Diocese of Rochester Getting through together 2020 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS ABOUT US We are the Church of England operating in the Diocese of Rochester in the area of Medway, north west Kent and the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley. A diverse and vibrant community of faith, we serve a population of some 1.3 million people, including 215 parishes, 90 schools, and numerous chaplains. We enjoy companion links with the Anglican Dioceses of Harare in Zimbabwe, and Kondoa and Mpwapwa in Tanzania as well as an ecumenical link with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia. The Trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, present their trustees’ report together with the financial statements and auditor’s report for the charitable company – the Rochester Diocesan Society and Board of Finance Limited (RDSBF) for the year ended 31 December 2020. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements of the Charities Act 2011, the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities 2015 (SORP 2015) (Second Edition, effective 1 January 2019) and the Companies Act 2006. Registered & Principal Senior Staff: Office: Diocesan Office Diocesan Secretary (and Company Secretary) St Nicholas Church - Mr Matthew Girt Boley Hill Director of Finance Rochester Kent ME1 1SL - The Rev Richard Williams Director of Property Members of the Bishop’s Council - Mr Stephen Hoad (Directors and Trustees): Director of Formation and Ministry The Lord Bishop of Rochester (Chair) - The Rev Canon Chris Dench - The Rt Rev James Langstaff Director of Diocesan Board of Education The Bishop of Tonbridge - Mr John Constanti - The Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones Bishop’s Chaplain The Chair of the Board of Finance - The Rev Lindsay Llewellyn-MacDuff - Mr Nigel Pope Advisors: Ex-officio: Auditors: The Archdeacon of Bromley & Bexley Haysmacintyre LLP - The Ven Dr Paul Wright 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1AG The Archdeacon of Rochester Registrar: - The Ven Andrew Wooding Jones Mr Owen Carew-Jones The Archdeacon of Tonbridge Winckworth Sherwood LLP - The Ven Julie Conalty Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, The Dean of Rochester Cathedral London SE1 9BB - The Very Rev Dr Philip Hesketh Bankers: The Chair of the House of Laity Barclays Bank Plc, 2nd floor, 30 Tower View, - Mrs Sarah Poole Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4WA The Chair of the House of Clergy Property Adviser and Glebe Agent: - The Rev Canon Alyson Davie Savills plc The Chair of the Board of Education 74 High Street, Sevenoaks, TN13 1JR - The Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones Investment Advisers: Mercer Global Investment Management Ltd. Elected – House of Clergy: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London, - The Rev Canon Mark Barker EC3R 5BU - The Rev Dr Julie Bowen Insurers: - The Rev Martyn Saunders Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Elected – House of Laity: Gloucester GL1 1JZ - Miss Christine Bostock - Mr David Fitzpatrick The Rochester Diocesan Society and Board of Finance - Mr Philip French is a company Limited by Guarantee - Mr Guy Gallico Registered Charity No. 249339 - Mr Gerald O’Brien Registered in England No. 140656 - Mr Alan Strachan 2 MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP OF ROCHESTER The Rt Rev James Langstaff A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER – GETTING THROUGH TOGETHER It is hard to believe that at the beginning of have adapted and met the needs of the times, last year, we had little inkling of the upheaval, together. uncertainty, and sorrow that we were about to Our strategic vision has been a bedrock, as we experience. have helped people grow in their relationship We have all probably lost count of the number of with God; as we have helped enrich lives during a conversations we have had in which we have tried time of isolation; as we have resourced each other to think about how we will be living in 6 months’ practically and spiritually. time, a year, more. It has not always been easy. We have had to A year on from the start of the pandemic and find new strengths and resilience. A willingness we have signs of hope thanks to the vaccines; to sometimes ask for help or to request however, these months have been hard. People understanding. have faced illness, death and grief; others have So, this year’s report has a simple thread. It is the been living in isolation, and some have seen their story of how our family of faith – parishes, schools, livelihoods fall away. chaplaincies, community projects, individuals, The loss and long-term impacts of the pandemic and Diocesan teams, have lived through this past are only just beginning to be understood. Likewise, year together and have begun to emerge from the its impacts on the Church. other side. And