2025-12-31-accounts

BARNSTAPLE BAPTIST CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

Barnsta leBa tist Church- Trustees Annual Re ort Year Endin st 31 December 2025 The trustees present their annual report and financial statements st for the year ending 31 December 2025. References and administrative details Registered Address & Charity Number Boutport Street, Barnstaple. Devon, EX31 ITD Charity Registration Number 1173772 Trustees Reverend Peter Spencer Price - Minister Rhian Wyn Hogan- Secretary (Yearly appointment) Hilary Kathryn Boone (retired April 2022 and re-elected April 2022 retired April 2025) Vivien Moore (retired March 2023 re*lected March 2023) Christopher Perry- Treasurer (Yearly appointment) Property Trustees The Baptist Union Corporation Limited, Baptist House, 129 Broadway. Didcot, Oxfordshire OXII 8RT Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Bankers Baptist Union Corporation Limited Registered office Baptist House, PO Box 44, 129 Broadway, Didcot. OXII 8RT Also Lloyds Bank plc. Registered Office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales No. 2065

Independent Examlner Catherine Williams FCA DChA We5tCOtts (SW} LLP 47 Boutport Street, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 ISQ Tel: [phone] Email: cat.williams westcotts.co.uk Back round information Barnstaple Baptist Church stsrted life in 1814. The first Church building was finished in 1823, with a Church in Boutport Street opening for worship in February 1833. Thi5 building proved too small. the site was cleared. with the current building opening in July 1861. On r June 2017 the Church approved a new Constitution, based upon a template for a "Charitable Incorporated Organisation- {CIO) produced by the Baptist Union. The CIO started its activities under the governance of the new Constitution as from l January 2018. Structure Governance and Mana ement The Charity is governed by an Approved Governing Document- the Constitution. Membership of the Church is open to those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ so by applying for membership they have indicated acceptsnce of our beliefs. a willingness to participate in the activities of the Church. have shown their agreement and willingness to abide by our governing constitution. Individuals seeking membership who have not been baptised in the manner described in the Baptist Union's Declaration of Principle may be welcomed as Associate Members at the discretion of the Church Members, Meeting, based on the applicant's public profession of faith, this enables them to participate in Church Members, Meetings, but with restricted voting rights, as determined from time to time by the Church Member's Meeting. A Church Member's Meeting normally takes place bi-monthly. otherthan August and December and has responsibility for the overall policy of the Church's activitie5. In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint Trustees, who together with the Minister. Church Secretary and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the Member5 annually). are responsible for the day to day running of the Church's work and witne55, the financial and legal aspects of the charity. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tssks involved in the furtherance of the Church's charitable objective. Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church Meeting by the Trustee5 for guidance. or may be raised by members in Church Meeting for further consideration by the Trustees. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majoritie5, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible. Normal Ob ectives and Activities The principal purpose of the charity is the advancernent of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination, to include the advancement of education and such other general charitable purposes. in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world, as the Church shall detemiine.

