Charity No 1171047
TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH TENTERDEN
Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2025
The Trustees of Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ issued in March 2005.
Contents
| 1. | Aims and purposes of the charity | page 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Objectves and actvites of the charity | page 2 |
| 3. | Achievements and performance | page 2 |
| 4. | Financial review | page 3 |
| 5. | Reserves policy | page 3 |
| 6. | Volunteers | page 3 |
| 7. | Safeguarding | page 3 |
| 8. | General Data Protecton Regulatons | page 3 |
| 9. | Structure, governance and management | page 4 |
| 10. | Administratve informaton | page 4 |
| 11. | Financial statements | Appendix |
Page 1
1. Aims and purposes
Our aim and purpose as a church is to see God’s kingdom grow as families, friends and communities are transformed by Jesus Christ.
2. Objectives and activities
The main objects of the charity are to promote the worship of God and the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ both locally and internationally.
When planning our activities for the year we have considered the Charity Commissioner’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. We try to show people how to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to live out their faith in the local community through:
-
Worship, prayer and Bible study; learning about the gospel and developing people’s knowledge of and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ;
-
Supporting missionary endeavour and other outreach here and overseas;
-
Providing pastoral support for Church members and others who are in need.
To facilitate the work it is essential we maintain the fabric of the Church building.
3. Achievements and performance
It has always been the wish of the Trustees to hold services and a range of other activities during the week, and over the course of the year, that our community find both beneficial and spiritually fulfilling. Our Sunday morning service is family-friendly and intended to facilitate worship in an accessible way, whereas our evening meeting is less formal and provides more opportunity for people to participate in the time together. There are midweek meetings for Bible study and prayer, many of which are held in people’s homes, which are useful means of spiritual growth.
We continue to share the good news of the Gospel in the town of Tenterden: once a week we go to a busy part of the High Street with a view to offering passers-by literature and information about the Church, and to engage in conversation with them. Our Wednesday morning meeting continues to provide a forum for those wishing to ask questions and discuss issues relating to the Christian life.
As part of our wish to offer pastoral care for our members and those connected to the Church, the Elders and other helpers visited many of the sick, elderly and needy folk.
At the end of the year our membership stood at 29.
Page 2
4. Financial review
Unrestricted donations were £45 530 which, together with the Gift Aid claim, meant that our income from regular donations amounted to £58 817. Incoming resources from charitable activities amounted to £5267, including £4880 raised from hiring the hall to outside organisations.
Costs associated with running the Church amounted to £69 337. This included grants for missionary work totalling £6608 and international aid of £1008. Much of the former was sent to missionary organisations working abroad.
The Trustees noted that expenditure exceeded income during the year, leading to a deficit of £1534. This was expected on account of our decision to recruit and employ a new pastor, which was made in the knowledge that there would be a call on our reserves until donation income increases through a growth in membership. The Trustees were also pleased to note that donation income has increased over the year and is one of the significant reasons the deficit has reduced.
Please see the attached Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts for further details.
5 Reserves policy
The Trustees aim to maintain a balance of unrestricted funds equivalent to 3 months expenditure, amounting to approximately £17 250 in 2024/25. This was achieved.
6. Volunteers
The Church relies on the support of volunteers drawn from the membership and regular attendees to carry out many of the activities undertaken in the local area.
7. Safeguarding
The Church opened an account with Christian Safeguarding Services in September 2021 and reviewed its safeguarding policy in January 2025. A training session is planned for April 2026 and DBS checks are instigated where appropriate.
8. General Data Protection Regulations
The Church has relevant policies in place in regard to GDPR. A copy of our Privacy Notice can be found on our Church Website. Our database is held within password protected software called "ChurchSuite", a cloud-hosted GDPR compliant system and personal data is only included with specific consent.
Page 3
9. Structure, governance and management
Trinity Baptist Church was founded in 1967. On 19 July 1976 an Assignment and Declaration of Trust was established in relation to the premises where the Church currently meets. The trustees were named officers of the Church and the Grace Baptist Trust Corporation.
At a formally constituted meeting of members on 25 October 2012, the Church adopted a constitution governing the charitable assets of the Church from a legal perspective in accordance with the requirements of charity law. The trustees of this charity were the minister of the Church together with the other elders and the deacons.
New rules were adopted at the same time. In 2016/17 the Church adopted a new Constitution and Handbook for the purposes of obtaining registration as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The Charity Commission confirmed the new charitable status on 9 January 2017 (Registered charity number 1171047). The trustees of the charity were, again, the minister, the other elders and the deacons. Since as a CIO the Church was able to own property, the ownership of building and land were transferred to the CIO, thus ending the 1976 Trust deed.
