Company registration number 14162145 (England and Wales)
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
COMPANY INFORMATION
Director
Mr Ian Taverner
Company number
14162145
Registered office
Chantry House
22 Upperton Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 1BF
Accountants
Caladine Limited
Chantry House
22 Upperton Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 1BF
Business address
252/254 London Road
Westcliff-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
SS0 7JG
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
CONTENTS
Page
Director's report
1
Accountants' report
2
Income and expenditure account
3
Statement of financial position
4
Notes to the financial statements
5 - 7
Detailed trading and profit and loss account
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
- 1 -
The director presents his annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2024.
Principal activities
The principal activity of the company continued to be to advance the Christian faith in accordance with the church's statement of faith.
We are an Independent Baptist church that focuses on the great commission of publishing the gospel to the community and beyond, alongside teaching the whole Bible to our congregation.
To do this we meet together three times per week for church services as follows:
Sundays at 10.30am, Sundays at 4pm and Wednesdays at 7pm.
Our church services include worship hymns, prayer, and reading and teaching from the Bible. All of our church services are family integrated, with the children learning as part of the service, under their parent’s supervision.
During the year there were outreach and preaching trips to locations in the USA, Switzerland and Amsterdam, as well as a mission trip to Malawi in Africa. In the UK we do regular local outreach and larger monthly outreach events in various locations where the gospel is preached. The church had evangelistic times on Father's day and Mother's day and do baby shower events as well as other significant outreach.
We provide pastoral care as well as our ministry and evangelism. We provide refreshments for our church members and assist them where there is need and hardship with small gifts.
During the year we had a visit from our oversight minister from the USA.
The church has grown during the year with most recently attendees of 70 in the mornings and 55 in the evenings.
Public benefit
The directors consider that in carrying out the activities of the company, due regard to the public benefit requirements for similar churches have been made.
Director
The director who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements was as follows:
Mr Aaron Thompson
(Resigned 31 October 2023)
Mr Ian Taverner
Small companies exemption
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.
On behalf of the board
Mr Ian Taverner
Director
5 February 2025
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR ON THE PREPARATION OF THE UNAUDITED STATUTORY ACCOUNTS OF STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
- 2 -
In order to assist you to fulfil your duties under the Companies Act 2006, we have prepared for your approval the financial statements of Strong Tower Baptist Church for the year ended 30 September 2024 which comprise the income and expenditure account, the statement of financial position and the related notes from the company’s accounting records and from information and explanations you have given us.
As a practising member firm of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, we are subject to its ethical and other professional requirements which are detailed at https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/member/standards/rules-and-standards/rulebook.html.
This report is made solely to the board of directors of Strong Tower Baptist Church, as a body, in accordance with the terms of our engagement letter dated 14 June 2022. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the financial statements of Strong Tower Baptist Church and state those matters that we have agreed to state to the board of directors of Strong Tower Baptist Church, as a body, in this report in accordance with the requirements of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants as detailed at https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/Technical/fact/technical-factsheet-163.pdf. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Strong Tower Baptist Church and its board of directors as a body for our work or for this report.
It is your duty to ensure that Strong Tower Baptist Church has kept adequate accounting records and to prepare statutory financial statements that give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and deficit of Strong Tower Baptist Church. You consider that Strong Tower Baptist Church is exempt from the statutory audit requirement for the year.
We have not been instructed to carry out an audit or a review of the financial statements of Strong Tower Baptist Church. For this reason, we have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the accounting records or information and explanations you have given to us and we do not, therefore, express any opinion on the statutory financial statements.
Caladine Limited
5 February 2025
Chartered Certified Accountants
Chantry House
22 Upperton Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 1BF
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
- 3 -
2024
2023
Notes
£
£
Income
148,042
225,554
Administrative expenses
(149,957)
(213,836)
Operating (deficit)/surplus
(1,915)
11,718
Investment income
105
(Deficit)/surplus before taxation
(1,810)
11,718
Tax on (deficit)/surplus
(Deficit)/surplus for the financial year
(1,810)
11,718
The income and expenditure account has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
30 September 2024
- 4 -
2024
2023
Notes
£
£
£
£
Current assets
Trade and other receivables
5
6,000
7,500
Cash and cash equivalents
6,735
6,378
12,735
13,878
Current liabilities
6
(2,827)
(2,160)
Net current assets
9,908
11,718
Reserves
Income and expenditure account
9,908
11,718
Members' funds
9,908
11,718
For the financial year ended 30 September 2024 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.
The director acknowledges his responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 5 February 2025 and are signed on its behalf by:
Mr Ian Taverner
Director
Company registration number 14162145 (England and Wales)
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
- 5 -
1
Accounting policies
Company information
Strong Tower Baptist Church is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Chantry House, 22 Upperton Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1BFChantry House, 22 Upperton Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1BF.
The principal place of business is Strong Tower Baptist Church, 252/254 London Road, Westcliff on Sea, Southend on Sea, S50 7JG.
1.1
Accounting convention
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
1.2
Income and expenditure
Income and expenses are included in the financial statements as they become receivable or due.
Expenses include VAT where applicable as the company cannot reclaim it.
1.3
Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised when there is an obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the appropriate heading and includes irrecoverable VAT.
Expenditure relating to events is recognised when the event occurs.
Gifts and donations are recognised when paid.
1.4
Financial instruments
The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets
Basic financial assets, which include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are measured at transaction price including transaction costs.
Classification of financial liabilities
Financial liabilities are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into.
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
1
Accounting policies (Continued)
- 6 -
Basic financial liabilities
Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other payables bank loans are recognised at transaction price.
Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities.
1.5
Taxation
The company is exempt from corporation tax, it being a company not carrying on a business for the purposes of making a profit.
1.6
Employee benefits
Where material, the cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the Charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
2
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the director is required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
3
Exceptional item
2024
2023
£
£
Income
Transfer from Sure Foundation Church
-
64,738
4
Employees
The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:
2024
2023
Number
Number
Total
1
2
STRONG TOWER BAPTIST CHURCH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
- 7 -
5
Trade and other receivables
2024
2023
Amounts falling due within one year:
£
£
Other receivables
6,000
7,500
6
Current liabilities
2024
2023
£
£
Taxation and social security
547
Other payables
2,280
2,160
2,827
2,160
7
Members' liability
The company is limited by guarantee, not having a share capital and consequently the liability of members is limited, subject to an undertaking by each member to contribute to the net assets or liabilities of the company on winding up such amounts as may be required not exceeding £1.
8
Operating lease commitments
In 2023 the church signed a lease for 252-254 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, for a term of 5 years to June 2028.
At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments for this property, as follows:
2024
2023
£
£
88,000
106,000
The church rents a manse for the pastor on a rolling monthly basis at a cost of £1,895 per calendar month (£22,740 per annum).