## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER BAPTIST CHURCH (ALSO KNOWN AS BOURTON BAPTIST CHURCH) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021** The Trustees present their report, together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2021. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** ## **Address** Bourton-on-the-Water Baptist Church Station Road, Bourton-on-the-Water, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire, GL54 2AA Website: www.bourtonbaptist.co.uk ## **Charity Status** Bourton-on-the-Water Baptist Church (Bourton Baptist Church), formerly an ‘Excepted Charity’ under section 30(2)(b) of the Charities Act 2011, became a Registered Charity on 10 June 2020 and a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 1 January 2021. Its Registered Charity No is 1189877. ## **Managing Trustees** The Church is administered by the Diaconate, who are the Managing Trustees of the Charity, comprising: |•|Minister and Chairman:|Rev Ian Fowler – resigned with effect from 4 April 21| |---|---|---| |||Post currently vacant| |•|Church Secretary:|Mrs Sally Lenihan – resigned as Secretary with effect| |||from 21 March 2021 and as Deacon/Trustee with effect| |||from 31 July 2021. Post currently vacant| |•|Church Treasurer:|Mr Tim Newstead| |•|Deacons:|Mrs Philippa Duckmanton| |||Mrs Susan Handy with effect from 21 March 21| |||Mrs Valerie Leach – resigned with effect from 21 March 21| |||Mrs Dawn Pike| 1 ## **Principal Advisors** Bankers: Lloyds Bank plc, High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 0AY. Independent Examiner: Mr Kevan Taylor FCA, Ashfield House, Clapton-on-theHill, Cheltenham, GL54 2LG Regional Minister: Rev Alisdair Longwill, Little Stoke Baptist Church, Little Stoke, Bristol, BS34 6JW Solicitor: Ms Safa Murad, Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP, 134 Edmond Street, Birmingham, B3 2ES ## **STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** ## **Governing Document** The Church’s Governing Document, its Constitution, is in line with the Approved Governing Document for the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) Churches agreed with the Charity Commission. The Constitution was adopted by Bourton-on-the-Water Baptist Church at a Special Church Members Meeting held on 5[th] June 2020 in preparation for it becoming a CIO. The church is the beneficial owner (subject to the relevant trusts) of the following assets, the legal title to which is held by the church's custodian trustee the Baptist Union Corporation Ltd: Church premises at Station Road, Bourton-on-the-Water, Cheltenham, GL54 2AA and the Church Manse at 59 Roman Way, Bourton-on-the-Water, Cheltenham, GL54 2EW. The church also owns fixtures, furniture and equipment. ## **Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees** Deacons, who are the managing Trustees of the charity, are chosen from among existing church members who show the reality of their faith by the consistency of their Christian character and their loyalty to the cause of Jesus Christ. The Diaconate will normally consist of one elected deacon for ten members or part thereof, plus the Church Secretary and Treasurer who, by right of their office, will be members of the diaconate and will accept all the responsibilities of a deacon. The election of deacons takes place at the Annual Church Members’ Meeting. Nominees for the Diaconate, including the Secretary and Treasurer, must secure a vote of at least 60% of those members present and eligible to vote. The Church membership as at 1[st] January 2021 was 25. The Trustees participated in a number of external face-to-face and online training sessions during the year. 2 ## **Organisational Structure** The Church is governed and regulated by its own church members where all aspects of the work of the Church are subject to the approval of the Church Members’ Meeting which is normally held bi-monthly. The Minister of the Church is a paid managing Trustee and, together with the Deacons, gives leadership to the Church. The Deacons assist the Minister in his role and are also responsible for preparing the business for Church Members’ Meetings. Following the resignation of the Minister, the Church has been led by the four remaining Deacons; similarly, the responsibilities of the Church Secretary have been shared among the Deacons following her departure. ## **Church Affiliations** Bourton-on-the-Water Baptist Church is a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) and the West of England Baptist Network (WEBNet). The Church pays an annual subscription to BUGB based upon its membership numbers and also makes regular monthly donations to the BUGB Home Mission Fund through WEBNet and to the Baptist Missionary Society World Mission. Further information can be found at the BU website - www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/220484/Who_are_Baptists.aspx ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** ## **Aim and Purposes** Bourton Baptist Church, the deacons and members have the responsibility, along with the Minister, in promoting the mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical, to the village of Bourton on the Water and the nearby surrounding area. The Deacons are also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church Building in Station Road, Bourton on the Water, and the Manse (Minister’s house) at 59 Roman Way, Bourton on the Water. ## **Objectives and Activities** For Baptists the concept of a family is important. The church is not so much a particular place or building, but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, to one another and to the service of God in the world. We long for people to know Jesus, to be transformed by knowing Him, and for us all to bless our communities by His work within us. This is why we exist. It is summed up in our vision: “To make Christ known, by growing a healthy church in relationship, for God's mission”. The activities of the church over the past year have been heavily influenced by the COVID-19 epidemic and by the changing restrictions and guidelines during this period. In-person activities, which had been suspended since March 2020, were reintroduced gradually from July 2021, including gathering for worship on Sunday mornings and the community group, Open4U on Thursdays. 