In order to achieve the principal objective which is set out above, the Church provides a variety of activities both to its membership and to the community generally. The aim is to show the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed and to bring people into a closer relationship with Him as living Lord. Central to the work and witness of the Church is the provision of regular public services of Christian worship. These services take place each Sunday at 10.30 a.m. services at other times, are advertised on the Church Notice Board and the church web51te which also contains our ￿H05 statement. The Church seeks to be a friendly and welcoming community and anybody is free to attend any of these services. Achievements and Performance Our number5 of regular attendees though not large is stable with visitors often boosting the numbers for Sunday worship. 2025 has been a challenging year in all forms of measure, our aging COng￿gatIon have like all other walks found the big cost of living increa5e5 hard, especially in the cost of food, gas, and electricity, to help we offer every Wednesday morning after our Bible study to which everyone is welcome, a time of fellowship with board games chat etc. with plenty of beverages and snacks in a warm and welcoming environment. Our web site has the weekly sermon available on line for those shut in or would just like to listen again, it also contsins a great deal of information about the Church and its activities, into a search engine put "Barnstaple Baptist Church" and follow the links. Secreta sRe ort Membershi and attendance. Church Membership at the end of 2025 is 27. One of our regular attenders became a member this year. Sunday worship attendance was on average 35 persons. Although all our permanent members and attenders are adult, we had 3 children attend intermittently throughout the year. Another 2 children attended Sunday school throughout the months of July and August. They were staying with their grandmother who is a member of the church. Pastors Re ort on Church activities: 2025. I. OVERVIEW. Normal Church activities continued throughout 2025, albeit a nurnber of health challenges affecting several of our church family have affected oursunday morning attendan￿5. However, even though most of the church are in their 60,s, 70,5 and 80,s, most continue to come on sundays and are faithful in both theircommitment of time and finance. Z/ WHATWE WERE ABLE TO DO: a) Happily, we We￿ able to hold a Haryest Festival Service and donated a substantial amount of nonperishable food to The F￿edorn Cent￿, Bamstaple- an outreach center caring forthe needs of the most vulnerable in the area. We were also able to donate any surplus food to the charity next door, 124, who care foryoung people who have been excluded from home or school We continue to do that during the week, passing over surplus food from both our Wednesday and Sunday meetings. b) We were also able to send £??? to the Baptist Missionary Society fortheir Cyprus Appeal and £??? to the Baptist Home mission, and Baptist missionary Society for their general work fund

cl Our annual shoe-box appeal enabled us to send over 20 boxes containing toys and resources to needy children in the third world via the Samaritans Purse appeal. d) Our annual Suffering Church Sunday appeal meant that we could send funds to persecuted Christians in countries on the Open Doors World Watch List via the Open Doors UK Charity. e) Locally, we hold a drop-in coffee morning each Wednesday offering a "warm space" for anyone to come in for a chat and free refreshments. d) We also have supported Age Concern by letting out ourfellowship room at a nominal rent on most days of the week for a range of social activities. fj Happily, we have managed to maintain ourfinancial giving on the part of the church members, and the￿ has also been a gradual increase in hiring income, giving us some financial -breathing spa￿. Summary. In the meantime. the leadership and members remain upbeat about our future as a gathered group as we continue to endeavor to be a beacon of light, hope, and compassion to our local community. Treasurers re ort In 2025 there has been some very sacrificial giving. meaning I can report that we are ahead of our set budget. The hire of our hall and premiss has allowed us to carry out some very necessary repairs externally and internally. We have had to deal with a complicated repair to the central heating system which we had to claim on our insurance, who were responsible for finding the leak with ourselves responsible for carrying out the repair. In the search for the leak the asbestos tiles to the vestibule floor had to be removed which damaged the chipboard under floor which then had to be replaced with marine ply and recarpeted. The leak was eventually traced to an old cellar, housing an old unused oil boiler system. The pipework extended the length of the main corridor under the floor, and was so corroded each time it was repaired it leaked further along the pipe in all a th￿e-rneter length of pipe needed to be replaced. The gas boilers being out of use for some months while searching for the leak and carrying out the repair have needed extra maintenance and some repair to get them working again. The boilers are twenty five plus years old and will need replacing in 2026 We have managed to contsin our gas and electricity costs by careful management throughout the year and turning the gas heating off for the summer period. I have been able to renew our contract with SSE energy on favourable terms for a fixed three-yearterm The church has been fortunate to welcome Age Concern North Devon on a regular weekly basis, which has proved beneficial to both parties, with sorne interest frorn their clientele to Church activities in particular the Wednesday coffee morning which we expect to become more popular over the winter months. Our rooms and hall letting programme has been very successful with now only Friday evenings being available to hire and the Fellowship room in use every day most weeks. The hall and part of the upstairs were used by the youth group Allstarz for 3 days in August as a rehearsal venue for their"rnusical in a week" In all 70 children and 10 adults attended each day. We have also continued to support Barnstsple's "Theaterfest" happening in June each year.

