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2025-03-31-accounts

RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Deacons' Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025

CONTENTS

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Deacons' Report for the year ended 31 March 2025

The trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Reference & Administrative details

Registered Address: High Street, Rickmansworth, Herts, WD3 1EH.

Charity Registration Number: 1175867

Trustees:

The Revd G N Garland (Minister) Mr D C Langley, Secretary Mr K A Wall, Treasurer Mr D C Bass, Deacon Mrs S J Loader, Deacon Mr T W Wright, Deacon

Property Trustees: The Baptist Union Corporation Limited Baptist House, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 8RT.

Bankers: CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ.

Independent Examiner:

Mrs P Kavanagh Brown FCA, Woolbeding, Sherwood Road, Tideswell, Derbyshire, SK17 8HJ.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Charity is governed by an Approved Governing Document. Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the Constitution which requires them to be or to have been publicly baptised on the profession of faith in Jesus Christ, or following other modes of baptism to renew their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

The members’ meeting takes place three to four times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the Church. In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint Deacons, who together with the Minister, Church Secretary and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the Members), are responsible for the day to day running of the Church’s work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objective.

Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church meeting by the Deacons for guidance, or may be raised by members in Church meeting for further consideration by the Deacons. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible.

Objectives and Activities

The principal purpose of the charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination to include the advancement of education, community service and such other general charitable purposes in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the Church shall determine.

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. Its premises are also extensively used by community groups. 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.

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Deacons' Report for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)

Objectives and Activities (continued)

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 am and monthly at 6:00 pm. The premises are also open for prayer and Bible study on Wednesday mornings and for Bible study on Friday evenings. There is a Sunday school for children during the morning services. The Church seeks to be a friendly and welcoming community and anybody is free to attend its services. Several new members joined the Church during the year and others left membership.

There is prayer on Saturday evenings to promote the growth of faith and of the church, to pray for members, who are unable to attend, and to pray for the world. As well as the opportunity for private prayer on Wednesday mornings, there have been Bible studies and lectures at other times.

The Church hosts a Toddler Group, which meets in the hall and lounge on Tuesday mornings, with the purpose of assisting the community and demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ. It holds a weekly coffee morning and supports a local food bank. The coffee mornings raise money for a local charity and attract people from outside the church membership.

The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are vetted in accordance with the Disclosure and Barring Service guidelines.

The Church has read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, and is satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrate that the charity is providing a benefit to the public.

Achievements and Performance

The Church does not only measure the success of its programmes in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas like fellowship and encouragement. The Deacons recognise that these are difficult to measure, but believe that 2024-2025 was a positive year in the life of the Church. The Trustees consider the Church’s reserves to be sufficient to carry it through a period of disruption, like that suffered during the pandemic.

Financial Review

Rickmansworth Baptist Church is a registered charity and meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

The Church continues to raise the funds which it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation. No wider public appeal was made for funds during the year, because the Church receives substantial support through rental income from an office building, Gable House, and a maisonette, which it owns in Rickmansworth.

Rickmansworth Baptist Church expressed its part in the life of the wider Church by making grants to national and international Christian organisations and societies with Christian aims or with objectives compatible with the Church’s own charitable 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 Church resources, but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of the Church’s objectives.

The Church is a participating employer within the Defined Benefit section of the Baptist Pension Scheme.

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Deacons' Report for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)

Reserves Policy:

The Deacons have established a Reserves Policy to enable the Church to function effectively and meet its obligations in the event of a decline in our income or a major cost. Recent years have seen large fluctuations in both income and expenditure, so the Deacons are unable to determine a fixed level of reserves, which may be appropriate. However, it keeps the reserves under review by budgeting to ensure that it can cover the Minister’s stipend for at least three years in the future.

It receives a substantial income from an office building and holds reserves to support it when the tenants of the property vacate it in 2028 or sooner because substantial work may be required to modernise it.

The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted are set out in the accompanying financial statements. A few highlights are set out below.

Income and expenditure:

Offertory and envelope income have fallen because of the departure of some generous donors.

Income from the use of the hall and lounge by third parties has stabilised, despite an increase in the amounts charged per hour, because of reduced usage.

Rental income showed a modest increase in service charges, which were offset by increased expenses. Some additional repair expenses were written off. However, they have been recovered since approval of the accounts, so there will be a credit in the accounts for the year ending 31 March 2026.

External repairs to the church cost £48,164 during the year and continued over the year end. The cost has been deducted from reserves. Internal repairs and decorations, required following the external repairs, are expected to be complete by 31 March 2026.

D C Langley, Secretary

9 January 2026

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025

Table 1: Outline Summary of Fund Movements

Fund name
Note
ref.
Restricted
Gift & Legacy
5
Unrestricted
General Reserve
7
Gift & Legacy
5
Outreach & Ministry Fund
6
Renovation Fund
8
General Fund
9
Total funds		 Fund
balances
brought
forward
As restated
Income
Expend-
iture
Transfers Gains and
losses
Fund
balances
carried
forward
£
£
£
£
£
£
12,588
265
-12,853
0
0
0
12,588
265
-12,853
0
0
0
27,441
0
0
-1,000
26,441
49,394
2,000
-35,311
0
16,083
0
6,262
-14,930
8,668
0
14,000
0
0
1,000
15,000
270,900
145,407
-100,013
-8,668
307,626
361,735
153,669
-150,254
0
0
365,150
374,323
153,934
-163,107
0
0
365,150

