HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2024 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2025.
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 a church community, if, they so wish. The charity maintains an overview of worship and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the varied groups that live within the church community. 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 extremely 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 knowledge and trust in Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Last year, (2023/24) the Chairman of the ELCE Pastor George Samiec kindly conducted our services as we were without a pastor. This year (2024/25) we currently share a Pastor (Jon) with the congregation at Christ Lutheran Church, Petts Wood. Pastor Jon conducts a communion service once a month at our Church and also provides other pastoral guidance and visitations to members of our congregation. For the other weeks, Pastor Jon provides us with service reading materials (an address, prayers, hymns) which Steve Corbin (Trustee) conducts as a reading service, (without communion). Other members of the congregation also step in and assist with the services if Steve is absent. Pastor Claudio (from Luther Tyndale church) occasionally visits our church and conducts a communion service. Members of our congregation continue to receive links to online services and events and are updated with news from the ELCE on a regular basis. As well as access to a Lutheran radio service.
This has been of immense help to our congregation as it has enabled us to continue to hear God’s word every Sunday and to meditate on the Word of God throughout the week.
We are provided, quarterly, with regular booklets known as Portals of Prayer, for daily Bible reading, reflection, and Prayer.
Pastor George continually prays for our church and has got to know the members of the congregation very well. He has contacted members who were sick or troubled in any way, to offer prayers and keep them in touch with church life.
Worship
1 | P a g e
Throughout the year, worship services were held on Sunday mornings, times varied so we could have a pastor. Special services were held in the Lent/Easter and Advent/Christmas seasons. Other festivals resumed such as Harvest and Christmas dinners.
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 this world and to commit the family to God’s keeping. As required, we can discuss these services and arrange for a pastor to support.
Structure and Governance
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2024 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2025
The Church continued to meet and operate under the constitution approved in June 2018 by the voters. Under the constitution, 2 Church officers are to be nominated as trustees for a 3-year term of office at the voters meeting in accordance with the constitution. We currently have serving: Mr Stephen Corbin. We are seeking to elect a new trustee and alternatives, going forward for financial year 2025-26.
Trustees: have been elders and elders are appointed by our congregation at the congregational 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 considered 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 the community (public benefit). Tithes and offerings are paid by members directly through our Holy Trinity bank account and as appropriate, we may receive gift aid, through these offerings.
Ladies Guild: The treasurer of Holy Trinity Ladies Guild (HTLG) works with the church members to promote fundraising activities within the church for donation to a local or national charity of the congregation’s choice, once a year. The financial year 2024-25, amount raised was £328 and this will be donated to a variety of charities.
Date: 05 October 2025
2 | P a g e
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2024 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2025
| Holy Trinity income and expenditure for 2024-25 | |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Offerings | 14,077.00 |
| Donations | £1,025.00 |
| Donation Holy Trinity Ladies Guild donation | £1,419.50 |
| Hall Hire & rentals: | £28,502.00 |
| Portals of Prayer giving | £375.05 |
| Total income | £45,398.55 |
| Expenditure | |
| Utilities (council tax, electricity, water) | £2,713.46 |
| Reimbursed travel expenses- Pastor | £1,037.35 |
| HMRC- tax | - |
| Insurance-Ansvar for Church | £1,980.18 |
| Donation to charity (Ghana Church funding) | £368.00 |
| HSBC bank charges | £73.52 |
| Parsonage expenses | £2,835.29 |
| Total expenditure | £9,007.80 |
| Net income 2024-25 | £36,390.75 |
Date: 05 October 2025
3 | P a g e
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD 1[ST] APRIL 2024 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2025.
| Holy Trinity income and expenditure for 2024-25 | |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Offerings | 14,077.00 |
| Donations | £1,025.00 |
| Donation Holy Trinity Ladies Guild donation | £1,419.50 |
| Hall Hire & rentals: | £28,502.00 |
| Portals of Prayer giving | £375.05 |
| Total income | £45,398.55 |
| Expenditure | |
| Utilities (council tax, electricity, water) | £2,713.46 |
| Reimbursed travel expenses- Pastor | £1,037.35 |
| HMRC- tax | - |
| Insurance-Ansvar for Church | £1,980.18 |
| Donation to charity (Ghana Church funding) | £368.00 |
| HSBC bank charges | £73.52 |
| Parsonage expenses | £2,835.29 |
| Total expenditure | £9,007.80 |
| Net income 2024-25 | £36,390.75 |
Date: 05 October 2025
1 | 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 2025
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 Date 7 December 2025
Name: Carol Gopaul AAT ACCA (finalist)