## MELKSHAM BAPTIST CHURCH 

## TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 

## for 

## YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2026 



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|Contents|Page|
|Legal & Administrative Information ........................................................................................................ 3|
|The Church .................................................................................................................................................. 5|
|Objectives|................................................................................................................................................. 5|
|Principal Aims|......................................................................................................................................... 5|
|Structure, Governance and Management|............................................................................................. 6|
|Policy Statements ........................................................................................................................................ 7|
|Reserves|.................................................................................................................................................... 7|
|Investment|................................................................................................................................................ 7|
|Risk Management|................................................................................................................................... 7|
|Internal Financial Controls|.................................................................................................................... 8|
|Conflict of Interest|.................................................................................................................................. 8|
|Complaint Handling|............................................................................................................................... 8|
|Safeguarding|............................................................................................................................................ 8|
|Data Protection|........................................................................................................................................ 8|
|Brief Review of Church Life in the Year to March 2026|............................................................................. 9|
|Summary|.................................................................................................................................................. 9|
|Members & Friends|................................................................................................................................ 9|
|Achievements and Performance|............................................................................................................ 9|
|Outreach|................................................................................................................................................. 10|
|Church Growth — Development of Faith|........................................................................................... 11|
|Other Witnessing|................................................................................................................................... 11|
|Management of Premises|...................................................................................................................... 11|
|Room Hire|.............................................................................................................................................. 12|
|Public benefit|......................................................................................................................................... 12|
|Overseas Mission|................................................................................................................................... 12|
|Financial Review|................................................................................................................................... 13|
|Future Plans|........................................................................................................................................... 15|
|Mission Statement:|“Where faith and life meet.” .............................................................................. 17|
|ANNUAL ACCOUNTS ............................................................................................................................. 19|
|Group Reports ........................................................................................................................................... 26|

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## **Legal & Administrative Information** 

Name of Church: Melksham Baptist Church Registered "Manse for the Minister of Melksham Baptist Chapel" Address of Church: Old Broughton Road Melksham Wiltshire SN12 8BX Email:       baptist2015@hotmail.com Website:    www.melkshambaptistchurch.org.uk Facebook  www.facebook.com/MelkshamBaptist Charitable Status: Registered with the Charity Commission of England & Wales Registration Number: 261709 Bankers: Natwest plc. Administration: The Church was founded under Trust Deed, originating in 1669. Day to day administration and leadership are the responsibility of deacons (managing trustees). Of the deacons, the church secretary and church treasurer constitute the officers of the church. Decision-making is the collective responsibility of the church members through the Church Meeting; a quorum being represented by 30% of the church membership. Pastors: Ian Wakeham Mary Wakeham Trustees: Mr Jim Morris Safeguarding & Data Protection Officer Mr Maurice Perry Property 6 Officers Mr Ian Wakeham Treasurer Mrs Mary Wakeham       Secretary 

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## **Legal & Administrative Information (continued)** 

## Custodian Trustees: 

The West of England Baptist Trust Company Limited (WEBTC) are Custodian Trustees, holding in trust the title deeds of the property at Old Broughton Road, known as Minister for the Manse of Melksham Baptist Church; and the property at Western Way known as The Old Baptist Burial Ground. 

Since April 2019 the church owns, in conjunction with WEBTC, a property in Linnet Lane, Melksham which serves as the church manse. Following the conclusion of the Pastor's appointment on 31[st ] March 2023, the manse property was successfully rented out from 1[st] June 2023 and continues to be subject to a managed letting agreement on our behalf. 

Affiliations The Church is affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain (Registration number 1181392) and its regional body, the West of England Baptist Association (Registration number 1092443) 

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## **The Church** 

Melksham Baptist Church is affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and to the West of England Baptist Association (also known as "Webnet"). 

Membership of the Church is open to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and whose lives bear evidence of that fact. The usual means by which people become members is through Believers' Baptism. 

Those desiring to become members are asked to consider the New Testament teaching on believer’s baptism, but the Church shall welcome into membership all those who love and follow Christ or who come from other Christian traditions. 

The fellowship was formed in 1669 and the building in which we worship today is Grade Il listed, having been built around 1776. 

## **Objectives** 

The principal purpose of the Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. In fulfilling this objective, the Church engages in a range of activities, either on its own or in partnership with others. 

The main activities comprise worship services, prayer, bible study and discipleship groups and supporting the local community. The church’s mission statement “Where faith and life meet” is an ethos the church tries to live by and reflect onto the wider community of Melksham. This mission statement is developed and can be found on page 17. 

In planning our activities, the trustees consider the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and ensure they fall within this guidance. 

We support the wider work of the Baptist denomination through our membership of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Webnet and through our financial contribution to Partnership In Mission Scheme. We also support BMS World Mission financially and through prayer support for our link missionaries. We collaborate with other churches throughout Melksham (previously through Melksham Family of Churches) and support other local, national and international organisations through grants and prayer support where that support will further our charitable objectives. 