Charity Trustees: Matthew Clay Matthew Hopkins John McDonald Peter Smith (Chair) 10. Administrative information Charity No: 1171047 Address: Ashford Road, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6LR Independent examiner Paxton Independent Examiners, 6 Alfred Street, NN10 9YS Solicitors Edward Connor Solicitors, 10 The Point, LE16 7QU
Approved by the Trustees on 06/05/2025 and signed on their behalf by Peter Smith.
11. Appendix: Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
Pages 1 & 2 Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts. Page 3 Charity Commission Balance Sheet Page 4 Charity Commission Movement of Funds Report Pages 5 & 6 Charity Commission SOFA Report
Page 4
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees/ | Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden | |
|---|---|---|
| members of | ||
| On accounts for the year | 31 March 2025 Charity no |
1171047 |
| ended | (if any) | |
| Set out on pages | 1 to6(One toSixincluding these pages) | |
| I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above | ||
| charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2025. | ||
| Responsibilities 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 | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission | |
| under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. |
Independent examiner's statement[I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have ] come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
-
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
-
• the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent 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.
| Signed: | Darren Warren | Date: | 02/05/2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name: | Darren Warren – Paxton Independent Examiners | ||
| Relevant professional | FMAAT | ||
| qualification(s) or body | |||
| (if any): | |||
| Address: | 61a High Street South | ||
| Rushden | |||
| Northants, NN10 ORA |
Page 1 of 6
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
Page 2 of 6
Charity Commission Balance Sheet as at 31/03/2025
Paxton
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| Total funds | Prior year funds | Prior year funds | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed assets Intangible assets Tangible assets Heritage assets Investments Current assets Stocks Debtors Investments Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within Creditors: amounts falling due after m Provisions for liabilities |
Total fixed assets Total current assets one year Net current assets/(liabilities) Total assets less current liabilities ore than one year |
0 681,490 0 0 681,490 0 9,898 0 87,300 97,199 0 97,199 778,689 0 0 |
0 681,490 0 0 681,490 0 8,244 0 90,491 98,735 0 98,735 780,225 0 0 |
||
| Total net assets or liabilities | 778,689 | 780,225 | |||
| Funds of the charity: Endowment funds Restricted income funds Unrestricted funds Revaluation reseerve |
0 0 778,689 0 |
0 0 780,225 0 |
|||
| Total charity funds | 778,689 | 780,225 | |||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
|||||
| Signature | Print Name | Date of approval dd/mm/yyyy |
|||
Page 3 of 6
Paxton
Charity Commission Movement of Funds Report
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| Month = March 2025 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund name General fund |
Fund balances brought forward 780,225 |
Income 67,802 |
Expenditure -69,338 |
Transfers 0 |
Gains and losses 0 |
Fund balances carried forward 778,689 |
|||
| Totals | 780,225 | 67,802 | -69,338 | 0 | 0 | 778,689 |
Page 4 of 6
Charity Commission SOFA Details Report
Paxton
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| March 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S01 Donations and legacies Donations - regular Donations - other Gift aid tax claimed S02 Charitable activities (inc.) Room Hire Book sales Other income S04 Investments Interest received S09 Charitable activities GBM EMI Int UK Asia Link Sat 7 Other missionary support International support TBC assistance Salaries and wages PAYE/Employer NI Pastor Pension Pastor expenses Pastor travel/subsistence Rent for Church Manse Conference expenses Visiting speaker costs Youth work costs Evangelism - events Evangelism - publicity Evangelism - literature Printing & stationery Bookstall purchases Flowers Catering Anniversary Expenses Fire alarm maintenance IT, audio visual Music, licences FIEC Subscription Gas Electricity Water Telephone, internet |
Unrestricted 36,754 8,776 13,287 58,817 4,880 387 81 5,348 3,638 3,638 4,008 1,200 1,000 200 200 1,008 180 29,365 6,414 3,427 87 26 8,400 0 415 234 125 30 63 28 281 0 448 0 721 372 324 1,158 1,309 1,758 120 596 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Endowment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Year Total Last Year 36,754 29,510 8,776 13,062 13,287 11,034 58,817 53,606 4,880 1,604 387 454 81 0 5,348 2,058 3,638 4,112 3,638 4,112 4,008 4,108 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,200 200 100 200 350 1,008 0 180 17 29,365 26,932 6,414 6,156 3,427 3,176 87 156 26 37 8,400 8,300 0 245 415 260 234 328 125 0 30 373 63 193 28 257 281 290 0 58 448 512 0 181 721 985 372 31 324 293 1,158 1,166 1,309 863 1,758 1,401 120 68 596 401 Page 5 of 6 |
Last Year |
Charity Commission SOFA Details Report
Paxton
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| March 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance Other costs Cleaning Repairs & maintenance Furniture & equipment Audit & accountancy Safeguarding Paxton software support Paxton Payroll Church Suite admin |
Unrestricted 1,529 380 1,049 1,034 26 180 157 656 439 390 69,337 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Endowment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Year Total 1,529 380 1,049 1,034 26 180 157 656 439 390 69,337 |
Last Year |
| 1,600 963 1,352 5,945 13 180 132 619 403 390 71,234 |
Page 6 of 6
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees/ | Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden | |
|---|---|---|
| members of | ||
| On accounts for the year | 31 March 2025 Charity no |
1171047 |
| ended | (if any) | |
| Set out on pages | 1 to6(One toSixincluding these pages) | |
| I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above | ||
| charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2025. | ||
| Responsibilities 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 | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission | |
| under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. |
Independent examiner's statement[I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have ] come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
-
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
-
• the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent 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.