We now feel secure and settled in our building although old and continuing to need repair it would appear we are where GOD wants us. Though should a favourable partnership become available this would be seriously considered as building maintenance is a serious drain on the limited Church resources. As mentioned in last year's report we have sold our old manse and purchased a new property suitsble as Manse, but let at the moment to cover the rental on our minister's rented property. Financial Review - Accounts for the vear endin￿ 31st December 2025 The accounts have been prepared on a 'receipts and payments, basis and in accordance with Section 133 st Charities Act 2011. The previous period comparative figures represent activities from the l January 2024 to 31st December 2024, Therefore the Accounts for the period ending 31st December 2025 represent 12 months activities and are a direct comparison to the year ending 31st December 2025 The Church raises the funds it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation and the letting out of rooms and hall on a regular basis to local community activities including dance, Judo, games, majorettes, and the Age Concem charity. The most significant expense relates to Revd. Peter Price as Pastor of the Church, who leads and co- ordinate the Church's activities including the Sunday Services, providing pastoral care for the congregation and others in the community, his objective is to equip and encourage the membership in their life of Christian witness. and service. The Church expressed its part in the life of the wider Church by making grants to local, national, and international Christian organisations and societies with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the Church's own charitsble purpose. The Church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of the Church's activities. many of which run with little or no impact on the Church's expenditure, but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of the Church's objectives. however with a very aging congregation we are finding it increasingly difficult to be physically involved in anything but the daily/weekly activities of running the Church. The financial results for the year are set out in the accompanying financial ststements. The Baptist Union Pension Fund has cancelled our Deferred Debt Arrangement (DDA) along with many other Churches affected, and our liability under the 'Cessation Event" has been written off as from the end of October 2024.

Reserves Policy The Trustees have estsblished a Reserves Pollcy to enable the Church to function effectively and meet its obligations in the event of a decline in our income or a major cost. Having considered the relevant risks of changes in income and expenditure, the Trustees have determined that the appropriate level of reserves is in the range £7,51X) to £12.500. representing up to three month's forward expenditure. Signed on behalf of the Trustees C G Perry Treasurerftrnstee

Barnstaple Baptist Church Independent examiner's report to the Trustees on the unaudited tinanclal statements of Barnstaple Bapiist Church. I report to the Trustees on my examination of th& accounts of Barnstaple Baptist Church for the year ended 31 Decernber 2025. Respective responsibilities of Deacons and Members and independent examiner As the charity's Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance wtth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act')- I report in respect of my examination of Barnstaple Baptist Church'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 examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: accounting records were not kept in respect of Barnstaple Baptist Church as required by section 130 of the Act,. or the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examinations to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Catherlne Williams FCA DChA Independent examiner Westcotts (SW) LLP 47 Boutport Street Barnstaple Devon EX31 1SQ

BARNSTAPLE BAPTIST CHURCH - CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION - CHARITY NUMBER 1173772 FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2025 GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT YEAR ENDING YEAR ENDING 3111212024 3V1212025 Receipts Note Offerir Income tax recovered on gift5 Donatiorhs and other income Hire and contribution5 for use of prerni5es Raised for Dther causes Rent re￿iVed from manse Grants received Interest recelved Property sale 35,261.60 8.718.94 IGO.00 37.662.50 8.29253 51,989.69 10.844.50 460.(X) 7.673.50 400.00 10.625.00 1.883.76 3.02 3,490.50 3.408.09 228.760.15 Total Recelpts 64.725.82 344.907.96 Payments Ministry Upkeep of church premises Mission Administration & general expenditure Property purchase 38,632.00 25,285.37 1,735.24 3,809.37 40,153.16 30.992.98 3,(148.(J) S,941.54 276,821.94 Total Payments 69,461.98 356.957.62 Net receipts for the period 4,736.16 12.049.66 Transfers from General Fund to Building Fund Tran5fer5 from/to General Fund from/to Community Evangelist Fund 3.504.50 io.000.oo Balan￿- at stsrt of period 12,331.21 1¥099.55 Balance - as at end of perlod 11,099.55 9.049A9 The balance oft the General Fund represents unrestrlrtedfvnds to be used by the d￿rity Infvlfllllng its charitsble oblertlve&