## **Principal Aims** 

The principle activities of the church include being a worshipping community, witnessing community of Christians; ministering to the members, wider congregation and local community including through links with other Christian Churches, Care Homes, and other voluntary organisations as appropriate from time to time.  We do this through: 

- Regular public worship, prayer, Bible study, preaching and teaching; 

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- Baptism, as defined in the Baptist Union's Declaration of Principle; 

- The communion of the Lord's Supper, which is normally observed at least once a month; 

- Evangelism and mission, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally; 

- The teaching, encouragement, welcome and inclusion of all; 

- Nurture and growth of Christian disciples; 

- Education and training for Christian and community service; 

- Giving and encouraging pastoral care; 

- Supporting and encouraging charitable social action in the United Kingdom and abroad; 

- Encouraging relationships with and supporting Baptist and other Christian communities. 

We also aim to maintain the church premises as a safe and sound environment in which we, and other groups to whom we give access, may function; doing so in a manner that preserves the listed building status, as far as possible, in its original form. 

## **Structure, Governance and Management** 

The Church is a governed by a constitution, in the form of the Approved Governing Document for Baptist Churches registered with the Charity Commission on 17[th] November 1904, as amended by scheme sealed on 25[th] July 1997. 

In line with its constitution, the Church operates under the authority of the Church Members’ Meeting, which is open to all Church members and regular attendees, and operates with a quorum of 30% of Church members. While all are able and encouraged to voice and share their views, only members of the Church are eligible to vote. 

The Church Members’ Meeting appoints trustees to oversee the running of the Church. The trustees are: 

- The Minister as appointed from time to time from the list of Accredited Ministers of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. 

- The Lay Pastor(s) as appointed from time to time by a Special Church Meeting obtaining at least 2/3[rds] voting majority. 

- The Church deacons who are appointed for a three–year term by the Church Members’ Meeting. Deacons may only serve two consecutive terms after which they must stand down for at least one year. 

Except for the Minister or Lay Pastor(s), or in any exceptional circumstances as approved by the Church Members’ Meeting, any individual must have ideally been a member of the Church for a year prior to being eligible for appointment as a trustee. The trustees received no payment for their work as trustees, with the exception of the Minister or Lay Pastor(s) as authorised within the church constitution. 

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## **Policy Statements** 

## **Reserves** 

The policy of the trustees is to retain sufficient reserves to maintain the smooth day to day running of the church. We need to be mindful of the requirement for significant capital expenditure for a Grade II listed building, from time to time, and maintenance of our property portfolio which from 2019 now includes a manse. 

At the year end, the unrestricted reserves held were £7,734, designated reserves were £35,057, and restricted reserves of £2,250. The Trustees do not consider the reserves held are excessive. 

## **Investment** 

Where the trustees have opportunity to exercise influence over investment decisions, they do so on the strength of advice from the Custodian Trustees, seeking to maximise the annual return over a period of at least ten years and through either Government or ethical stocks. 

Short-term surplus funds are held in an interest bearing "deposit account”, managed by the Baptist Union Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. 

## **Risk Management** 

A Health & Safety Review is conducted every two years and reported to the trustees. Portable electrical appliance check (PAT) is conducted annually 

An electrical installation condition report is produced every five years (latest in 2024). 

A quinquennial (5-yearly) inspection of the property is carried out and reported to trustees and custodian trustees. (This was done in 2024). Work is continuing to be undertaken to address issues raised within this report. 

The size and age profile of our members makes outreach a challenge and hold the risk of decreasing membership due to natural causes. 

Our largest identifiable risk relates to the age profile of the members and number of attendees with the average between 70 and 80 years old. Although we have seen a slight growth this year, the number of regular attendees still remains small and is a cause for concern. 

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## **Policy Statements (continued)** 

## **Internal Financial Controls** 

We follow the guidelines contained as promoted by the Baptist Union of Great Britain and in the Association of Church Accountants & Treasurers Handbook as far as is practicable for a congregation of our size. 

In order to maintain appropriate control of expenditure, the Church has adopted a financial authorisations policy whereby all maintenance and repair expenditure or items not generally budgeted for over £500 will be brought to the Church Members’ Meeting for approval. 

## **Conflict of Interest** 

We take care to avoid situations where conflict of interest may arise, whether in letting of contracts (deacons declare/monitor interest) or in making of decisions at church meetings (members absent themselves where necessary). 

## **Complaint Handling** 

The Church Secretary, involving other deacons or specialists as relevant, initially deals with any complaints A record is kept of all correspondence and discussions. Where relevant, we take guidance from the Charity Commission guidelines on Reporting Serious Incidents. 