Table 2: Statement of Financial Activities

Table 2: Statement of Financial Activities
Note
ref.
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
Investments
4
Other income
Total
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Other expenditure
Total
Net income/(expenditure)
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward		 Unres-
tricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Pension
reserve
Total
funds
£
£
£
£
32,516
0
0
32,516
104,295
265
0
104,560
16,858
0
0
16,858
153,669
265
0
153,934
124,045
12,853
0
136,898
26,209
0
0
26,209
150,254
12,853
0
163,107
3,415
-12,588
0
-9,173
361,735
12,588
0
374,323
365,150
0
0
365,150		 Prior
period total
funds
£
33,157
100,681
15,861
149,699
80,412
24,127
104,539
45,160
329,163
374,323

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025

Table 3: Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2025

Note ref.
Fixed assets:
Tangible assets
11
Investments
11
Total fixed assets
Balance sheet
Current assets:
Debtors
4
Investments
5
Cash at bank and in hand
Total current assets
Liabilities:
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
4
Total net assets or liabilities
The funds of the charity:
Restricted income funds
6
Unrestricted funds
6-10
Total charity funds		 Total funds
£
3,865,369
1,990,426
5,855,795
16,864
367,038
6,361
390,263
-25,113
365,150
0
365,150
365,150		 Prior year
funds
£
3,282,040
1,643,207
4,925,247
15,425
365,192
19,159
399,776
-25,453
374,323
12,588
361,735
374,323

The notes on the attached pages form an integral part of these Financial Statements, which were approved by the Deacons on 9 July 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Treasurer K A Wall

Secretary D C Langley

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Preparation of Accounts

The accounts are prepared in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP 2015), FRS102 and with the Charities Act 2011.

Rickmansworth Baptist Church is a registered charity, no. 1175867, and meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

2 Rental Income

Where the Church receives rental income, expenditure is matched with it. If there is no corresponding rental income, then property expenses are treated as overhead expenses. For the purposes of reporting under FRS102, the income and expenditure are shown separately.

3 Debtors and Creditors

Debtors and Creditors represent prepayments, accrued income and accrued payments. These are amounts, which have been paid or received in advance for future periods or which relate to the year but have been paid or received after the end of the period.

4 Investments

The Church uses the balances on its deposit accounts to match restricted funds, to ensure that money is not spent for unauthorised purposes. The balances are reviewed and adjusted as necessary. £15,343 (2024 £15,042) relates to deposits held in respect of rent for Gable House, included in Accrued Payments.

5 Gift and Legacy

This fund is in two parts because some gifts and legacies were received with conditions attached to them. These funds are shown separately to ensure that the funds are not mixed up with other funds. All the restricted funds at the previous Balance Sheet date were covered by conditions in respect of their use. During the year, eligible expenditure exhausted the funds brought forward, the balance being taken from the unrestricted fund.

6 Restricted
Brought forward last year
Interest received
External repairs to church
Carried forward this year
Unrestricted
Brought forward last year
Donations received
External repairs to church
Carried forward this year
Outreach & Ministry Fund
Brought forward last year
Transfers from General Fund
Receipts - General Fund and Gift Aid
Regular payments
Barnabas Fund & BMS Disaster Appeals
Baptist Twinning Gaza
Carried forward this year		 2025
12,588
265
-12,853
0
2025
49,394
2,000
-35,311
16,083
2025
0
8,668
6,262
-12,430
0
-2,500
0		 2024
12,160
428
0
12,588
2024
49,394
0
0
49,394
2024
0
9,196
5,238
-9,434
-5,000
0
0

This fund is for donations received for mission purposes.

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)

7 General Reserve
Brought forward last year
Transfer to Renovation Fund
Carried forward this year		 2025
27,441
-1,000
26,441		 2024
28,441
-1,000
27,441

The General Reserve represents money put aside for major unforeseen property expenses. It was exhausted in

8 Renovation Fund
Brought forward last year
Transfer from General Reserve / Fund
Carried forward this year		 2025
14,000
1,000
15,000		 2024
13,000
1,000
14,000

The Renovation Fund is designated for specific repairs, in particular a replacement boiler in Gable House.

9 General Fund

The General Fund is unrestricted and is used for day-to-day income and expenditure.

10 Fixed Assets

Fixed Assets Fixed Assets Fixed Assets
Non-cash assets, which include buildings and equipment, are not recognised in the Financial Statements
Tangible assets 2025 2024
Church 2,939,526 2,865,025
Manse 630,987 592,965
Pipe organ and contents 327,330 319,035
3,897,843 3,777,025
Investments
Gable House 1,727,859 1,676,522
Maisonette 313,904 313,904
Building total 2,041,763 1,990,426
Grand total 5,939,606 5,767,451

11 Baptist Pension Scheme

The Church contributes to the Baptist Pension Scheme on behalf of its ministers. This is in two parts, a defined benefit scheme and a defined contribution scheme. In common with many other funds of this nature, the defined benefit scheme has fallen into substantial deficit in recent years because of falling returns on investments and the increased longevity of members in retirement. However, due to remedial action, such as the sale of assets, by the Baptist Union and member churches, the deficit has been steadily reduced and was eliminated in the 2023 financial year. As at 31 March 2025, the deficit of the whole Baptist Pension Scheme was £nil (2024 £nil). The shortfall was in respect of the ministers employed between 1985 and 2009. It was disclosed on the face of the Financial Statements as a Pension Reserve. The amount disclosed in prior years was discounted in accordance with FRS102 guidance and a formula agreed with the Baptist Union.

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RICKMANSWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Independent Examiner's Report to the Deacons and Members on the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025

I report on the Financial Statements of the Church for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on the attached pages.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the Financial Statements.

The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner's statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Church and a comparison of the Financial Statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the Financial Statements, 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 Financial Statements 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

(a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and

have not been met; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the Financial Statements to be reached.

Mrs P Kavanagh Brown 27 July 2025 CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

Woolbeding, Sherwood Road, Tideswell, Derbyshire, SK17 8HJ

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