BARNSTAPLE BAPTIST CHURCH - CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION - CHARITY NUMBER 1173772 FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2025 BUILDING FUND RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTSACCOUNT YEAR ENDING YEAR ENDING Receipts 3111212024 3111212025 Insurance Claim Legacy VAT recovered 1.246.70 1.246.70 Total Receipts Payments General repairs & improvements Totsl Payments Net re￿iptS for the period 1.246.70 Transfers to Building Fund from General Fund Balance- at start of period 43Y.50 43950 Balance- as at end of period 439.50 1.68&ZO The balaftce on the Building Fund representsfvnds to be used by the charityfor building projects. Tran5fersfrom the General Fund are unrestrlrtedfvnds thut the Trustees have set asldeAor thls purpose. Envelopes and otherincome are re5trirtedfvnds which hove been given to the ch17rityfvr the 6ulldlng Fund. A Legacy was recelved durlng 2019 and the frustees ogreed to contrlbute thts to the Building Fund.

BARNSTAPLE BAPT15T CHURCH- CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION . CHARITY NUMBER 1173772 FINANCIALSTATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2025 COMMUNITY EVANGELIST FUND RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT YEAR ENDING YEAR ENDING Receipts 3111212024 3VI¥2025 Envelopes and other income Slee Blackwell final distribution Interest received 2,675.07 3,703.98 Totsl Recelpts 2.675.07 3,703.98 Payments BUC contrlbution 1,178.06 Total Payments 1,178.06 Net recelpts for the perlod 2,675.07 525.92 Transfers to Community Evangelist Fund from General Fund Transfers from/to General Fund from/to Community Evangelist Fund 3.504.50 10,000.th) Balance- at start of period 78,657.58 77028.15 Balance- as at end of perlod 77.828.15 70.3M07 The balance on the Communlty Evongellst Fund representsfvnds to be usedby the charity to cover the cu5ts oAa Communty Evangelist. Transfvrsfrom the General Fund qre unrestrlctedfvnds that the Trurtees have set a5ideAor this purpose. io

BARNSTAPLE BAPTIST CHURCH - CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION- CHARITY NUMBER 1173772 FINANCIAL sfATEMEiif FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2025 8ALANCE 5HEEfAs AT 3111212024 BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31112D025 ststement olAssets and Liab4111e5 Note Bank 8alantes UoydsAccoufit BUC Accounts ILSJ9.OS 77.828.15 lQ736J19 Xl.354.07 io 89367.2D 8LOYQ.16 LESS LIABIUIIES Shrttemi Loan5from Members TOTAL A55ETS LESS TOTAL UABIUTIES 85.367.20 81.ayu.16 REPRESENTED BY: GENERAL FUND aft￿ tstjanuary SwpWDelldt durlw4 Y•ar Trathrts BumdI￿ Fund Tm5fer fromlts Cornmwlty Ev4nqell>t FUMI 0•kn¢•31st D￿mber 1233L21 4,n&16 ILOYJ35 JI049.66 3,50Q50 10.000.00 Ilm9SS g.o￿89 BUILDING FUND 8alan¢4 l#J•nuary 5urpluslDefidt duriTra Year TAnsf•rfrom Goner•l FUMI Bnce 31st Oetember 439.50 1241&70 1,68&20 COMMUNITY EVANGELIST FUND Balan¢e lstJ•nuary SUrp1￿/De￿I¢ duringyear Trans(erfrom Gentrnl Fund tsalan￿ 3tst De￿rnber 7&6S7SI 1675.07 15N.50 77.8tt 77.82Lts 70,axt)7 TOTAL RESERVES B9,36T2 81,090.16 Ihk Bal￿Sheeti5onty]n[endedfordarffiCauQfi of onawb btem5a5 5ratsdaboveand notto rtetes￿nTr Rllectalla6¥•t5. lialji￿les(yreIerve The flnanctal statements were appro¥Èd bythe Trustee5 on aand 51gned on their behalf by C{.dQ* Mrc Perry Trustee li

