## **CARTERS LANE BAPTIST CHURCH – ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024** ## **Structure, Governance and Management** Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the Constitution which requires them to be or to have been baptised on the profession of faith in Jesus Christ, or following other modes of baptism to renew their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The members Meeting normally takes place 5 times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the church. ## **FOR 2024, WE WERE ABLE TO ORGANISE CHURCH MEETINGS IN THE CHURCH BUILDINGS.** In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint up to 10 deacons/Trustees, who together with the Minister, Church Secretary and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the members), are responsible for the day to day running of the church’s work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the church/charity. By December 2024 we had 9 serving deacons plus the minister, treasurer and church secretary. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the church’s objectives. ## **In 2024 the deacons continued to meet monthly and minutes are kept in the church safe.** ## **In 2024 we were able to hold Annual General Meeting and the trustees were able to present reports and accounts.** Church members each receive minutes of the formal church meetings. These are sent out with agendas at least one week prior to the meeting. Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church meeting by the Deacons/Trustees for guidance, or may be raised by members in Church meeting for further consideration by the Deacons/Trustees. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible. ## **Objectives and Activities** The principle purpose of the church/charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination to include the advancement of education, community service and other general charitable purposes in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the Church shall determine. Our particular aims and objectives are:- - To be a demonstrable place of Christian fellowship and worship furthering God’s kingdom on earth - To be a friendly, open and welcoming church, not just on Sunday services but throughout all activities - To encourage the growth of the membership of the Church attracting new young people and families to the congregation, whilst continuing to support and nurture the current congregation. - To mobilise the church membership to increase the number and range engaged in the running of the wider activities of the church. The Church has a Minister, working at 70%, an active diaconate and around 65 active church members. We have number of other people who attend but are not formal members. **In the normal run of things we have around 120 young people involved weekly in Sunday Club, Friday Youth Club, the Brigade and the Toddler Group. There are a range of activities which normally take place during the week for adults and seniors including 65 Lunch Club for senior citizens which caters for around 40 people, 2 exercise groups catering for around 25 participants, and a Thursday Friends Group with an average of 35 people per session. In the Spring and Summer months we have a Tuesday Group (held fortnightly) which attracts about 25 adults per session. We are still offering weekly free Coffee Mornings as part of the Places of Welcome Scheme – these have proved to be very popular with over 40 people per week attending. In addition to weekly groups, the Church usually hold an annual Holiday Club for primary aged children, social evenings such as quizzes and concerts, garden parties and Autumn Fair. During 2024 these activities regularly took place at the church.** **There are strong links with the worshipping community in the locality. We are very active members of Churches Together in Halesowen.