## **ST. IGNATIUS ELIAS JACOBITE SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE**
(Under the Holy Apostolic See of Antioch & All the East)
## **Worship at Christ the Redeemer Church, Newmarket Road, Cambridge,**
**CB5 8RS**
## **Trustees Report and Accounts for the year 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025**
## **St. Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambridge** .
**(Under the Holy Apostolic See of Antioch & All the East)**
## **Administrative Information**
## **BOARD OF TRUSTEES**
Rev. Fr. Jebin Ipe
Mr. Biju Baby
Mr. Benny Simon
Mr. Dipu Varghese
Mr. Sabu Paulose
Mr. Shebu V Kuriakose
Mr. Varghese George
Mr. Wilson Mathai
Mrs. Aby Rajeev
Mrs. Nisha Varghese
Mrs. Teena Alex
## **VICAR & PRESIDENT**
Rev. Fr. Jebin Ipe
## **SECRETARY**
Mr. Sabu Paulose
## **TREASURER**
## Mr. Wilson Mathai
## **AUDITOR**
Mr. Jacob Eapen
## **COMMUNICATION ADDRESS**
St Ignatius EJ Syrian Orthodox Church Cambridge
5 Parr Close
North Stowe
Cambridge
CB24 1DB
## **EMAIL**
## jsoccambridge10@gmail.com
## **WEBSITE**
www.jsoccambridge.com
## **CHARITY NUMBER**
## **1202872**
## **OUR BANK**
HSBC BANK
63-64 St Andrew’s Street
Cambridge
CB2 3BZ
## **WORSHIP PLACE**
Christ The Redeemer Church
New Market Road
Cambridge
CB5 8RS
The Trustees present their report and accounts for the period of 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025.
Let us thank God Almighty for guiding us through the last year and glorify his name. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I, the Secretary, present the Annual Report of our parish for the year 2024 -25.
## **Introduction**
## **Structure, objectives**
This Church is a part of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church and a Diaspora community of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, India. The supreme head of this Church is His Holiness Moran Mar Ignatius Ephrem II, The Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and his Successors. His Beatitude Abon Mor Baselios, Catholicos of the East is the second highest hierarchical position of the Church. He is the Head of the Church in India. The Patriarch
appointed a Metropolitan (called Patriarchal Vicar) from Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, His Grace Dr. Issac Mor Osthatheos who is the bishop in charge of the Parish.
Church’s aim is to keep the faith, traditions, and doctrines of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church and to perform all the religious rites and sacraments to all its members by the ancient Syriac Orthodox traditions and to help the poor and the needy.
## **Governance and Management**
This Church is a registered charity and therefore governed as per its governing laws. The Charity run by the Board of Trustees elected by the Church General Meeting. The Trustees manage the administrative as well as the financial affairs of the Church. The Trustees meet regularly to take decisions and check the activities.
## **The Parish and membership**
During the report year, with the help of members, the Board of Trustees and the Vicar are to keep our Parish register up to date. As per the current parish register, our total membership is 52 families.
## **The Vicar**
Rev Fr. Jebin Ipe is our Vicar. The Vicar’s spiritual leadership has had profound influence on our families. The vicar’s capable leadership has helped tremendously in the running of spiritual organizations like Sunday school, women's association, and student’s movement in the Church.
## **General Body Meetings**
The annual general body meeting (AGM) held on 3[rd] May 2025 to present and approve the annual report and accounts for the year 2024 - 2025. The general body approved the accounts with the audit report.
## **Report year Board of Trustees (Managing Committee)**
1. Rev. Fr. Jebin Ipe Vicar & President Appointed 2. Mr. Sabu Paulose Secretary Chosen 3. Mr. Wilson Mathai Treasurer Chosen 4. Mr. Biju Baby Committee member Chosen 5. Mr. Benny Simon Committee member Chosen 6. Mr. Dipu Varghese Committee member Chosen 7. Mr. Shebu V Kuriakose Committee member Chosen 8. Mr. Varghese George Committee member Chosen 9. Mrs. Aby Rajeev Committee member Chosen 10. Mrs. Nisha Varghese Committee member Chosen
Committee member
11. Mrs. Teena Alex
Chosen
Mr. Jacob Eapen is the auditor for the report year.
## **Activities**
Our Holy Services are on the First and Third Saturday morning of every month. We would like to thank our vicar and all the other Priests who have presided over these services along with all the acolytes who have served in the sanctuary during these services. We also like to appreciate the great service from our choir team who play a vital role in making our services melodious.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the trustees of Christ the Redeemer Church who have been providing their church, its premises, and other facilities to conduct our services.
## **Parish Day & Annual Feast (St. Ignatius Day)**
The feast day of our patron saint, Mor Ignatius Elias the 119[th] patriarch of Antioch and all the east celebrated as the parish day of our congregation on 14[th] and 15[th] of February 2025.
The vespers service held on 14[th] led by Rev. Fr. Philip Thomas and Fr. Jebin Ipe. After which Fr. Philip blessed us with a touching sermon. The service followed by cultural programs organized by various spiritual organizations of our church.
