2023-12-31-accounts - The Michael Church Of The General Church Of The New Jerusalem

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THE MICHAEL CHURCH OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM Registered Charity Number: 1198712

Trustees’ Annual Report for the financial year end: 31[st] December 2023

Annual Report – Page 2 of 5

THE MICHAEL CHURCH OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

ADDRESS: 131 Burton Road, Stockwell, London, SW9 6TG

Objectives and Activities

The Michael Church of the General Church of the New Jerusalem (the ‘Society’) is committed to the advancement of the Christian religion of the New Jerusalem according to the acknowledged Word of the Lord and according to The Order and Organization of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. It aims to advance education in accordance to its religious principles.

The Society has regard to the Commission’s guidance on public benefit. It strives to connect God and spiritual life to people’s daily life and decisions by teaching the acknowledged threefold Word of the Lord (the Old and New Testaments and the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg) and supporting individual spiritual growth by connecting people with others on their spiritual journeys. This is achieved through worship, learning about the three-fold Word, provision of pastoral care and outreach work.

To facilitate these uses, the Society aims to maintain and develop the fabric of the Michael Church building on Burton Road in London.

Achievements and Performance

The Society revised its Constitution and adopted it at its Annual General Meeting held on 30[th] March 2022. This enabled the Society to be registered as a Charity in April 2022.

We hold weekly in-person worship services at Michael Church and live-stream these services of worship for the wider community and those who are unable to attend church in person. Some audio-visual equipment to improve this service was purchased and installed during the year and it is hoped to make further improvements to this important facility in the year ahead. As ever, the contribution of the musicians to these worship services is vital and deeply appreciated.

The Feast and Friendship worship services, which take place once a month, are proving successful. The Pastor and his wife provide some food and encourage participants to bring their own so as to eat a meal together after worship and serve the local community.

The Pastor holds classes for reading groups regularly and is able to reach people otherwise isolated by holding these via Zoom. They are small groups but have been a great avenue to bring a sense of community and to share the sphere of the Word and church.

The Board has met regularly and, as part of its business, is working on a renovation project for the kitchen and toilet facilities of the church building.

Annual Report – Page 3 of 5

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the General Church Council is a member of the Society and liaises with ‘31:8’ (a reference to a verse in Proverbs), an organisation which specifically serves churches. She continues to process DBS checks to support our education functions and our work with young people. She and her deputy have updated their training and organised and monitored the training of our educators across the UK. She emphasises at all times that it is up to all of us, each member, to keep in mind the safeguarding of the young people and vulnerable adults at our church and reminds us to bring her or her deputy any concerns we may have.

The Young People’s Weekends, All Age Weekends and the annual British Academy Summer School continue to serve young people and adults across the world, educating them in the three-fold Word and encouraging them in their individual spiritual journeys.

We added a new category of Online friends 21 and over this year. It has been discussed at previous meetings and seeks to clarify attendance at church activities. The membership and friends of the Society are recorded as follows:

Membership Roll Friends/Young People 21 and over Online Friends 21 and over Young people 15-20 Children Total	2023 24 46 14 4 7 75	2022 2021
		24 22 39 39 4 7 8 10
		75 78

Financial Review

The Charity is in a good financial position at the end of 2023, including a surplus of £11,651 due to reduced maintenance expenses, reducing electricity costs, and increased donations. Michael Church has assets of £900,263 including cash reserves of £122,625.

Reserves are held in order to balance variations in operating expenses, particularly related to occasional building renovations. The current level of reserves is further inflated due to a soonto-be initiated major building refurbishment program estimated to cost £50,000.

Michael Church has only two funds, a General fund with £94,531 cash reserves and the Pastor's Discretionary Fund (a restricted fund for social/evangelisation purposes) with £28,094 which are both in credit.

There are no financial reasons why the Charity cannot maintain its uses and purposes for many years to come.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Michael Church of the General Church of the New Jerusalem (the ‘Society’) has as its governing document, its Constitution.