## **Safeguarding** 

It is policy for the Pastors, deacons and all involved in leading work with children or vulnerable adults to have attended the complete set of Safeguarding Training sessions to level 3 every 2 years, as recommended by the Baptist Union of Great Britain. DBS checks have been completed on all relevant members in the past and are renewed in line with recommendations (currently after 3 years). Policy and associated procedures were reviewed and updated in July 2025 by the incoming diaconate and are reviewed annually. 

## **Data Protection** 

We have a policy and procedures to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (July 2025), and follow updated guidance as issued by the Safeguarding Lead at the Baptist Union of Great Britain. 

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## **Brief Review of Church Life in the Year to March 2026** 

## **Summary** 

Our focus continued to be on our main objective of promoting the Christian faith and way of life, primarily through regular, weekly worship services, to which all are welcome, and which are attended by an average of 25-28 attendees and through fortnightly "house-group" meetings that are attended by usually 12-15 (last year 8-10). These meetings focus more on discussion, fellowship, prayer and Bible Study and seek to guide on positive relationships and Christian living. 

During the year focus has been growing attendance at Sunday worship, enhancing a variety of social activities for fellowship and discussion, and greater engagement with the local community. 

In February 2026, the church called Mary and Ian Wakeham as co-pastors. They were inducted into the church on our church anniversary Sunday in April 2026. They maintain their current positions of Secretary and Treasurer respectively. 

## **Members & Friends** 

At 31[st ] December, church members living locally with whom we are in regular contact number 24 people (last year, 21). Regular attendance at worship has typically been 27 (last year 20). 

As part of our Covenant Service in January 2026, the church welcomed 2 new members, Sue Horton and Margaret Edwards. Both of them continue to be active members of the catering team. 




To continue support and encouragement within the fellowship, in March 2026 we increased our social activities for the church family in addition to our outreach into the town. Our social activities have included sharing fellowship through regular meals either after a service when significant birthday and life events are celebrated, or dining out at local restaurants, and also started up separate ladies group and a mens group where the activities and events can be more tailor-made to meet the aspirations of those groups. 

## **Achievements and Performance** 

The Church does not only measure the success of its programmes in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas like fellowship, support and encouragement. The Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure but believe that 

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2025/26 was a good year in the life of the church, especially in that we were able to impact and make a positive difference to so many people’s lives through our activities in the community. 

At 31[st] December 2025 membership stood at 24 (2024: 21), with regular church attendance rising from 20 (2024) to 27 in 2025. This aspiration is in line with the Deacon’s Away Day goal of 30 attendees for Sunday worship, and we thank everybody who prayed for this increase. 

There has also been a good measure of spiritual formation and growth in discipleship across the Church family, with the Bible Study group also seeing increased numbers attending. 

## **Outreach** 

During Easter week 2025, Mary and Ian Wakeham led the church in our second "Tenebrae" service (Service of Shadows) which included anointing attendees with oil from the Holy Land; this was widely advertised within the town, 






One of our primary contact with "unchurched" members of the local community arises through the Foodbank which operates from our premises and a significant number of the volunteers (and trustees) are regular members of our congregation. 

We also make our premises available to the local Gateway club who met on a weekly basis (who moved to another location suited to their needs in January 2026), and we have been delighted to hold special harvest and Christmas carol services suitable to their understanding. 

In December 2025, we were delighted to team up with Bewleys Funeral Directors in Melksham to hold our first Memorial Carol Service specifically geared for those within the community who had last someone during the past year. This event was primarily attended by the local community where approximately 50 people came to the service. As would be expected, this service was emotionally charged but was exceedingly well received by all who came, asking if we would be producing something similar in following years. 

The Sparklers group who celebrated their 10[th] anniversary this year, have been meeting regularly every week, providing significant mutual support and raising generous donations of £440 though their annual chocolate bingo event for RUH Cancer, in addition to supporting the church financially. 

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We held our second Murder Mystery play night where the local community attended, raising funds for Melksham Foodbank and the church building fund. 

We continued to celebrate Christmas with our annual carols by candlelight service. 





Following an incident on the premises by one of our groups hiring the hall, it was subsequently agreed to install a community defibrillator so that the community might benefit. 

## **Church Growth — Development of Faith** 

In addition to regular teaching during Sunday morning worship, the Bible Study group is attended by more than half of the membership. Our particular attention this year has been on the “I am” sayings of Jesus, and “Unanswered Prayer” which is part of the Prayer Course II series. 

## **Other Witnessing** 

It has again been our privilege to continue our support for Melksham Foodbank which is widely used by the local community. By letting out our premises for this activity, not only are the premises used beyond just Sunday worship and other gatherings but continues to show the community of Melksham of the presence of the church within the town. 

During the year we relaunched our digital/social media presence through Facebook, Instagram and developed a new webpage suited to the changing needs of the church and community. The website is constantly evolving and has recently started posted Sunday Service sermon audio links, reaching on average 158 visits per month. 