On Saturday 15[th] Feb 2025, on the main feast day, proceedings started with morning prayer followed by special Holy Mass. The Chief celebrants were Rev Fr Abin Markose, and co-celebrants were Vicar Rev. Fr. Jebin Ipe and Fr. Alex Paul. Holy Mass followed by a sermon by the Vicar which was a blessing to everyone who attended. There was Procession afterwards in the traditional way and cultural activities followed. Prizes distributed for Sunday school children who won in the cultural competition which held in the summer. Nercha (Ritual Food) and a traditional Kerala meal given to all who attended the feast.
## **Great Lent and Passion Week**
Our parish conducted Great Lent held face to face from 12[th ] April till 19[th] April 2025.
The Services led by our vicar Rev. Fr. Jebin Ipe.
Arrangements made to organize 7 Lent time prayer meetings at the home of volunteering members during the lent and the arrangements for Holy Week services for the year completed during the report period. And the first prayer held on 14/03/25 and graciously hosted by Mr. Shebu V Kuriakose at his home.
## **Church Kalolsavam (Art Festival)**
We conducted our church Kalolsavam on Saturday 1[st] Feb 2025. The event included various competitions for children which eagerly taken part in by our Sunday school students. We would like to thank Sunday school teachers and parents for preparing kids for the event. First and second prize winners got qualified to be our Church in the Central Zone Kalolsavam.
## **Harvest and Food Festival**
Harvest and food festival celebrated in our parish on Saturday, 16[th] Nov 2024 at Christ the Redeemer Church. The day started with morning prayer followed by Holy Mass and then we auctioned the products brought by our church members and then everyone had the opportunity to taste the home delicacies cooked by Women’s association members which was the main highlight of the event. Thanks to our women’s association members for yet another successful celebration of harvest festival.
## **BBQ & Culture Programs**
The church conducted a BBQ on 15/06/2024 Saturday after the divine liturgy, there was wholehearted participation from all our members and the event concluded with various games and cultural programs which made the day a memorable one. We express our sincere gratitude to all trustees and members who worked behind the event and all those who made it an enormous success with their participation.
## **Pilgrimage**
The Church organized a one-day pilgrimage to the Anglican shrine Our Lady in Walsingham on 30/06/24 Sunday. We all had a very blessed and enjoyable day by the prayers of holy virgin Mary the mother of God. We blessed to conduct an intercessory prayer at the shrine followed by a delicious lunch; the day ended with a lovely afternoon at Hunstanton beach.
## **Home Visits**
During this period, we were able to continue the home visits under the leadership of our vicar and the support of our parishioners. We would also like to use this opportunity to remember the members whose parents who have fallen asleep in the lord, may lord console them and repose the departed souls in the blossom of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. We were able to join the family in a time of need, and we thank everyone who extended their support during this challenging time.
## **Onam Celebration (Traditional Kerala festival)**
“Onam” the harvest festival of our homeland Kerala celebrated in our church on 07/09/24, Saturday after the Holy Mass. We saw the participation of around 125 attendees for this event making it a day to remember. The event inaugurated by the vicar Rev.Fr. Jebin Ipe and followed by many games and cultural activities including the traditional tug of war and musical chair which saw great participation. We also served delicious traditional food. The event concluded at around 5pm. We thank everyone who worked behind the event for its success and all those who took part in the event and made it memorable.
## **Family Conference**
Five families from our church attended the family conference organized by our diocese on 28[th] and 29[th] september2024.
## **Carol Competition**
Our church choir team took part in the Carol songs competition conducted by MSOC in December 2024.
## **Christmas Carol & Special service**
We organized a carol service visiting the homes of our members announcing the good news of the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. The event conducted on 07/12/24 and 21/12/24 afternoons. The Event saw great participation both during the caroling and for practice sessions held in the weeks leading up to the event. We also gifted the families with whom we visited a Christmas cake and calendar for the year 2025 to spread the joy of Christmas. We thank Everyone who took part in the caroling service.
## Spiritual organizatons
## Sunday School
“ _Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”_ - Matthew 7:24. Our Sunday school classes conducted online. To educate our children spiritually and morally, by the teachings of Jesus Christ and the faith and traditions of the Syrian Orthodox Church and to develop our children the habit of attending church regularly, studying the Scriptures, and taking part conscientiously in the worship and sacramental life of our Church.
Sunday school annual exam held face to face, which helped children to highlight the knowledge gained over the year. Our children are incredibly talented, in addition to the Bible studies
We gave importance to teaching extracurricular activities for youth development. The challenging work of the head teacher and all other teachers appreciated.
## Women’s Association (Marth Mariam Vanitha Samajam):
With the Motto of “Pray, Act and Illuminate,” the Women’s prayer group of the Church meets once a month online. Their activities are prayer, singing devotional songs, Bible reading, conducting bible quiz, Chain prayer, Bible classes, and presentation etc. Parish members often send prayer requests to women’s association.
The Women’s association is functioning under the able leadership of Rev Vicar and the secretary.
## **Vacation Bible School**
The Sunday school organized vacation bible school 2024 on 1[st] and 2[nd] November 2024 at whittle ford memorial hall and Christ the redeemer church, Cambridge. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to come closer to God and to learn more about our faith.
