Registered Charity No: 1177259
THE MESSAGE OF
THE CROSS-EVANGELICAL CHURCH
ANNUAL REPORT
AND
ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR
ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
Members of the Board of Trustees on 31 December 2024:
Caleb Mathewos Mamush Tessema Dobamo Erchafo Tutu Tesfaye Daniel Balle
Charity Number: 1177259 Registered in England and Wales Registered office: 34 Nashe House Burbage Close London SE1 4ET
TRUSTEES’ REPORT
The Board of Trustees presents its report with the unaudited accounts of The Message of The Cross-Evangelical Church for the year ended 31 December 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with relevant accounting policies and in compliance with the charity’s governing document and applicable law – the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008.
Name and Objects
The Message of The Cross-Evangelical Church is a registered charity in England and Wales, number 1177259. The Trustees are responsible for the governance of the charity and serve as Trustees of the charity. The Trustees who were in place at year-end and all those who served during the year are listed above.
Structure, Governance and Management
The Charity governing document is a CIO registered on February 21, 2018. The Charity is governed by a board on which the trustees are represented. The board members meet regularly to plan activities to be undertaken by the church, review and compare the actual achievements with the plan and monitor the financial position of the church.
Objectives and Activities
The objective of the charity is to meet spiritual and physical need of its congregation and a wider community. To advance the Christian religion by organising, providing, and developing church services and religious activities. The charity’s main purpose is transforming the community through holistic ministry. We worship God, having a fellowship with each other and committed to serve the community. Our focus is on lonely and disadvantaged group in the community. We give advice, building up trust with people, and walking with them. The church also provides pastoral care, spiritual and moral development, both for the congregation and for anyone else who wishes to benefit from what he church offers.
Achievements and Performance
The organisation continues to hold Christian worship services in the community. This has produced satisfactory results in reaching and helping members of the community. The
organisation also held its weekly church services that brought great emotional and spiritual support to members of the community.
Though we are not back to the level of activity before Covid-19, we have observed that the impact of the Covid-19 has started to decrease in terms of number of participants and number of face-to-face programmes instead of zoom. This year we have seen more church members than the previous four years.
During the year we have celebrated our 10[th] year anniversary. This program brings our church members together to have a special prayer and a sense of togetherness.
The organisation has engaged in improving and strengthening the relationship between different community groups and we are planning to offer our prayer and bible study program in English language. The challenge to secure grant from government and other bodies restricted our effort to reach out to the wider community.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The income of the charity is above £ 10000.00. The charity income and costs have been managed well over the financial year. The charity’s main costs are rent, gifts and donation for accomplishing the church’s main activities (bible studies and prayer programmes). The substantial amount spent as gifts and donation was made during the 10th anniversary celebration time. We have rented a hall so that we can conduct our programmes in an appropriate way and convenient place.
RESERVE POLICY
It is the policy of the Charity to maintain unrestricted funds, which are the reserves of the charity at about three months of unrestricted expenditure. This provides enough funds to cover any emergency expenditure that may arise from time to time. The charity will seek to maintain this level throughout the year.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The charity has assessed all the major risks to which the charity is exposed to, those related to operations and finances of the charity and is satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to major risks.
TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITES
Under the charities Act 2011, the trustees are required to prepare a statement of accounts for each accounting year which gives a true and fair view of the state of the church. They are required to:
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Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
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State whether the applicable accounting standards have been followed.
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Prepare financial statements on an on-going basis.
They are responsible for keeping records which disclose with reasonable accuracy the finances of the church at any time and to ensure that such accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011. They also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the church and to take reasonable steps to detect fraud or the irregularities.
Approved by the Trustees on – 13 October 2025 and signed on the behalf by:
Pastor Caleb Mathewos
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS EVANGELICAL CHURCH
Receipts & Payments Account
For the year Ended 31 December 2024
| Receipts Donations Contribution - for conference Gifts Aid Gift from City to City - multicultural events Total Receipts Payments Rent Travel expenses/sundry Stationary/phone/internet/bank charge Charitable activities - Gifts and donations Accountant fee Rent Deposit Insurance Total Payments Excess of receipts over payments for the year Cash Balance at the beginning of the year Cash Balance carried forward at 31 December |
2024 2023 £ £ 20,921.30 £ 11,128.31 £ 4,350.00 £ 788.73 £ 26,060.03 £ 11,128.31 £ 7,483.33 £ 2,724.88 £ 1,268.00 £ 3,467.04 £ 1,072.00 £ 2,466.27 £ 303.32 £ 6,730.90 £ 8,740.00 £ 250.00 £ 500.00 £ 5,000.00 £ 226.52 £ 639.01 £ 28,348.94 £ 12,522.33 £ 2,288.91 -£ 1,394.02 -£ 9,701.71 £ 11,095.73 £ 7,412.80 £ 9,701.71 £ |
|---|---|
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS EVANGELICAL CHURCH STATEMENT FO ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Current Assets Rent deposit Bank current account Assets retaind for the charity's own use Music instruments |
31 December 2024 £ 5,000.00 £ 7,412.80 £ 12,412.80 £ 812.74 £ 812.74 £ |
December 2023 £ £9,701.71 |
|---|---|---|
| £9,701.71 £1,015.92 |
||
| £1,015.92 |
Approved by the board on 13 October 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Pastor Caleb Mathewos
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS EVANGELICAL CHURCH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2024
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Accounting
These accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis with all revenue and expenses shown on a cash basis. Non-monetary assets are shown at estimates of the value at the end of the year.
Funds
The CIO has a general unrestricted fund that receives voluntary donations from attendants at the services.
The CIO has no outstanding guarantees to third parties no debts secured on the assets of the CIO.
A rent deposit of £5000.00 paid for the new hall. This figure is shown on the statement of assets and liabilities.
Public Benefits
The charity acknowledges its requirements to demonstrate that it must have charitable purposes or aims that are for public benefit. The trustees confirm that they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit before deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Depreciation
Depreciation on the musical instrument is calculated at 20% reducing balance method.
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of The Message of the
Cross Evangelical Church
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Message of the Cross Evangelical Church (“the charity”) for the period ended 31 December 2024.
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 154 of the Charity Commission Act 2011. My independent examiner’s work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity’s trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body for my independent examiner’s work, for this report, or for the opinion I have formed. Responsibilities and Basis of Report
As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts conducted 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:
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Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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The accounts do not accord with those of records.
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 to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Yohannes A Egletu, MAAT, ACCA, BSc (Hons) Yohannes Accountancy Services 84 Kettleby House, Barrington Rd, London, SW9 7EQ