## **Chair’s Report** Our annual conference in 2023 was on the theme of hospitality with the title Take off Your Shoes and I was very conscious of stepping into the shoes that Owen Griffiths was taking off as chair. Owen did such a fantastic job as our chair that they have been big shoes to fill. I want to start this report by offering my deep-felt thanks to Owen for all he has done (and continues to do ) for BIAPT. In stepping into those shoes, I also wish to thank our Administrator Eve for all that she does to support us as an association and also my fellow trustees for their work over the past year, especially David Beedon who has been serving as Conference Secretary and working tirelessly as we have worked towards putting on our first in person conference in five years. I wish to register a note of thanks to two trustees who have decided to stand down this year. The Revd Dr Lucy Dallas has stepped down to focus on her role as chair of the TEI Forum. Dr Saiyiddah Zaidi, having served as a trustee for a number of years will not be renewing her term of office. I want to make a personal statement of gratitude for the encouragement and challenge which she has brought to BIAPT in her time as a trustee both in writing for the journal, giving papers at conference and contributing to discussions at trustee meetings. I also wish to thank Karen O’Donnell who, until very recently served as our vice chair. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, Karen has been unable to continue as vice-chair so BIAPT is in the peculiar position of not currently having a future chair in training. Having consulted with fellow trustees, we feel the best way forward is to seek a volunteer from among the members to take on this role and I am open to a conversation with anyone who would be interested in working alongside me for a year before taking on the role of chair. BIAPT has been through some substantial changes in recent years and is doing more now than it ever has. Inevitably this makes greater demands on the members of the committee and other volunteers. One of the ways we have sought to manage this increase in workload last year was to create more sub-committees along the same lines as our Conference Team. We have added the Practical Theology Hub Editorial Board and the Communications Team. Each of these teams depends on the voluntary efforts of BIAPT members who are not trustees and I wish, on behalf of the entire BIAPT community, to express our gratitude for their invaluable contribution to the work. We continue to welcome volunteers from members who feel they can contribute to these teams. We have recently added a Community Engagement team for those exploring local learning and could do with more members for that team. ## **Events** We had hoped that our conference last year would be in person and ultimately trustees took the difficult decision that it was just too much of a financial risk to meet in person. Planning 2024’s conference we have faced a similar dilemma and are hoping to either just break even or make a slight loss on the 2024 conference. We had gathered a significant community of new conference attenders by being online with 164 booked in to the main summer conference online in 2023 and deciding to be in person only in 2024 has inevitably restricted who can attend. Members may wish to reflect on how we gather for future events. In 2023, people attended the conference from across the world, including an intrepid group of Canadian Practical Theologians who gathered as a SIG alongside our mid-morning conference slot for SIGs, some of them joining at a local time of 2am or 5am – that was commitment! We heard from our opening panel of the Revd Dr Susie Snyder, the Revd Canon Dr Anderson Jeremiah (now bishop of Edmonton) and Dr Ray Gaston on the nature of hospitality. The Revd Katie Tupling re-imagined what the world and the church would be like if it was led exclusively by those with disabilities. This was a challenging and powerful image, flagging up the multiple layers of barriers to hospitality for many in our places of worship and work. Finally, for our keynotes, Professor Michael Barnes, offered a gallery full of images of hospitality including a captivating exploration of Carravaggio’s _Emmaus Supper_ which emphasised how hospitality is a sacred duty and the act of transferring power to the other. We had a new feature in our conference in 2023 in the form of our Hospitality Stories. A chance to share short reflections on the nature of hospitality from a variety of perspectives. Jen Johnson told us about how she found and received hospitality when she had expected to be offering it in Byker, Newcastle and shared the joy of seeing “where the seeds for the longed for better world are being sown.” Amy Quinn-Graham mapped places she had experienced hospitality or a lack of it, broadening our understanding of where places of hospitality might be and how being excluded, being put behind a screen gives a sense of lack of welcome. Saiyyidah Zaidi reflected on her own shoes and feet, opening up new ways of understanding the levels of hospitality which we can offer and receive. Yet the main summer conference is no longer the only event in the BIAPT calendar. The Student Conference in 2024 was online and was organised with great skill by Cody Crawshaw, our Doctoral Student Representative on Committee. 