HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2022 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2023.
Aims and Purposes:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has the responsibility of promoting within the ecclesiastical Church, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is also responsible for the maintenance of the Church, the Church hall and the parsonage.
Objectives:
The objectives of the Church are:
-
To offer regular worship
-
To provide a ministry care and love
-
As the disciples of Jesus Christ, to bear witness in the variety of the Church’s organized life.
Activities:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at the church and to become part of church community if they so wish. The charity maintains an overview of worship and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the many groups that live within the church. Our services and worship help people to put faith into practice through prayer and Scripture, hymns, songs and Sacrament.
Whenever we plan our activities for the year, we always consider the Charity Commission guidance for the advancement of religion for public benefit. To this end we work very hard to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our church community. We do this through: Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel and liturgies and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Our late pastor, The Rev’d Sunday Effiong provided sermons every Sunday and also a condensed version of the sermon for members to take home. This enabled them to meditate on the Word of God they heard that day and throughout the week.
Due to lasting effects of covid 19, we did not offer Sunday school but hope to resume in the future. We provide regular Portals of Prayer for daily Bible reading and Prayer.
Pastor Sunday contacted members who were sick or unable to get out for any other reason, to offer prayers and keep them in touch with church life.
Worship
Throughout the year, worship services were held on Sunday mornings. Special services were held in the Lent/Easter and Advent/Christmas seasons. Other festivals resumed such as Harvest and Christmas dinners after covid.
As well as our regular services, we are open to enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestone of the journey of life. Through baptism we thank God for the gifts of life, in marriage public vows are exchanged with God’s blessing. Through funeral service, friends and family express their grief and give thanks to the life which is now complete in the world and to commit the family to God’s keeping.
Structure and Governance
1 | P a g e
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2022 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2023.
The Church continued to meet and operate under the constitution approved in June 2018 by the voters. Under the constitution, 2 Church officers were nominated as trustees for 3 year term of office at the voters meeting in accordance with the constitution. Those serving are Mr Steve Corbin and the now late Pastor Sunday Effiong. (died 23[rd] April 2023). Also a previous trustee, Mr Norman Padmore, is no longer serving as a trustee due to his ill health. We are currently seeking to elect a new trustee going forward for financial year 2023-24.
Trustees: are elders and elders are appointed by our voters at the voter’s meeting in accordance with the constitution. Responsibilities of the elders as trustees are carried out through regular meetings and reports from other committee members. Review of the financial giving within the church, the Charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required this year (under section 43 (2) of the Charities Act 1993, but an independent examination is needed.
As an example of operating for the benefit of the public: our hall is used regularly on Sundays by members of our community (public benefit). Tithes and offerings are paid by members directly through our Holy Trinity bank account and we receive gift aid through these offerings.
Ladies Guild: The treasurer of Holy Trinity Ladies Guild (HTLG) work with the church members to promote fundraising activities within the church for donation to a local or national charities of the voters’ choice once a year. The HTLG raised £368 in 2021-22 and we will be donating this to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ghana. For financial year 2022-23, amount £350 was raised and this will be donated to a charity of the votors choice once decided.
2 | P a g e
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2022 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2023
Financial Statement from 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023
| Holy Trinity income and expenditure for 2022-23 | |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Offerings | 14,600.00 |
| Donations-heating/harvest | 350.00 |
| Hall Hire & rentals | 10,418.00 |
| Gift aid Apr 20- Mar21 | 3,979.42 |
| Holy Trinity Ladies Guild (HTLG) donations 22-23, donation to be decided | 350.00 |
| Total income | 29,697.42 |
| Expenditure | |
| Utilities (council tax, electricity, water) | 3,811.15 |
| Insurance-Close access (parsonage) | 1,734.07 |
| Pastor's salary | 11,870.05 |
| HMRC- tax | 5,896.67 |
| bank charges | 62.10 |
| New boiler expense | 3,300.00 |
| Total expenditure | 26,674.04 |
| Net income 2022-23 | 3,023.38 |
3 | P a g e
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2022 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2023.
Aims and Purposes:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has the responsibility of promoting within the ecclesiastical Church, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is also responsible for the maintenance of the Church, the Church hall and the parsonage.