When we cross post on our social media to promote events, our reach can exceed 2000 people. 

## **Management of Premises** 

Our aging church and hall premises remains a financial concern in the medium to longterm. Last year we were expecting to have to replace one of the boilers in the next 1824 months; unfortunately, with the boiler failing to meet safety standards this had to be replaced within this financial year. We were also able to afford some other essential maintenance or storm damage works. 

During the coming year we will be replastering and restoring the internal north wall of the church which had been damaged due to water ingress over many years and had been 

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identified by the recent Quinquennial inspection. The main foul drain is also collapsing due to age, and it is expected for this to be addressed this coming year also. 

The Diaconate are progressing towards the introduction of a planned maintenance programme which will start in 2026. 

## **Room Hire** 

We are blessed by the extensive size of our property which encompasses a 

- Sanctuary comfortably sea�ng 100 downstairs with addi�onal balcony 

- sea�ng capacity of 50, it provides an ideal informal mee�ng room 

- Church Room sea�ng capacity of 50, it provides an ideal environment for collabora�on and learning 

- Main hall features a stage and can seat 150 people 

In addition, we have a prayer room and the Minister’s office. 

Details and photos of all our rooms available for hire are on the Church website at _https://www.melkshambaptistchurch.org.uk_ , or to arrange a viewing, please contact our Bookings Manager, Maurice at _mbc.bookings@outlook.com_ 

## **Public benefit** 

We continue to be a Christian, worshiping presence in the town, and are looking at differing ways of community engagement. Our services and activities are now being actively promoted through social media. 

Our most significant contribution to the local community is to host the Melksham Foodbank and Lifeline CIO - providing storage facilities and a twice weekly collection and distribution and support service to those suffering from food poverty or their representatives. 

Other users of our premises on a regular basis are 

- Zumba weekly fitness dance class (ceased Feb 2026) 

- 2x weekly choir practice groups, 

- social club for monthly knitting 

- a weekly Gateway social club for Additional Needs individuals over the age of 18 (ceased Jan 2026) 

- one of the designated surgery locations for our local MP 

- a local authority polling station. 

## **Overseas Mission** 

We are formally partnered, through the BMS World Mission organisation, supporting a mission worker in Peru (now returned to the UK in 2025) and another worker in Uganda (currently on Maternity Leave). 

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We continue to provide storage space to Tools with a Mission (TWAM) and members also supported Christian Aid. During the year we had representatives from Leprosy Mission, TEAR Fund, and Mission Aviation Fellowship to talk to us about their work, to which we made a financial gift. See page 28 for more details. 

## **Financial Review** 

In accordance with the Constitution an annual budget is compiled for both income and expenditure and approved by members. 

The Church raises the bulk of the funds needed for it to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation, together with grants obtained for specific projects or activities from time to time.  Income is also raised from hiring out rooms on our premises (£8,026 in the year (2025: £4,757)). During the year, the average weekly offering was £426, (2025: £465),  With the tax reclaim from HMRC in respect of Gift Aided donations from the previous year, the overall weekly average increases to nearly £541 (2025: £588). The ongoing generosity and sustained financial commitment demonstrated by members and attenders of MBC is extremely heartening and, combined with the fact that offerings are predominantly given either by means of standing order or via the weekly offering envelope scheme, contributes significantly to the Church’s financial stability and resilience. 

In addition, we receive income from hire of premises and share in a long-standing legacy with other local churches. 

The largest single items of capital expenditure in the year was incurred by the installation of a new boiler costing nearly £12,400, with other repairs to premises totalling over £14,700. The cost of these works was almost entirely met from the general reserves and a Listed Places of Worship grant of just over £3,500. 

The Church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of its activities, many of which run with little or no impact on the Church’s expenditure but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of its objectives. There were no significant ‘gifts in kind’, although some members cover minor costs personally. No payments were made to Trustees for goods or services, other than for the reimbursement of expenses properly incurred on behalf of the Church. 

The Church has a Reserves Policy intended to ensure that there are sufficient funds to meet its anticipated general running costs and maintenance/repair of our Listed Grade II building.  At the end of March 2026, £7,734 was held in unrestricted reserves and a further £35,057 held in Designated Reserves which have been set aside for approved building works and potential loss of income/repairs in our rental property – for further details see note 7 on page 24. 

The Church is supported by a steady stream of income from the congregation, much of it by standing order, whilst together with its significant reserves the Church’s financial 

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position is such that the Trustees do not view financial funding in the short-to-medium term as presenting a significant risk. 

The Trustees have noted the year-end Free Reserves (unrestricted plus designated) balance of £42,791 representing a decrease of £4,408 compared with 2024/5. After assessing this against the level of potential commitments for the coming year and beyond, they have concluded this is not excessive. The Trustees have made an assessment of the major risks facing the Church and are satisfied that there are policies and insurance in place to mitigate these risks. These policies include internal financial controls with advance approval thresholds set at Treasurer and Trustee levels; items costing in excess of £500 (other than where already included in the budget) require Members’ approval. 

