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2024-12-31-accounts

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 2024

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 was 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. A new camera to improve this service was purchased and installed during the year and the audiovisual team are always looking for ways to improve live-streaming services. As ever, the contribution of the musicians to these worship services is vital and deeply appreciated.

This year we hosted two weddings, two child baptisms, two adult baptisms and one memorial service. The Feast and Friendship worship services, which take place once a month, continue to prove 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 provide a sense of community and share the sphere of the Word and church.

The Board meets regularly and, as part of its business, has been focusing on strategic planning. The Pastor in Colchester will be leaving in the next year or two which will leave the Pastor at

Annual Report – Page 3 of 5

Michael Church as the sole Pastor in the UK. We are planning to help our Pastor balance his commitment to the Michael Church Society alongside his role in supporting the wider church community across the UK.

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 processed two new DBS checks this year to support our education functions and our work with young people. She and her deputy have also updated risk assessments to support our activities and use overseas checks for guest teachers at BASS. 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 (BASS) 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.

Having added a new category of Online friends 21 and over last year, a thorough review of our lists of people connected to Michael Church was undertaken and refreshed to reflect recent attendance at church and contact with the Pastor. 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		 2024

24
27
16
2
8
77		 2023 2022
24
24
46
39
14
4
4
7
8
95
75

Financial Review

The Charity is in a good financial position at the end of 2024, despite a small deficit £485.97 related to maintenance expenses which will be recovered from our parent body in 2025. Michael Church has assets of £899,777 including cash reserves of £122,140.

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 £90,975 cash reserves and the Pastor's Discretionary Fund (a restricted fund for social/evangelisation purposes) with £31,164 which are both in credit.

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

Annual Report – Page 4 of 5

Structure, Governance and Management

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

Society Membership:

There is a Roll of Members maintained by the Secretary.

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:

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: The membership of the Board is as follows: 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
Inspector
12 March 1996
Mark Wiltshire
Trustee
13 March 2024

LJROSE A C C O U N T l N G T: 01206 231647 E'.Etsf￿oljIrtht.¢￿llk Www.ljrvE¢ctsiintin&¢￿uk THE MICHAELCHURCH SOCIEIY OF THE GENERALCHURCH OFTHE NEWJERUSALEM INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES Please find below the report by L J Rose Accountingon the account of the society for the year ended 31" December 2024. RESPEcnvE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TrTU5TEE5 AND EXAMINER The Charitles trustees are responslble for the preparation of rhe accounts. Thp charities trustees consider Ihar an audit Is not iequiTed for th￿ yeailunder seCr￿n 431211 of the Charities Act 1993 and that an independeni examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. Examino the accounts lunder5ection 431311al l of the 1993 Ad to follow the procedures laid down in the general dirertions given by the charities commissioners lunder section 4317llbl l of the 1993 Act to state whether any matter5 have come to rnv 3ttentK>n. BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT L J Rose Accounting'5 examination was carried out in accordance with the8eneraldirections gwen by the charities commissioners. The examination included a review of the accounting records kept bv the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented within the records. This included consideration ol any usual items of discbsures in the accounts and seeking explanations from trustees concerning these potÈntlal matters. These procedurès undertakèn do not provkle all the evidence that it would ￿qUIre an audit. Consequently. we do not expres5 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 U5 reasonab￿ tause to believe that in any malerial ￿$pert the requirements.. To keep accounting ￿CordS in accordance wrth section 41 of rhe 1993 Acr and.. To prepare account5 which are bn line with and comply with the accounting records and.. To comply with the accounting reqU1￿MentS of the 1993Act have been met or= To which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in orderto enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Lisa Rose L J Rose Accounting Ltd 9 Park Lane Busine55 Centre. pa￿ Lane, Langharn, Essex C045WR