** The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately verified with regard to the Disclosure and Barring Service. The church has read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, and is satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrate that the charity is providing a benefit to the public. ## **Activities and Performance** The Church does not measure the success of its programmes only in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas like fellowship and encouragement. The Deacons/Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure, but believe that 2024 was a positive year in the life of the church, and that it will be able to pursue its mission purposes in 2025 with renewed enthusiasm. At December 2024 the membership stood at 71. For the first half of 2024 regular services and Bible Study sessions were held in church and on-line. These were well supported. ## **Financial Review** The Church continues to raise the funds which it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation. No wider public appeal was made for funds during the year. The most significant expense related to the continued appointment of the Revd Siôr Coleman as Minister of the Church, on a 70% basis, to lead and co-ordinate the church’s activities including the Sunday services, to provide pastoral care for the congregation and other people, and to equip and encourage the membership in their life, Christian witness and service. The Church expressed its part in the life of the wider church by making grants to national and international Christian organisations and societies with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the church’s own charitable purpose and other charitable causes. The Church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of the church’s activities, many of which run with little or no impact on the church’s expenditure, but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of the church’s objectives. The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted are set out in accompanying financial statements. 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 has no plan to leave the scheme and expects to continue to make payments to the scheme in line with the recovery plan. Cartors Lane Baptist Church Accounts for 11112024-3111212024 The Deacons (acting as managing trustees of th8 Church) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts under S.42(3} Chanties Act 1993. The income of the Church is below the threshold of £250.000 and these accounts have therefore been prepared on a 'Receipts and Payments, basis wrth review by an independent examiner. The funds for the Church are distributed across 4 bank accounts. There are no restnctions placed on the funds held by the Churth. 1. Business Banking Extra Current Account Lloyds Bank (tenned hereafter as Treasurers Current AccountrrA) 2. 30 Day Account Lloyds Bank (ternied hereafter as 30 day account130D) 3. NS&I Bonds 4. HEBA The accounts for the Treasurers Current Account and 30 Day Account V￿re prepared throughout the year by Mrs Gail Rothnie. Mr Simon Southall, Lesley Jones. Gellert Tamas and Heart of England Baptist Association (HEBA). They were independen￿Y examined by Sheila Williams. A trail was established from invoice, to paymerrt. to bank statement and HEBA Finance Summaries and in reverse by Ms Williamsn . The funds within the Lloyd8 Bank accounts, NS&I and HEBA were confimied based on statements. A summary of the ac¢ounts is given here.. Oponing Balan¢• 11112024 £ 6.889.99 £28 017.42 £120.000.00 £288.000.61 £442 908.02 Closing Balance 3111212024 £2,565.71 £22,386.07 £120,000.00 £296,845.08 £441796.86 Treasurers Current Account Account 30D NS&I Bonds Total Total Recei Total Pa ments Deficit £ 75 592.46 £ 76.703.62 1111.16 Note.. Comparative r￿ureS for 2023 were: Total Recei ts Total Pa ments Defi¢tt £ 71044.99 £ 77,113.20 £6 068.21 FinanGlal Ststement for the year ended 31 December 2024 Goneral Recoipts and Payments Receipts and payments are summarised here. Addrtional detsil is given in the accompanying notes later in the document. RECEIPTS Weekly collections (platel Collections (standing order) Donations Gift Aid Investment Incomellnterest Hall Rental Legacv Weddings / funerals Raised for other causes Printing and stationery Bank interest from HEBA TOTAL RECEIPTS £8733.94 £27,885.38 £4,617.65 £8,491.39 £4437.46 £3,815.00 £0 £150.00 £2,289.87 £1083.30 £14,088.47 £75,592.46 PAYMENTS Ministry Admlnistration £40,043.66 £6.236.15 Upkee Church Premises Amounts passed onto other causes TOTAL PAYMENtS £28,051.88 £2,371.93 £76,703.62 Overall Income and expendlture Payments £76,703,62 Recelpts £75,592,46 Statemont of Assets and Liabilities at 3111 W2024 aosin8 3111212024 £0.00 Assets Freehold Land and Buildings Cash Assets Total Assets Openin8 11112024 £0.00 Movement Note 3 £442,908.02 £442.908.02 1£1,111.161 (£1,111.16) £441,796.86 £441,79&86 Llabllltles £o.