The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted, are set out in the accompanying Financial Statement.  The church is grateful to Martyn Cook, our Independent Examiner, for generously giving his time and expertise in assisting with the preparation of the annual accounts. 

## Fundraising Standards Information 

- The Church does not employ a professional fundraiser/commercial participator. 

- The Church or any person acting on behalf of the Church was not subject to an undertaking to be bound by any voluntary scheme for regulating fundraising, or voluntary standard for fundraising in respect of activities on behalf of the Church. 

- No complaints were received by the Church or a person acting on its behalf about activities by the Church or by a person on behalf of the Church for the purpose of fundraising. 

- We do not actively fundraise outside of our Church building, although we do from time to time apply for - and have been successful in obtaining - grants to support specific charitable activities undertaken by the Church. 

- It is stressed that offerings at each service are to be on a purely voluntary basis and are primarily directed at members and regular attendees. 

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## **Future Plans** 

We should be able to pursue our mission and vision purposes in 2025 with faith and enthusiasm, in particular: 

- _To invest in life-impacting services of Christian worship._ 


With Mary and Ian Wakeham as our newly appointed pastors preaching twice monthly. Mary and Ian have also been able to implement preaching series endorsed by the church membership with the purpose of seeing the scriptures from a different perspective. This has been spiritually edifying. 

The Diaconate continue to fuse new contemporary songs of worship with traditional hymns, to ensure that a variety of music is provided to meet the tastes for all attending in a meaningful and engaging way. This also enables us to ensure our musician has the option of attending worship without the responsibility of providing musical accompaniment. 

These will be continued into the coming year and beyond. 

We are also grateful to God for the variety and quality of visiting speakers to lead our services. 

- _To continue to develop Christian spirituality, discipleship, friendship, hospitality and care among our Members._ 

Our Small Group sessions having outgrown meeting in a house, now meet in the church. Topics covered are agreed by the group, and who meet bi-weekly. 

The church enjoys regular fellowship lunches and celebrates significant birthdays. We are grateful to our hospitality/catering team for making this possible. See page 27 for further information. 

The pastoral care team continues to see ensure that all whom we are in regular contact with are cared for. These aspects have worked well in the past and will continue in the foreseeable future. 

##  _To con�nue to discern with mind of Christ within the Church_ 

Over this past year, the new Diaconate has listened to the church family and engaged with them to ensure that their voices are heard. This has resulted in a more open and engaging church family with fresh ideas being brought forward. It is envisaged that the positive relationship between the Diaconate and the church family will continue and result in a range of social events being organised as part of the church’s outreach programme. 

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- _To more effectively reach out to our local communities with the good news of Jesus, and consequently welcoming new people into the life of the Church._ 

In December 2025, we held our first Memorial Carol Service in conjunction with DJ Bewley Funeral Directors. It is envisaged that this will become an annual event and that it will provide the community the experience of being welcomed and their grief understood within the church. 

- _To creatively maximize the opportunities of our Church building to welcome and serve the local community in sharing the gospel._ 

In addition to the Foodbank activities operating from our premises, it is envisaged that our community engagement will expand to include Film nights and Games Nights so that our building serves the local community. 

- _To seek opportunities to serve those in need in the local community._ 

We are investigating becoming a Warm Space and an Emergency Hub for Melksham. We also serve the Christian community who are unable to attend church by visiting them at home or in Care Settings. 

- _To strengthen our supportive relationships with other local Churches in the area._ Although the Melksham Family of Churches has disbanded, it is hoped by a number of local churches that supporting each other through ecumenical services will restart. We are excited to see where or how this develops. 

- _To develop a Church’s ministry to children and young people._ 

We have been excited to welcome 2 new families occasionally attending our services, and we pray that this will continue and that we will see children and young people worshiping and engaging with us. 

Approved by Deacons (Managing Trustees) at the Deaconate Meeting on 9[th] June 2026 


Mary Wakeham, Secretary 

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## **Mission Statement: “Where faith and life meet.”** 

_At Melksham Baptist Church we understand the importance of relating our Christian faith with our everyday Frontline lives as an outworking and expression of our faith._ 

_We see and implement this way of life through_ 

- _Everyday faith_ 

- _Small Groups_ 

- _Rhythm of Life_ 

## **"Everyday Faith": We call this Ministry** 

Everyday Faith is about where and how we encounter God in our daily lives. Where is God in our daily lives? How do we find God in the fulness of everyday life? How do we integrate our faith into daily life, for the whole week rather than just on Sundays. It encourages finding God in the ordinary moments of life – work, rest and relationships. It promotes living out our faith in all environments including workplaces and homes. 