## **Other actvites**
## **Charity**
We donated £500.00 to a lady needs urgent surgery in Kerala, India in 2024 and £700.00 for medical emergencies to a family in Kerala, India in March 2025.
## **Website**
The Parish web address is jsoccambridge.com and Facebook account which regularly updated with useful information for our church members.
## **Financial activities**
This year ( 0 1 / 0 4 / 2 0 2 4 t o 3 1 / 0 3 / 2 0 2 5 ) , total income from various incoming resources was £38546.72 and total expenses were £27969.33
By adding up the retained surpluses from the previous years of
£18274.24, the current total kept surplus for the period is £28851.67
Future Developments
With the enormous support from our members, we would like to extend our activities which include that to find a permanent place for Worship.
## Conclusion
By the grace of our heavenly Holy Father, our savior Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we have enlightening guidance for our parish. Let us continue the communion with them. May our Lord lead us in light to carry out the best for the Church in the days to come. May the Lord Almighty bless our Parish to make all our efforts for the Glory of His Kingdom.
## Thank you
On behalf of the Board of Trustees,
## **Sabu Paulose**
## **(Secretary)**
## **Cambridge**
## Approval
This report approved by the Annual General Meeting on 03/05/2025. This is a true copy of St. Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambridge Annual Report.
||**St Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambri**|**St Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambri**|**St Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambri**|**St Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambri**|**CC16a**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**For the period**
**from**|01/04/2024|**To**|||
|||||||
|**Section A Receipts and payments**||||||
|**A1 Receipts**|**to the nearest £**
**9,884**
**6,253**
**8,370**
**1,408**
**1,497**
**335**
**1,800**
**310**
**1,732**
**6,957**
**38,547**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**38,547**
**2,953**
**1,576**
**6,201**
**1,693**
**1,677**
**1,200**
**1,510**
**46**
**10,484**
**629**
**27,969**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**27,969**
**10,578**
**-**
**18,274**
**28,852**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
|**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**9,884**
**6,253**
**8,370**
**1,408**
**1,497**
**335**
**1,800**
**310**
**1,732**
**6,957**
**38,547**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**38,547**
**2,953**
**1,576**
**6,201**
**1,693**
**1,677**
**1,200**
**1,510**
**46**
**10,484**
**629**
**27,969**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**27,969**
**10,578**
**-**
**18,274**
**28,852**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|Donations|**9,884**||**-**|||
|Offertory|**6,253**||**-**|||
|MonthlySubscription|**8,370**||**-**|||
|Christmas Carol receipts|**1,408**||**-**|||
|Food Festival Collection|**1,497**||**-**|||
|FamilyConference Registration|**335**||**-**|||
|Annual Feast day|**1,800**|||||
|Recipts from SundaySchool|**310**||**-**|||
|Pilgrimage|**1,732**||**-**|||
|Gift Aid last year
**_Sub total_**(Gross income for AR)||||||
||||**-**||**-**|
|||||||
|**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**||||||
||**-**||**-**||**-**
**-**|
||**-**||**-**|||
|**_Sub total_**|**-**||**-**|||
|**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**||||||
||||**-**||**-**|
|||||||
|Church Rent|**2,953**||**-**||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|Altar items(sound systems)|**1,576**|||||
|Vicar/Priest Allowance|**6,201**||**-**|||
|Pilgrimage|**1,693**||**-**|||
|Expense Incurred by church organisations|**1,677**||**-**|||
|CharityDonations|**1,200**||**-**|||
|Church Council Payments|**1,510**||**-**|||
|HSBC Bank Charges|**46**||**-**|||
|Refreshment Income|**10,484**||**-**|||
|Miscallaneous Expenses|**629**||**-**|||
|**_Sub total_**|**27,969**||**-**|||
|||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**||||||
||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**|||
|**_Sub total_**|**-**||**-**|||
|**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**||||||
||||**-**|||
|||||||
||**10,578**||**-**||**-**
**-**
**-**|
||**-**||**-**|||
||**18,274**||**-**|||
||**28,852**||**-**|||
CCXX R accounts (SS)
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**|**Details**
Cash in hand
Cash at Bank
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**346**
**28,506**
**-**
**28,852**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
OK
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||OK
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which asset**
**belongs**
**Fund to which asset**
**belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**||OK|
|||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
CCXX R accounts (SS)
|||||**-**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|Signature||Print Name|||Date of
approval|
||||Wilson|Mathai||25/10/25|
||||Sabu Paulose|||25/10/25|
CCXX R accounts (SS)
## **St Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambridge Independent Examiners Report on the Accounts**
**Report to the Trustees/members of St. Ignatius Elias Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Cambridge (Charity No: 1202872) on the accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2025.**
## **Respectve responsibilites of trustees and examiners**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144 of the Act and an independent examination is needed.
## **It is our responsibility to:**
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
- to follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act, and
-
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner's statement**
Our examination was carried out in accordance with the general direction given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the present a true and fair view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In connection with our examination, no material matters have come to our attention which gives us cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
We have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Mr. Jacob Eapen (Hon. Independent Examiner)
Dated: 0810912025