Objectives:
The objectives of the Church are:
-
To offer regular worship
-
To provide a ministry care and love
-
As the disciples of Jesus Christ, to bear witness in the variety of the Church’s organized life.
Activities:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at the church and to become part of church community if they so wish. The charity maintains an overview of worship and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the many groups that live within the church. Our services and worship help people to put faith into practice through prayer and Scripture, hymns, songs and Sacrament.
Whenever we plan our activities for the year, we always consider the Charity Commission guidance for the advancement of religion for public benefit. To this end we work very hard to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our church community. We do this through: Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel and liturgies and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Our late pastor, The Rev’d Sunday Effiong provided sermons every Sunday and also a condensed version of the sermon for members to take home. This enabled them to meditate on the Word of God they heard that day and throughout the week.
Due to lasting effects of covid 19, we did not offer Sunday school but hope to resume in the future. We provide regular Portals of Prayer for daily Bible reading and Prayer.
Pastor Sunday contacted members who were sick or unable to get out for any other reason, to offer prayers and keep them in touch with church life.
Worship
Throughout the year, worship services were held on Sunday mornings. Special services were held in the Lent/Easter and Advent/Christmas seasons. Other festivals resumed such as Harvest and Christmas dinners after covid.
As well as our regular services, we are open to enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestone of the journey of life. Through baptism we thank God for the gifts of life, in marriage public vows are exchanged with God’s blessing. Through funeral service, friends and family express their grief and give thanks to the life which is now complete in the world and to commit the family to God’s keeping.
Structure and Governance
1 | P a g e
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2022 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2023.
The Church continued to meet and operate under the constitution approved in June 2018 by the voters. Under the constitution, 2 Church officers were nominated as trustees for 3 year term of office at the voters meeting in accordance with the constitution. Those serving are Mr Steve Corbin and the now late Pastor Sunday Effiong. (died 23[rd] April 2023). Also a previous trustee, Mr Norman Padmore, is no longer serving as a trustee due to his ill health. We are currently seeking to elect a new trustee going forward for financial year 2023-24.
Trustees: are elders and elders are appointed by our voters at the voter’s meeting in accordance with the constitution. Responsibilities of the elders as trustees are carried out through regular meetings and reports from other committee members. Review of the financial giving within the church, the Charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required this year (under section 43 (2) of the Charities Act 1993, but an independent examination is needed.
As an example of operating for the benefit of the public: our hall is used regularly on Sundays by members of our community (public benefit). Tithes and offerings are paid by members directly through our Holy Trinity bank account and we receive gift aid through these offerings.
Ladies Guild: The treasurer of Holy Trinity Ladies Guild (HTLG) work with the church members to promote fundraising activities within the church for donation to a local or national charities of the voters’ choice once a year. The HTLG raised £368 in 2021-22 and we will be donating this to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ghana. For financial year 2022-23, amount £350 was raised and this will be donated to a charity of the votors choice once decided.
2 | P a g e
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2022 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2023
Financial Statement from 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023
| Holy Trinity income and expenditure for 2022-23 | |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Offerings | 14,600.00 |
| Donations-heating/harvest | 350.00 |
| Hall Hire & rentals | 10,418.00 |
| Gift aid Apr 20- Mar21 | 3,979.42 |
| Holy Trinity Ladies Guild (HTLG) donations 22-23, donation to be decided | 350.00 |
| Total income | 29,697.42 |
| Expenditure | |
| Utilities (council tax, electricity, water) | 3,811.15 |
| Insurance-Close access (parsonage) | 1,734.07 |
| Pastor's salary | 11,870.05 |
| HMRC- tax | 5,896.67 |
| bank charges | 62.10 |
| New boiler expense | 3,300.00 |
| Total expenditure | 26,674.04 |
| Net income 2022-23 | 3,023.38 |
3 | P a g e
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
I report on the accounts of the Church for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Respective responsibilities of the trustees and examiner:
The Church's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The church's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this financial year section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993, and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts undersection 43 of the 1993 Act;
-
to follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under section 43(7) of the 1993 Act; and
-
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention-
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the account and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts 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:
-
which gives me reasonable cause believe that in any material respect the requirements;
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and
-
to prepare accounts with accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act
-
have not been met; or
-
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed Name: Carol Gopaul AAT ACCA (finalist)
Date 01 April 2024