Everyday faith is all about whole-life discipleship, and missional living. It’s about helping people recognize God's presence in their daily routines. 

It encourages us to view our work, home life, and leisure through the lens of faith. This is where we take everything we have learnt and put it into practice. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Everyday<br>Faith<br>Small<br>Groups<br>Rhythm<br>of Life<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


Some of this will be in practical terms and may be covered by multiple different spheres. 

Other areas are those of soft evangelism and social gospel opportunities (e.g. ministry to the vulnerable and those in need, through for example the Foodbank.) 

## **Small Group: We call this Fellowship** 

Small groups are typically intimate gatherings who meet regularly for a common purpose. Our small groups meet for Bible Study and fellowship, fostering closer relationships, encouragement and support. 

Our various small groups (House-group, Men’s Group, and Ladies Group) are designed to discuss daily life, share stories of where they have seen God, and encourage one another in Christian growth and understanding, and accountability. 

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The church also runs a friendship group open to the community and operates as a drop-incentre basis for anyone who would like a cup of tea and a chat. 

Hospitality plays a key role in our faith journey, so our small groups offer a social element, and a time of fellowship follows each act of worship. 

## **Rhythm of Life: We call this worship.** 

A rhythm of life, also known sometimes as a rule of life, is a set of rhythms that prioritize the way of life of Jesus. This concept is taken from a Latin word meaning “trellis”, (John 15:1-17) and is a way to align and form our daily life around Jesus. 

Living as Easter People in the Kingdom of God, the rhythms give life a balance, a purpose, and gives us a vision. A life where we strive each day to do our best. Living a life with rhythm means living authentically, true to ourselves and the Gospel. It's about embracing our unique Christian story and not necessarily conforming to cultural values and ' expectations. 

For us at Melksham Baptist Church, our rule of life incorporates Sunday worship, individual prayer and devotions and Bible Study. This helps us as individuals grow in the daily lives and become more Christ-like. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
L<br>F A I T H<br>F<br>E<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


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ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 

and 

## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT 

Note: Accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis 

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Independent Examiners Report & Financial Statements 



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## **Receipts and Payments Account** 

|**Receipts and Payments Account**||
|---|---|
|U<br>R<br>D<br>**2026**<br>**Notes  Unrestricted  Designated**<br>**Restricted**<br>**TOTAL**<br>Donations and legacies<br>2<br>35,963<br>171<br>4,814<br>40,948<br>Income from charitable activities<br>3<br>24,505<br>-<br>-<br>24,505<br>Investment income<br>4<br>396<br>-<br>-<br>396<br>**Total Receipts**<br>**60,864                171             4,814               65,849**<br>Charitable Activities<br>5<br>64,640<br>171<br>3,130<br>67,942<br>Governance<br>**Total Payments**<br>**64,640                171             3,130               67,942**<br>**( 3,776)                   -**<br>**1,683**<br>**( 2,093)**<br>Transfers (to) / from funds<br>( 26,786)<br>26,786<br>-<br>-<br>Cash balance at 1 April 2025<br>38,296<br>8,271<br>567<br>47,134<br>**7,734           35,057             2,250               45,041**<br>**Net receipts/(payments)**<br>**Receipts**<br>**Payments**<br>**Cash balance at 31 March 2026**|**2025**<br>**TOTAL**<br>40,917<br>23,322<br>322<br>**64,561**<br>53,053<br>**53,053**<br>**11,508**<br>-<br>35,626<br>**47,134**|
|||



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## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** 

|**2026**<br>Notes<br>**TOTAL**<br>10<br>5,721,051<br>Total Cash Balances<br>45,041<br>**Total Assets**<br>**5,766,092**<br>**Liabilities**<br>Mission Payments<br>8<br>376<br>Well-being / Crisis Fund<br>8<br>1,874<br>Loans from WEBT Co Ltd<br>11<br>49,480<br>**51,730**<br>**Assets**<br>Assets Held for Church’s own use|**2025**<br>**TOTAL**<br>5,498,476<br>47,134<br>**5,545,610**<br>289<br>278<br>57,941<br>**58,508**|
|---|---|



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## **Notes to the Accounts** 

## **1. Preparation and Basis of the Accounts** 

These accounts have been prepared on a ‘receipts and payments’ basis and in accordance with Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011. 