39 students attended of who 11 gave short papers along the two keynote speakers who were Professor Esther McIntosh then Zoe Strong and Paula Duncan. We also decided that in future we will offer some drop-in zooms for those in postgraduate research in Practical Theology which simply give students a chance to connect with others in their field and discuss how their research is going. Watch this space! Our Mission SIG ran a successful in-person event at Ripon College Cuddesdon in May with 25 participants exploring “Mission without Borders?” Discipleship as (Un)learning with speakers Dr Sam Ewell and the Revd Hasna Khatun. The Practical Theology Hub ran its first online event in February 2024 with 63 people hearing papers from the Revd Luke Larner, Prof. Jung Mo Sung and the Revd Laurie Garrett-Cobbina, PhD on the topic of The Future of NeoLiberalism. This mixed pattern of online and in person events is proving a good pattern for enabling participation. If you would be interested in hosting an in-person event (perhaps especially in Wales, Scotland or Ireland), or if you have an idea for an online event, we would like to hear from you. ## **Widening Participation** The Practical Theology Hub continues to offer a space for practitioners and theologians to offer short, publically accessible reflections on a number of issues in practical theology across a great variety of topics. I am very grateful to the Editorial Board and I wish to thank them all - James Morris, Patricia Palazzo Tsai, Katie Cross Owen Griffiths, John Falcone and Matt Batten. See James’ report for further details. A continuing development in this work is the expansion into podcasting and we are grateful to Zoe Strong and her team of podcasters for the work they are continuing to put into this ## **Prizes** We moved the submission for prizes to later in the year in 2023 with the aim of spreading the workload for our administrator and Trustees from the busy time just before and after conference. We were pleased to have a strong field of entries and awarded the BIAPT Masters Dissertation Prize to Jane Kelly for her work on _Flourishing or Failing? A Theological Analysis and Critique of the Culture of Whiteness in Church of England Primary Schools_ . The BIAPT Publishable Article Prize was awarded to Isaac McNish for his piece _'Familiarity and Otherness: Evangelical Practical Theology as Worship'_ which will be published in a future edition of the Journal of Practical Theology. We congratulate both winners who gain a free place at the 2024 conference. ## **Strategy** Last year’s AGM agreed to adopt our new Five Year Plan based on our three goals for our association. ## **Charitable Objects** The objects of the CIO are for the public benefit, the advancement of education in the subject of practical theology and the promotion of practical theology within the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and throughout the world by: - advancing practice, teaching, learning and research in practical theology; - promoting contact and exchange between the various contexts of practical theology, education and training; - organising events and consultations appropriate to the above; - fostering international links and activities; - encouraging interchange between the worlds of practical theology, other disciplines, and local and national faith communities; ## **Goal 1** ## **We seek to foster relationships with organisations which would** ## **enhance the work of BIAPT** Strategy: Compile, maintain and update database of past, present and potential partner organisations. ## **Goal 2** ## **We aim to diversify our income stream in order to better achieve our charitable goals** Strategy 1: Monetise Practical Theology Hub Strategy 2: Organise Annual Cycle of Events and Fundraising ## **Goal 3: While valuing our respective heritages, we aim to become a learning community marked by mutual accountability, honesty and hospitality.