MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ON 21ST FEBRUARY 2023
AT WESTERN ROAD METHODIST CHURCH
AGM MINUTES, FEBRUARY 2023
Rev Moses Agyam took the chair and Lorraine Harris the minutes.
Welcome and prayers led by Rev Moses. 18 people attended the meeting.
REPORTS
See attached reports which were circulated before the meeting and questions invited at the meeting:
SMB report from Ruth Strickland: Read here
Foodbank report from Jim Rose: Read here The Hub in the High Street costs £27k per year, of which Foodbank pays 47% (£12,690). The grants the Foodbank receives have built-in clauses that this is towards their overheads.
Street Pastors from Phil Norton : Read here There are 5 new recruits in training. Billericay is helping Basildon SP. The important message when out on patrol is that SP volunteers are from the local churches – this has a real impact.
Forging Men from Stuart Gibbs: Read here
Events reports (CTB at the Soapbox Derby, Love Essex and Christmas Market) from Lorraine Harris: Read here
Christmas Day Lunch report from Anna Laughland : Read here There is £1192.43 left in the Christmas Day fund ready to be used in 2023. The Methodists will host the lunch this year at Western Road, with Lorraine and Sue heading the event. Anna is taking a break from organising this year; we thank her for her excellent stewardship over the years of this event, she will pass on volunteers details and tips to the 2023 team.
Football Pastors: Gary gave a verbal report: They have 2 new volunteers. Billericay Town Football Club are trying to restructure to set up a charitable fund which would be funded by donations and they would give donations to local charities. There is currently £380.32 sitting in the CTB account belonging to the Football Pastors which they use to pay for uniforms for the pastors.
The meeting asked for a report from the Church Leaders Meeting at future AGMs.
FINANCE
Accounts and budget proposals were circulated prior to the meeting. The accounts were accepted, Lorraine was thanked and also Ian Rudkins who examines the accounts annually, he is willing to do this again this coming year.
Budget for 2022-23
The following was discussed and agreed at the meeting
| £500 | Christmas Day meal – underwriting the meal, only if needed – taken out as £1200 in fund for 2023 |
| £200 | Annual Public Liability Events Insurance |
| £50 | Web site expenses |
| £360 | Marquee at Soapbox Derby, Sun Corner |
| £260 | Remembrance Sunday service sheets for use in the High Street |
| £400 | Remembrance Sunday sound system hire |
| £200 | Rotary Christmas Market – including CTB Christmas joint leaflet |
| £500 | Schools Ministry Billericay-Life Expo coaches donation |
| £250 | St Marys, High Street – donation proposed by Jane and agreed by meeting for this year only |
| £250 | Forging Men Billericay – donation proposed by Jane and agreed by meeting for this year only |
| £2470 | TOTAL |
The meeting voted to keep the current subscriptions from the churches for 2023, so £250 for the 6 larger congregations (Baptists, Christchurch, Methodists, Emmanuel, Holy Redeemer and Revival) and £125 for the 4 smaller congregations (Great Burstead, Little Burstead, St Johns and URC). This raises £2000, so £470 will come from our reserves (opening unrestricted CTB funds as at 01.12.23 was £1024.76).
Love Essex: The meeting asked if LE publish their accounts (email sent to Phil for confirmation and accounts if available).
CTB CONSTITUTION
A copy of the current constitution was circulated before the meeting with the following proposal in red:
GUIDELINE PRINCIPLES FOR WHAT CONSTITUTES A CTB ACTIVITY OR EVENT
a) That the event should have the potential for a town-wide impact.
b) That the vision embodied by the event should be one which all of the churches in Billericay share.
c) That the event should bring together people from across the churches.
d) That the event should only be funded by CTB if it is not possible for it to be funded in any other way.
It was agreed that this addition be added to the constitution for 2023 with the change underlined above. Also that any new requests for funding from CTB should meet these criteria. Evets coming under the CTB banner are covered by the CTB Public Liability insurance (contact Lorraine if you need a copy any time), also they can rely on the help and support of CTB. Under Member Churches Gary asked for the Baptist entry to be updated to read (meeting at Perry Street and Thynne Road).
Ramsden Bellhouse Baptist Church is listed as an Associated member church Val, who is a member there, was at the meeting and will discuss with their Church Elders and get back to us.
Under Officers of CTB the document currently states as follows:
The Officers of CTB shall be a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, who once elected by the AGM will meet together as necessary to conduct the business of Churches Together in Billericay as directed by the AGM and as appropriate by the other formal meetings of CTB.
The CLM was asked to discuss and update the above as the only appointed officer is Lorraine as Honorary Treasurer.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Moses asked if any church was holding an event for the King’s coronation under the CTB banner – NO. However the URC are having a picnic.
The CLM was asked to look at whether we could resume regular CTB services which were stopped due to COVID; perhaps not bi-monthly as they were, but perhaps every 3 months.
Also for the CLM to discuss; back in 2016 there was a list of Reps to CTB following the AGM that year. The Church representatives who were present at this years’ AGM were keen for this list to be updated so that they can be copied into some of the correspondence for CTB, mainly changes made, or events happening.
DATE OF NEXT AGM MEETING
When and where to be discussed at the church leaders monthly meetings. The current constitution states that the AGM should be in January (this was to appoint a Chairman for the year who would then lead the annual CTB service held in the week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January). As we no longer appoint an annual Chairman is this still necessary, or can we hold the AGM in February? If February then the Constitution needs updating.
The meeting was closed with us sharing The Grace.
Lorraine Harris
READ REPORTS TO THE 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
2023 AGM Meeting Minutes
Schools Ministry Billericay (SMB)
Billericay Foodbank (BFB)
Street Pastors {SP)
Forging Men (FM)
CTB-Associated Events
Christmas Day Lunch