|**2026**<br>**Note**<br>**Unrestricted  Designated**<br>**Restricted**<br>**TOTAL**<br>Donations<br>31,663<br>171<br>4,814<br>36,648<br>Legacy / Dividends<br>9<br>4,300<br>-<br>-<br>4,300<br>**Total Receipts**<br>**35,963                171             4,814               40,948**<br>Rent<br>8,026<br>-<br>-<br>8,026<br>Lettings<br>12,936<br>-<br>-<br>12,936<br>Grants<br>3,543<br>-<br>-<br>3,543<br>**Total Receipts**<br>**24,505                   -                     -                 24,505**<br>**4.Investment income**<br>Bank interest<br>396<br>-<br>-<br>396<br>**Total Investment Income**<br>**396                   -                     -                      396**<br>**TOTAL**<br>**60,864                171             4,814               65,849**<br>**2026**<br>**Unrestricted  Designated**<br>**Restricted**<br>**TOTAL**<br>Ministry<br>1,622<br>1,622<br>Mission<br>1,138<br>3,130<br>4,268<br>Property<br>51,998<br>171<br>52,169<br>Support Costs (note 6)<br>9,883<br>9,883<br>**Total Charitable Activities**<br>**64,640                171             3,130               67,942**<br>Ministry<br>1,914<br>-<br>-<br>1,914<br>Mission<br>1,343<br>-<br>3,130<br>4,473<br>Premises<br>61,383<br>171<br>-<br>61,554<br>**Total Mission**<br>**64,640                171             3,130               67,942**<br>**2.Donations and other income**<br>**3.    Income from Charitable Activities**<br>**5.  Expenditure on Charitable Activities**<br>Last Year, £5,351 was designated restricted expendiure, with the balance of £47,33,643 as unrestricted expenditure<br>Last Year, all £222 was Designated income<br>Last Year, £1,866 was designated income, £5,408 was restricted income, with the balance of £33,643 as Unrestricted income<br>Last Year, all £23,322 was Unrestricted income<br>Last Year, £5,351 was designated restricted expendiure, with the balance of £47,33,643 as Unrestricted expenditure|**2025**<br>**TOTAL**<br>36,617<br>4,300<br>**40,917**<br>5,219<br>12,045<br>6,059<br>**23,322**<br>322<br>**322**<br>**64,561**|
|---|---|
|||
||**2025**<br>**TOTAL**<br>1,784<br>5,819<br>37,682<br>7,768<br>**53,053**<br>2,131<br>5,910<br>45,012<br>**53,053**|



23 



## **Notes to the Accounts (Continued)** 

|**2026**<br>**Unrestricted  Designated**<br>**Restricted**<br>**TOTAL**<br>**6.  Support Costs**<br>Travel<br>107<br>107<br>Training<br>186<br>186<br>Postage, Printing, Stationery<br>1,513<br>1,513<br>Phone<br>373<br>373<br>Subscriptions & Fees<br>792<br>792<br>Insurance<br>6,911<br>6,911<br>**9,883                   -                     -                   9,883**<br>**Total Support Costs**<br>Last Year, all £7,136 was allocated to Unrestricted expenditure|**2025**<br>**TOTAL**<br>-<br>-<br>247<br>632<br>3,298<br>3,591<br>**7,768**|
|---|---|



|**7.  Designated Funds**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**1st April**|**Income**|**Payments**||**Transfers**|**31st March**|
|Rental Property|8,271|||||8,271|
|Approved Sanctuary repairs|||||23,786|23,786|
|Other Property Repairs|||||3,000|3,000|
||**8,271**|**-**|**-**||**26,786**|**35,057**|
|**8.  Grants made to other charities and Well-being Fund**|||||||
||1,760.57|**Open Balance**|**Income**||**Payments**|**YTD Balance**|
|Alabare||25|301||326|-|
|Baptist Union / WEBA||72|999||1,071|-|
|Bible Society||-|60||60|-|
|BMS - General||137|1,069||1,206|-|
|BMS - B'day|||140||140|-|
|BMS - Laura Lee|||15||15|-|
|Christian Aid||45|128||173|-|
|Leprosy Mission||-|110||110|-|
|MAF||-|111||-|111|
|Oxfam||-|15||-|15|
|RUH||-|40||-|40|
|Spurgeons||10|150||-|160|
|Tear Fund||-|30|**-**||30|
|Witshire Historic||-|20||-|20|
|Well-being /Crisis Fund||278|1,626||30|1,874|
|||**567**|**4,814**||**3,130**|**2,250**|



24 



## **Notes to the Accounts (Continued)** 

## **9. Dividends / Legacy** 

Dividends received is from the "Ann Tyler / Rushall" fund, administered by WEBA (Webnet), the proceeds of which are divided among three baptist churches, of which Melksham Baptist Church is one. The total current fund is valued at 31st December 2025 of £505,730 (2024: £488,302) 

## **10. Assets held for Church's use** 

Buildings are valued at Insurance value to get a fair value which would not otherwise be attainable by open market valuations given the historic nature, Grade II listing and restriction placed on the church itself. Our new Property Agents are unable to provide a valuation of the property, so we have reverted back to Insurance value on the basis of these accounts. 

|Insurance Values|Notes|2026|2025|
|---|---|---|---|
|**CHURCH**||||
|Buildings||5,211,035|4,959,082|
|Pipe Organ||96,937|94,299|
|Other Contents||113,176|110,095|
|TOTAL CHURCH PREMISIS||**5,421,148**|**5,163,476**|
|**MANSE**at Linnet Lane, Melksham|11|||
|Buildings||299,903|335,000|
|||**5,721,051**|**5,498,476**|



Burial Ground - Western Way, Melksham 

No meaningful value is available so it has not been included in the these statements 

## **11. Loan to WEBTC** 

The Manse was purchased in association with the West of England Trust Company, at a cost of £250,000, with an interest rate of BoE base rate + 2.5% on a loan of £100,000. When the loan is repaid, WEBTC will hold 60% interest in the property, and Melksham Baptist Church will hold 40%. Interest charged this year was £3,539. 