** Strategy 1: Explore possibility of creating sites of informal learning. Strategy 2: Increase the diversity of BIAPT’s membership ## _**Sarah Brush, Chair from July 2023 onwards**_ BIAPT (BRITISH AND IRISH ASSOCIATION FOR PRACTICAL THEOLOGY) (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation) Accounts to 31 December 2023 Charity no: 1181208 Registered: 17 December 2018 BIAPT Draft Accounts Year ended 31 Decwnber 2023 OBJECTS The objects of BIAPT are for the public benefit The advancement of education in the subject of Practical Theology and the promotion of Prattical Theology within the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and throughout the world by. Advancing practice, teaching, learning and research in Practical Theology, Promoting contact and exchange be￿en the various contexts of Practical Theology, education and training {iii) Organising events and consultations appropriate to the above liv) Encouraging interchange bet￿een the worlds of Practical Theology, other disciplines, and local and national faith communities TRUSTEES Revd Mark Bennet {Treasurer) Revd Dr Sarah Brush Prof. Elaine &aham Revd (J¥en Griffiths (chair) Revd Dr David Beedon Codie Crawshaw Dr Sanjee Perera Dr Delroy Hall Revd Dr Jayson Rhodes Revd Dr Lw Dallas Saryyidah Zaidi P4e2of6 BIAPT Draft Accounts Year ended 31 December 2023 Income and Expenditure Yeor to 37 December 2023 2022 INCOME Subscriptions Conference income 17,715.00 18,669.00 6.725.(X) 11,600.00 Event income 235.90 3.111.40 Summer School income 3.42S.C4) Donations" 106.()4 Interest 291.16 40.40 Total 28.498.10 33.420.80 EXPENDITURE Practical Theology Conference expenses Summer School 12.438.44 19,525.20 3,716.20 2,928.33 1,986.11 240.00 Other events 179.25 3.052.67 Prizes and bursaries 400.QK) Committee and administration expenses Website 1,￿7.25 3.886.17 1,448.09 2,373.33 Transaction charges Total 431.53 481.33 22,106.87 33,119.25 Surplus/ {deficit) for period 6.39123 301.55 Fund5 carried forward from previous year 26,661.19 26.359.64 Funds ￿rrIed forward 33.052.42 26.661.19 Page3of6 BIAPT Droft Accounts Yeor ended 31 De¢ern￿r 2023 BALANCE SHEET 31 DK 2023 31 Dec 2022 ASSETS Cash and bank 33,052.42 26,661.19 REPRESENTING General funds 30,291.87 25,801.90 Bible SIG 463.67 Summer school balance 2,296.88 859.29 Totsl 33.052.42 26.661.19 Mark Bennet Treasurer June 2024 Page4of6 BIAPT Ac¢ouftts 2022 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF BIAPT (Bthh and Irish A¥sociatbon for Pr•¢11￿1 Theology) l ￿port to the trustees on my eXaMinat￿n oflhe aca*unts ofthe BiAPT IBritsh and Irish ASs￿l8tion for Prathcal Thedogyl lorthe year ended 31 [k￿mber 2023 R•8pon*m>ll￿o$ and ba8lB of r•port A¥ the tharity tnjstees you are ￿pOn￿ble forthe preparnlH)n ofth? acg)unts in acCOrdar￿ vrith the rg]uirements of the Chai￿08 Ad 2011 (th8 Art). I report In TE5ped of rny examinabon of the acojunts ￿ffled oul uTr1er se(*on 145 of the 2011 Act aTh# in carryng out my examination I have follo*d all the applicabk Dir￿b)n5 given by the Chanty Comrnissh?n under section 14515llbl of th• Act. dependenlexamlnerfs Ststement lfi conw(*￿ vAth my exarination. l ￿nfi[rn thal matters haN* m to my attenti￿ gwing me eau8e to belwe thot in any matefial rE5pe£t The requirements to keep ar￿unting records in accordan￿ ¥Mlh $8c*on 130 ofthe 2011 Act have not teen met.. or The at>xxJnts do not ac¢*rd wth the zoxuntsThJ re￿)rds. or 3. The accounts do not ¢wnply the appli(able requi￿nts 0)r￿mIr￿J the fotm and o)n¢ent of acuunts set out in the Charitse5 (Acwwts and Reports) Regubtions 2(K)8 other than any reqU1￿ment that the aco)unts glve a true aThJ lair vthich 15 not a rnatteroJnshlet&l as part ofan indeFend8nt exwninab"on. I have rxyne a(¥oss N) othei matter5 in connection the exaninab.on to attention sholad be dra￿ ITh this in order to enable a proper ￿derS￿nd￿l9 olthe accwnts to be ￿8¢￿*￿. Mrs Mon*a Tabatabaian ATh Tax Avenue Turnfields Gate. Tumfiekls Thatcharn. Be￿Sh•re RG194PT Juty 2024 Pag25of6 BIAPT Droft All￿o$ and ba8lB of r•port A¥ the tharity tnjstees you are ￿pOn￿ble forthe preparnlH)n ofth? acg)unts in acCOrdar￿ vrith the rg]uirements of the Chai￿08 Ad 2011 (th8 Art). I report In TE5ped of rny examinabon of the acojunts ￿ffled oul uTr1er se(*on 145 of the 2011 Act aTh# in carryng out my examination I have follo*d all the applicabk Dir￿b)n5 given by the Chanty Comrnissh?n under section 14515llbl of th• Act. dependenlexamlnerfs Ststement lfi conw(*￿ vAth my exarination. l ￿nfi[rn thal matters haN* m to my attenti￿ gwing me eau8e to belwe thot in any matefial rE5pe£t The requirements to keep ar￿unting records in accordan￿ ¥Mlh $8c*on 130 ofthe 2011 Act have not teen met.. or The at>xxJnts do not ac¢*rd wth the zoxuntsThJ re￿)rds. or 3. The accounts do not ¢wnply the appli(able requi￿nts 0)r￿mIr￿J the fotm and o)n¢ent of acuunts set out in the Charitse5 (Acwwts and Reports) Regubtions 2(K)8 other than any reqU1￿ment that the aco)unts glve a true aThJ lair vthich 15 not a rnatteroJnshlet&l as part ofan indeFend8nt exwninab"on. I have rxyne a(¥oss N) othei matter5 in connection the exaninab.on to attention sholad be dra￿ ITh this in order to enable a proper ￿derS￿nd￿l9 olthe accwnts to be ￿8¢￿*￿. Mrs Mon*a Tabatabaian ATh Tax Avenue Turnfields Gate. Tumfiekls Thatcharn. Be￿Sh•re RG194PT Juty 2024 Pag25of6 BIAPT Droft A