3 ## **Achievements and Performance** We recognise that God is at work in this world and that it is our task to join His mission, wherever this may be. We know we are called to love our neighbour, and Jesus has a particular heart for the marginalised. Bourton Baptist Church hosts a local ‘Foodbank’ on a weekly basis; we also run our own community groups, such as our Open4U drop-in day on a Thursday. Due to personal circumstances affecting leaders, it has not yet been possible to restart other community activities such as our parent and toddler group and youth groups. Bourton Baptist Church provides worship on Sunday, with Communion of the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis, plus other activities through the week providing friendship and community, worship, reading the bible, and prayer. Church Members meetings and small bible study groups are held regularly. During the early part of 2021, most activities took place online or via the telephone (as for much of 2020), but from July 2021 in-person services and other activities were able to resume, which was greatly welcomed by the church family. Although the services were initially streamed from Cirencester Baptist Church due to the lack of a resident minister, ‘live’ worship led by members of the church was quickly re-instated. As at 31[st] December 2021 there were 27 members and approximately 60 people who were connected to the church through the community activities that normally run during the week. Before COVID-19, attendance on a Sunday varied from 10-40 people and for festivals and over Christmas services such as the Carol Service could rise to 80 people. Since reopening, this number has fallen, with 15-20 people, due to a combination of vulnerable people feeling reluctant to attend and also the inevitable consequence of being without a resident minister. ## **Mission and Evangelism** Helping those in need is a demonstration of our faith and, during this period, many of the church members have continued to act as a wider pastoral team, regularly contacting and supporting the church community and people in the area with conversation and care. Much informal support between members and friends has also been part of this period, with a continued emphasis on caring for our actual neighbours to ensure support for everyone at this time. In addition, the church provides financial support to the work of Baptist Union Home Mission and BMS overseas mission work, as well as many other charities, such as Tearfund, that provide support through faith. Our giving is outlined in our financial summary below. ## **Volunteers** We would like to thank all those who voluntarily work so hard to make our church the friendly and welcoming community it is. This has been particularly important as we have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusted to being without a resident minister. The enforced periods of isolation highlighted how important fellowship and friendship are, and how being together strengthens and encourages our faith. The deacons recognised this as they continued to meet weekly to pray and share support needs, and their faithful work during this period is commended. 4 ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** ## **Details of Any Funds Materially in Deficit** The Charity has no funds which are materially in deficit. ## **Statement of the Charity’s Policy on Reserves** The Trustees 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 unexpected cost. A minimum reserves level of Unrestricted Funds has been set at 6 months expenditure; based upon current actual and anticipated expenditure on Ministry, Mission, Church Upkeep and Administration, this reserves level is equivalent to £34,000. As at 31 December 2021, the church held total reserves of £101,770 of which £90,238 was unrestricted, £10,545 was restricted and £988 designated for improving social facilities within the church building. In light of the uncertain future of our church ministry, these funds will provide a buffer for the church as we seek to turn around the downward trend in church attendance and income as we wait upon the appointment of a new minister. Moreover, it is the Trustees’ wish to allocate ‘surplus’ funding to the refurbishment of the kitchen and church facilities and a possible upgrade to the church organ in due course. ## **Financial Status** In common with many churches, Bourton on the Water Baptist Church has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the closure of the church building and a resultant move, for the first 7 months or so of the year, to on-line worship. This significant change saw a decrease in income while still incurring costs associated with the church building and ministry. Since the resignation and departure of our Minister in April 2021, the Church Manse has been let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy through a local Estate Agent which has enabled us to add some additional rental income. We are very grateful to all those who continue to support the church financially during difficult times. The Church’s current resources from unrestricted income is sufficient to meet its outgoings for at least next year. All the indications are that this will remain the case for the foreseeable future. The financial results for the year are set out in the accompanying financial statement below. The accounts passed the thorough independent check satisfactorily, with no observations or qualifications recorded. The Trustees are kept fully appraised on a monthly basis as to the financial status of the church; Church Members receive regular updates. ## **Principal Funding Sources** The Church is totally self-funding, relying upon offerings and donations from church members and friends, together with