linden Lea, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8QZ Mr P C Gray, 21 Thrift Close, Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 2LE Mr G Muspratt, 11 Birdbush, Ludwell, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 0PR Mr D Poolman, 22 Long Cross, Shaftesbury, SP7 8QP
Mr B Thomason, The Old Malt House, Bridge Street, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1BZ Mr P
The Trust properties and assets consist of the Chapel Building and Hall with the Pipe Organ, Fixtures and Fittings, together with a residential property situated in Newbury, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4TD.
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.
10