On the current conjectory, the loan will be fully repaid by January 2031 

25 



## **Group Reports** 

##  **BMS WORLD MISSION** 

Laura Lee  who was one of our Church Partners in Peru has now returned to the UK. Our Mission Partner Valerie Kisaber from Uganda in Africa is still on Maternity Leave. Thank you all for your support to BMS World Mission both Financially and Prayerfully. 

_Maurice and Kay_ 

##  **SPARKLERS** 

Sparklers continues to meet every Monday in spite of reduced numbers due to illness. Our significant shared events this have year were 

- Macmillan Coffee Morning in September. 

- In December we all enjoyed a Christmas Lunch. 

- In March this year we celebrated our 10th Birthday where we all enjoyed a Cream Tea. 

- Sparklers held their Annual Chocolate Bingo for RUH Cancer in March which raised £470.00; all our prizes and refreshments were donated by Sparklers Members, Church Members and Friends. 

- During the last year we have also given £400.00 to RUH Cancer Appeal and £400.00 to Melksham Baptist Church from our weekly Subscriptions. 

- During the last year we celebrated Special Birthdays  with 3 of our members becoming 80,which involved a lot of cakes. 

All of our Members value your Prayers. 

We meet every Monday (excluding Bank Holidays) in the Coffee Room from 9.30am to 11.30am. 

You are all welcome to join us for a cup of Tea/Coffee, have a chat and join in with our gentle exercises. 

Laughs are Guaranteed! 😊 

_Kay and Margaret_ 

26 



##  **CATERING TEAM** 

- We’ve been very busy and active during the year! 

   - In April 2025 we held an Easter Breakfast with Church Members, Friends and Melksham Foodbank Clients, a Tradition Started by June Hancock and carried on by Clare and Caroline. 

   - In May we celebrated VE Day with a Party, The Hall was decorated with Flags, Bunting and A Display of War Time Memorabilia, we had A Celebration Tea . 

   - In June we held a Party to Celebrate Doris 90th Birthday with her family and friends. 

   - In July we held a Lunch to say Thank You to Alan, Caroline and David for their service to the Church, we also welcomed Jim, Ian, Mary and Maurice as our New Leadership Team. 

   - We were joined by Friends and Foodbank Clients for a Cream Tea and BBQ raising money for the Foodbank. 

   - We did the Tea after the Thanksgiving Service for David Payne, we did a Harvest Supper for Gateway Club Leaders and Members, we provided refreshments after the Memorial Carol Service in November, and we helped with the Thanksgiving Tea for Gloria (Sue's Mum) 

   - We held a Christmas Lunch with Members, Friends, Church of God of Prophecy and Foodbank Clients. 

   - We served Refreshments after the Carol's by Candlelight Service. 

   - We did a Fellowship Lunch after our Covenant Service in January which also saw Margaret and Sue come into Membership, we also helped Ian and Mary as they organised a Burns Night Supper. 

   - In February the Church went for a Meal out at II Vello D'oro. 

As you can see, we enjoy sharing time as a Fellowship and Eating Food. 

Thank you to all who help us on our Catering Team, and to you all for your continued Support. 

_Kay and Maurice and All the Team_ 

27 



##  **BMS Birthday Scheme** 

All those that supported the Birthday Scheme I want to thank you all for your kindness – in doing so you are helping with the Medical Care of people with disabilities throughout the world as well as the doctors and nurses who are looking after them. Your giving makes a difference to His work and to His glory. 

What you do and what you give for the Lord is much appreciated – just once a year. This allows the team to work better and more efficiently. 

If there is anyone who would like to join the scheme, please let me know. 

_Liz Young_ 

##  **TWAM** 

Tools with a Mission (TWAM) continues to grow and gives a big thank you to all those people throughout the UK who generously donate tools etc for onward shipment to Africa, particularly Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe (previously called Rhodesia). 


TWAM's mission is :- "Giving communities tools to build a future for themselves" 

TWAM will also be pleased to accept donations of money online by visiting twam.uk/donate. 

My fellow Bath collector, Colin, regularly delivers tools to MBC which together with our Wiltshire donations are transferred to head office at Ipswich on a 10-week cycle. 



_Ken_ 

28