BARNSTAPLE BAPTIST CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2025 l Background Inforniation Bamstaple Baptist Church started life in 1814. The first church buildin8 was flnished in 1823, with a church in Boutport Street opentngfor worship in February 1833. This building proved too small.the slte was cleared, with the current building openirn8 in July 1861. Throughout manv vears the church has operated a5 a-charitable Unincorporated Association- ICUAI, with the charity bein8 coEnisÈd by the Charity Commission as an "excepted charity" with no requirement to ￿gIster. On 7 June 2017 the church approved a new Constitution. based upon a template for a'charitable Incorporated Organisation" ICIOI produced by the Baptist Union working in conjunttion with the Charity Commission. Application wa5 made to the Charity Commission to register a new charity and this W35 completed on Ilth July 2017. 2 Basi5 of accounts These account5 have be2n prepared on a'receipts and paymenw basis and in accordance with Sertion 133 Charities Act 2011. 3 Offering5 2024 IS,311.60 19,950.LX) Z025 15.639.50 22,023.00 Sunday offerings- envelopes Standing Order offerings Total Off•rln8S 35.261.60 57,66L5 4 Donations and Other Income 2024 20Z5 112.70 please check 51.876.99 Communion offerfngs Le8acy income Gift Day Lee Abbey training Totsl Donatlons and Other Income 160.OD 16Q(rfl 51.989.69 5 Raised for Other Causes Home Mission BMS World Mission Other Mission 20.co 30.CN) 380.Crf) 430.CIJ Total Raised forother Causes 46D.OD 6 Ministry 2024 22.880.04 2025 23.660.04 M¥ni5terfs stipend Baptist Pension Fund OC pl8n Ernployer contribution5 Baptist Pension Fund DB plan deficiency contributions Mini5terfs travel & other expenses Music & worship expènditure Training & teaching Manse rent, touncll tax & water expenditure BU Subscriptions io.oo 1.053.65 358.92 iio. 1.502.43 134.84 132.84 13.761.71 961.30 13.345.19 874.04 Total Mlnlstry 3B.63LOO 40,153.16 Rev. Peter Prsce acts as one of the church's trustees and receives ￿mUneratIOn and other benefits in respect of hls servlces as Mlnlster, including the provision of manse accommodation, wh¢ch is rented by the church. 12

BARNsfAPLE BAPT15T CHURCH NOTESTO THE ACCOUNTS 7 Upkeep of church premises 2024 4.591.35 2.421.01 5,483.31 11789.70 2025 5,409.14 1712.26 6.058.30 16,813.28 Lighting and heating Cleaning & catering Insurance Repairs and maintenance Total Upkeep of thurrh premisps 25,285.37 3D,99Z.9 8 Mission 2024 ZOZ5 Home Mission BMS Worfd Mission sunday Sthool Youth Work Other rnission Publicity & outreach 750.00 1.250. goo.w L20. 280. 350.00 605.24 528.00 Total Mlsslon L735.Z4 3,(Y18.00 9 Admlnlstratlon & general expenditure 2024 2025 Church o￿l¢e Buccontribution Equlpment Other administratlon & 8eneraS expendlture 1,462.95 1.989.36 L150.(J) L225.18 1.577.00 3￿.73 1045.69 Total Admlnlstratlon & general expendlture 3*09.37 5.94L54 10 Reconclllatlon- Bank Balances & Funds 31112n024 11.S39.05 3111212025 10.736.09 Lloyd5 Bu5ine55 Arcount Bank Balance- CAF Cash Account Baptist Union Corporation Acrount Bank Balanre- CAF fjold Acwunt 77.828.15 70,354.07 89.367.20 81.090.16 11 Assets Held for the Church's own use The church 15 the beneficial owner15ubject to the relevant trusts) of the following assets, the leKal title to which is held by the church's custodian trustee. the Baptist Union Corporation Ltd.. Church & Hall prerni5es at Tawcroft, Barnstaple valued at £6,629.007, based on 2026 insured values. The church also owns fixtures. furniture and equipment with 3 2026 insured value of £299,817. 13