occasional legacies, some limited rental income from the use of the church hall and, latterly, income from letting the Church Manse. The church 5 membership is mainly retired and not wealthy. During 2021, the church had 4 main funding sources; these were: • Offerings. Monthly, weekly and occasional offerings by church members, friends and visitors. These monies totalled £30,868 in 2021 a reduction of £3,908 (11.2%) from £34,776 in 2020. Gift Aid remuneration on offerings brought in an additional £4,947 in 2021. • Rental Income. Letting of the Church Manse realised rental income of £10,268, net of Agent’s fees but including a Council Tax refund of £280. Rent from the hire of the Church Hall to external community groups raised £580 compared to £240 in 2020. • Legacies and Donations. No legacies were received during the year; unsolicited donations to the church general fund totalled £745. • Other Income. Additional donations totalling £740 were received from the curtailed missional activities of Open4U and the Women's Meeting following the easing of the pandemic restrictions in the summer of 2021. £456 was received in interest from the Church’s investments with the Baptist Union Corporation and Lloyds Bank. £227 was donated by the Minister for a funeral service he undertook in 2020 and a refund of £20 was received on electricity charges. Thus, the total Other Income received was £1,443. ## **Income** Total receipts of unrestricted funds were £48,892, of which £456 was investment income. restricted donations of £2,141 were also received and are detailed in the Financial Statement. ## **Expenditure** Expenditure during the year amounted to £38,820 of which £2,814 was restricted monies and £400 designated funds. The cost of ministry, including stipend, pension contributions, Manse costs and visiting ministers’ expenses was £13,704 in 2021. During the year, £11,061 was spent on mission including gifts made to BU Home Mission, BMS World Mission, three Baptist Colleges (Regents Park, Bristol and the Northern Baptist College), Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust, the BMS Birthday Scheme, World Vision, Tearfund, the Barnabas Fund and Operation Agri. £12,792 was spent on the maintenance and upkeep of the church building and facilities. Finally, £1,264 was spent on Administration, of which one-off costs in legal fees of £317 were attributable to the registration of the church as a CIO. ## **Remuneration of Trustees** With the exception of the Minister, all Trustees act in a voluntary capacity and receive no remuneration or other material benefits from their services to the Charity. Out-of-pocket 6 expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred by Trustees in promoting the purposes of the Charity are reimbursed at cost. ## **Assets & Liabilities** As can be seen from the Statement of Assets & Liabilities, the current account balance at 31st December 2021 stood at £1,841; this, together with the Business Instant Access savings account of £49,288, and the BUC accounts of £50,641, gave total cash and investment assets of £101,770. The net result for the year was an excess of receipts over payments of £13,286 of unrestricted funds and a reduction of £400 in the balance of designated funds. ## **Statutory Statements on Liabilities** ## **Particulars of Outstanding Guarantee Given by the Charity** The Church received a Community Support Donation of £503 from the Mid-counties Co-operative in May 2020 towards the purchase of items in support of the Church Youth Club. Owing to the pandemic lockdowns and the lack of youth worker resources, this money has not yet been spent, but remains as a restricted fund. ## **Particulars of Outstanding Debt** The church is a participating employer within the Defined Benefit section of the Baptist Pension Scheme and has been making ongoing deficit payments to cover the costs of past service of its employees within the scheme under a recovery plan. The church understands that if it had left the Scheme at the year-end, it would have to have made a one-off payment estimated to be £10,800 to meet its statutory obligations to the scheme. The church is continuing to make payments to the scheme in line with the recovery plan. However, following our Minister’s departure in April 2021, we have been granted a one-year Period of Grace, extendable to 3 years, until such time as a new minister is appointed. Should the Period of Grace lapse, the employer debt, calculated as at the member’s date of leaving, will become immediately payable as the Church will trigger a ‘cessation event’. ## **Financial Statement for the Year Ended 31 December 2020** The Independent Examiner’s Report and the Receipts and Payment account, together with the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are shown below. 7 ## **DECLARATION** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:** 8 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustoesl members of Bourton-on-the-watsr Baptist Church On account8 forthe year ended 31 December 2021 Charity no lif anyl 1189877 Set out on pages 14 I report lo the trustees on my examination of the a¢¢ounls of the above charity (￿he Trust'l for the year ended 3111212021. Responsibilitios and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation bas18 of report of the accounts in accordance wrth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the Acri. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5llbl of the Act. I have completed my examination. l confirm that no malenal matters have come to my attention I l in connection wth the examinab'on whi¢h gives me Cause to ￿lIeVe that in. any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting record8 Independent examinorfs statement I have no concems and have come across no other mattets in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Slgned: Date: 2. xoax Namè". KEVAN TAYLOR Relevant professional qualificatioTr(s} or body Ilf any): FCA Address: Ashfleld Housè, ClaptOn￿n-thfrHi1l. Cheltsnham. 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