Annual Report – Page 4 of 5

Society Membership:

There is a Roll of Members maintained by the Secretary.

a) Any Member of the General Church of the New Jerusalem may become a member of the Society by applying to the Pastor, and on acceptance, signing the Roll of Members.
b) Membership is for life unless a person:
resigns from the Society,
is removed from the Roll of the Society by special resolution at a General Meeting of the Society, or,
resigns or is removed from Membership in the General Church of the New Jerusalem

Composition of the Finance Board:

a) The Finance Board shall consist of the Pastor, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and six other members of the Society nominated from the floor and elected at the Annual General Meeting. b) The Finance Board shall have power to co-opt not more than two (2) Members to serve on the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting.

c) No person shall be entitled to act as a trustee of the Finance Board whether on a first or any subsequent entry into office until after signing a declaration of acceptance and of a willingness to act in the interests of the Society.

D. The proceedings of the Finance Board shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among their number or by any failure to appoint or any defect in the appointment or qualification of a trustee.

Determination of membership of Finance Board:

A trustee of the Finance Board shall cease to hold office if he or she:

is disqualified from acting as a trustee of the Finance Board by virtue of section 72 of the Charities Act 1993 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that provision);
becomes incapable by reason of mental disorder, illness or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs;
is absent without good reason from all their meetings held within a period of six months and the Finance Board resolve that his or her office be vacated; or
notifies in writing to the Pastor, or in his absence, to the Society Secretary, a wish to resign (but only if at least a quorum will remain in office when the Notice of Resignation is to take effect).

Annual Report – Page 5 of 5

Reference and Administrative details

THE MICHAEL CHURCH OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM Registered Charity Number: 1198712

131 Burton Road, Stockwell, London, SW9 6TG

The Board of the Society meets at least three times per year. The Pastor of the Society is an ex officio member of the Board and presides at all meetings of the Board or appoints a member of the board as chair.

The membership of the Board is as follows:

The membership of the Board is	as follows:
Name	Role	Date of appointment
Rev Grant Odhner	Ex Officio, Chair	30 June 2021
Oula Williams	Trustee	20 April 2023
Nancy Warwick	Trustee	15 March 2016
Gweirydd Williams	Trustee	15 March 2015
Rev Fred Elphick	Trustee	12 March 2015
Andrew Bruell	Trustee, Treasurer	22 March 2002
Stephen Elphick	Trustee, Secretary	14 March 1999
Greg Warwick	Trustee, Maintenance	12 March 1996
	Inspector

LJROSE A C C O U N T l N G T.. 01206 231 647 E. infDnoljro5e.cuk www.ljros¢•c¢4)Uttting.¢o.uk THE MICHAEL CHURCH SOCIETY OF THEGENERAL CHURCH OFTHE NEWJERUSALEM INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORTTOTHETRUSTEES Please find below the report by L J Rose Accounting on the account of the society for the year ended 31" December 2023. RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRTUSTEES AND EXAMINER The Ch3rities tru5tee5 are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charities trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under settion 431211 of the Charities Att 1993 and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. Examine the accounts (under sertion 4313llall of the 1993 Act to follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the charities commissioners (under settion 4317llbll of the 1993 Act to state whether any matters have come to my attention. BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT L J Rose Accounting's examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the charities cofflmissioner5. The examination included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented within the records. This included consideration of any usual items of disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from trustees concerning these potential matter5. These procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that it would require an audit. Consequently, we do not expre55 an audit opinion on the accounts. INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS STATEMENT In connection with the examination of accounts undertaken no matter5 have come to our attention. This gives us reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements.. To keep accounting records in accordance with settion 41 of the 1993 Act and- To prepare accounts which are in line with and comply with the accounting records and.. To cornply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Att have 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. Lisa Rose LJ Rose Accounting Ltd 9 Park Lane Buslness Centre. Park Lane, Langham. Essex C04 5WR

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