(K) £442.908.02 £0.00 £441,796.86 Note 4 Overall Po8ltlon {£1,111.16) Motes to the Accounts The accounts have been prepared on a 'r￿ipts and payments, basis and in accordan with Sedion 133 Chariti8s Act 2011. 1. Additional Detalls of Receipts RAISED FOR OThER fAUSE5 BMS BMS Birthda Scheme Home Mis5iOll Pro ect Tot•1 E738.82 É235. £314.(Kl £lTrJ2.05 2. Addltlonal D•tall• of Paym•nt• PASSE MINISTRY UPKEEP ADMIN 8MS 8lrthday kheme SALARY £14,434.62 Cleani £S.lJ)1.26 Bank ￿C￿kkeeplng &Pa £278.99 £250.C¥) HMAC £4,473AI Gas f3.665.39 £610.IYJ BMS Home Mlssh)n EitKx>.00 nse$ £5,508.85 £2.987.72 £1,395.12 £320.00 Manse rerte¢J Manse É7.711.74 £oD) WIH Prfntlng & StatK>ne £694.26 DoftatKIfts £156.85 Penslo Vlsltlng Preachers É7.764.64 £13,￿.85 £1,588.74 Pro £645.08 £￿0 Water £252.84 Sund ÉL669.04 InsurarKe £2,537.82 ment £o.c £40W.6fj £28N51A8 £62XiS £1371.93 3. Freehold land and bulkllngs Freehold land and t￿lIding8 are shown at value as li is cons￿Ored that they have no Commercial value due to the restricted covenant placed by the v8ndor when the land was originally acquired. This is a conservatNe position since. if time and ￿SOurCeS are invested In pursuing this, a more positive out¢ome may be forthcoming but cannot be assumed unless tested legally. If the Church were to be in financial drfficuth'es this would be pursued more fully. 4. Llabllltl•8 - Pension Fund On 30th June 2022 th8 Baptst Pension Scheme signed an agreement wrth the insurance compariy Just Group ('Jusf) to secure DB Plan members, pension beneffts Just are now providing financial baC￿'n9 for all pensions provided through the Scheme's DB Plan and following this transath'on, the Scheme no longer has a shortfall. An updated Recovery plan was then signed in August 2022 under which recovery contributions from each participating employer in the DB Plan reduced to £1 per month from August 2022. rr Simon outh 11, Treasurer GellertTamas................. Ms. Sheila Williams, Independent Examiner ..... Template for Independent Examlners rewt (where Independent examiner does not wlsh to highlight any issues) Report of the Independent Examlnerfs) to the Tn*ees of On the a(tThints for the year ended 31 December 2024 The ijturch's Trust￿ are responslbk ftjr the ￿EParat￿)n of the xa>urts. The thurth's trustee5 consider that an aLMlIt is not requlred for this year utKler secticm 144 of the Charftles Art 2011 (the awrlties fvrt) aThl that an Indekvtht eomlnatkn 15 ne&d. It Is my responslbllty to: eyAnlne tr* accounts under sth 145 of the alariti￿ to folkrAr the pr￿￿U￿5 lald i*J¥n In the gerval Dlrectlorts gr¥En awrity Commlssh)n (under secdon 145(5Xb) of the Charltles Art, aThJ examlnatkx) was carrW in accc#thKe with Dir*tkJns glven by the Charlty Commiss￿. An examlTh4tK)n a re4iY4 of the accounting re£ords kept by tr* thurch nd a comparlson of accounts wlth those It aLw O￿lUdeS consk1eratlon of any unusual kn or dIs(k￿reS In tr* xrounts, aThJ seektry explanatbns from the t￿$t￿ con(Ernln9 any ￿ mattets. The ￿c￿lureS undertaken (k) nct provth all the evmkn that vw)uld t* requlr&l In an audlt, a￿1 conseq• Th) oplnh)n ts glven as to whether the aCc￿nts Fxesent a aNI falrf vlthy and ts reFX)rt Is Ilmthl to those matte set out Sn the stat￿rt bekrrt. glves me cause to belkve that in, any materlal respect: tountlThJ reoxds wwe rnt kept In acCxXthn￿ with sectkn 130 of the Qorttles Act or the accounts do rh)t compty with the applkabk ￿UIremertS concernlng the fomi and content of accounts set (Mjt in Charities (Accounts a￿1 Rep)rts) Regulatlons 2008 other than any wuirernent that the acawnts give a knje aTrJ falr vkw whlch ts not a matter c(￿Idered a5 P3rt of an indeperthit examination. Z have ccrfne actDSS no other matters In conneLtth wlth the eX￿1r￿t￿￿ to which attention should be dra￿￿ in to enable a prw UfKkntsThJlThJ of the artounts to be ￿he￿. Signed lry CK ￿ lthlf of the Eyamlner e 3 (*f4£