while much remains uncertain, what is clear, The Bishop of Tonbridge, the Rt Rev Simon is that at this time, as a community of faith here in Burton-Jones, has said it is like we are emerging the Diocese of Rochester, we have been, and will from an earthquake. The landscape has been see this through together. fundamentally changed. But rather than running to the first piece of masonry, we would do well to And more than that, we have been an intrinsic part listen. To listen to the cries of those who need us. in seeing others through as well. Our communities have come together in new ways; neighbours have And we do so, sure in the knowledge that, been cared for, new relationships established, while things may be different, we will find ways and new forms of connection discovered. While at forward for our personal and shared living. For, points our buildings have been closed for worship, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today our outreach, our prayer-life, our pastoral concern and for ever’ (Hebrews 13.8). However great our for others, has continued. uncertainty about how life will be, that is one thing of which we can be absolutely certain. Both churches and our diocesan support teams 3 OUR VISION OUR AIMS We are Called Together to enhance and Grow: To better live out the Great steward our resources for the work of God Commission, to share the Good News, and see more people find faith God calls us above all to show forth his character in acts and attitudes of grace and Enrich: Enrich every community through the generosity activities of the local church God calls us together into a common Resource: Enable parishes to run efficiently endeavour of worship and of prayer, of and sustainably, so that they can focus more proclamation and of service on ministry and mission DIOCESE OF ROCHESTER ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 03 Message from the Bishop 04 Our Vision and our Aims 06 Message from the Diocesan Secretary 07 Message from Chair of the Board of Finance 08 Reviewing Called Together 09 Our Year in Numbers 10 Strategic report and operating review • Responding creatively to Covid • Showing the love of Christ • Supporting people’s journey of faith • Continuing to give parishes the support they need 24 Financial overview 28 Financial strategy 35 Mitigation of risks and uncertanties 37 Financial review 40 Governance, structure, and management 44 Statement of trustees 45 Independent Auditor’s report 48 Statement of financial activities 49 Balance sheet 50 Statement of cash flows 51 Notes for the financial statements 78 Parish Fund Balances 80 Parish Offers MESSAGE FROM THE DIOCESAN SECRETARY Matthew Girt Looking back on the last year, there are several economic fall out of the financial crisis, and the themes which come to mind. One most particularly second being the current pandemic. though is loss. Whether that is loss of loved ones, friends, freedoms, opportunities – there has been far Set against that backdrop of challenge, we have been too much loss. fortunate to have his wisdom, his innate ability to draw the best from people, and his quiet and strong That loss has led us to change, and that in itself is leadership in this Diocese. We have been blessed too significant. Significant, because it has meant letting go by his gift for fostering fruitful relationships between of many closely held patterns of living, of sharing, and ourselves, and external partners. how we live out our faith. However, another theme that comes just as strongly to mind for me is that of Relationships that have led to real change and positive courage. transformation in the flourishing of lay ministry, the significant reach and impact of community Those changes in life, their stop start nature, the engagement, of the more recent growth in the mixed imposed and unwantedness of them have led to real ecology of church, the fostering of chaplaincies, challenges, and those challenges have been sharp, the ability to take a strategic view of the changes in and on the front line of ministry in parishes and population, both in growth in numbers and culture, chaplaincies they have required courage to navigate. and the significant multi million pounds of investment from others in our mission, the list is long. Raymond Lindquist describes courage as “the power to let go of the familiar”, and 2020 was a year for that. For the ministry of Bishop James and his wife Bridget, Yet, reading this report, the real determination to we have much to thank God for, and thanks to God’s live through this pandemic witnessing to our faith, is grace and with our refreshed strategic framework, explicit and palpable. Called Together, we are in good heart for the next ten years. As the year has progressed, and we have moved in to 2021, it has taken real courage and determination And so, it is the continued working out of this grace from parishes and staff to continue.