| Signed: | Darren Warren | Date: | 02/05/2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name: | Darren Warren – Paxton Independent Examiners | ||
| Relevant professional | FMAAT | ||
| qualification(s) or body | |||
| (if any): | |||
| Address: | 61a High Street South | ||
| Rushden | |||
| Northants, NN10 ORA |
Page 1 of 6
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
Page 2 of 6
Charity Commission Balance Sheet as at 31/03/2025
Paxton
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| Total funds | Prior year funds | Prior year funds | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed assets Intangible assets Tangible assets Heritage assets Investments Current assets Stocks Debtors Investments Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within Creditors: amounts falling due after m Provisions for liabilities |
Total fixed assets Total current assets one year Net current assets/(liabilities) Total assets less current liabilities ore than one year |
0 681,490 0 0 681,490 0 9,898 0 87,300 97,199 0 97,199 778,689 0 0 |
0 681,490 0 0 681,490 0 8,244 0 90,491 98,735 0 98,735 780,225 0 0 |
||
| Total net assets or liabilities | 778,689 | 780,225 | |||
| Funds of the charity: Endowment funds Restricted income funds Unrestricted funds Revaluation reseerve |
0 0 778,689 0 |
0 0 780,225 0 |
|||
| Total charity funds | 778,689 | 780,225 | |||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
|||||
| Signature | Print Name | Date of approval dd/mm/yyyy |
|||
Page 3 of 6
Paxton
Charity Commission Movement of Funds Report
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| Month = March 2025 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund name General fund |
Fund balances brought forward 780,225 |
Income 67,802 |
Expenditure -69,338 |
Transfers 0 |
Gains and losses 0 |
Fund balances carried forward 778,689 |
|||
| Totals | 780,225 | 67,802 | -69,338 | 0 | 0 | 778,689 |
Page 4 of 6
Charity Commission SOFA Details Report
Paxton
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| March 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S01 Donations and legacies Donations - regular Donations - other Gift aid tax claimed S02 Charitable activities (inc.) Room Hire Book sales Other income S04 Investments Interest received S09 Charitable activities GBM EMI Int UK Asia Link Sat 7 Other missionary support International support TBC assistance Salaries and wages PAYE/Employer NI Pastor Pension Pastor expenses Pastor travel/subsistence Rent for Church Manse Conference expenses Visiting speaker costs Youth work costs Evangelism - events Evangelism - publicity Evangelism - literature Printing & stationery Bookstall purchases Flowers Catering Anniversary Expenses Fire alarm maintenance IT, audio visual Music, licences FIEC Subscription Gas Electricity Water Telephone, internet |
Unrestricted 36,754 8,776 13,287 58,817 4,880 387 81 5,348 3,638 3,638 4,008 1,200 1,000 200 200 1,008 180 29,365 6,414 3,427 87 26 8,400 0 415 234 125 30 63 28 281 0 448 0 721 372 324 1,158 1,309 1,758 120 596 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Endowment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Year Total Last Year 36,754 29,510 8,776 13,062 13,287 11,034 58,817 53,606 4,880 1,604 387 454 81 0 5,348 2,058 3,638 4,112 3,638 4,112 4,008 4,108 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,200 200 100 200 350 1,008 0 180 17 29,365 26,932 6,414 6,156 3,427 3,176 87 156 26 37 8,400 8,300 0 245 415 260 234 328 125 0 30 373 63 193 28 257 281 290 0 58 448 512 0 181 721 985 372 31 324 293 1,158 1,166 1,309 863 1,758 1,401 120 68 596 401 Page 5 of 6 |
Last Year |
Charity Commission SOFA Details Report
Paxton
Trinity Baptist Church Tenterden
| March 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance Other costs Cleaning Repairs & maintenance Furniture & equipment Audit & accountancy Safeguarding Paxton software support Paxton Payroll Church Suite admin |
Unrestricted 1,529 380 1,049 1,034 26 180 157 656 439 390 69,337 |
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Endowment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Year Total 1,529 380 1,049 1,034 26 180 157 656 439 390 69,337 |
Last Year |
| 1,600 963 1,352 5,945 13 180 132 619 403 390 71,234 |
Page 6 of 6