Diocese of Rochester Getting through together 2020 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS ABOUT US MESSAGE FROM We are the Church of England operating in the Diocese of Rochester in the area of Medway, north west Kent and THE BISHOP OF 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 ROCHESTER 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 Rt Rev James Langstaff 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 A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER – GETTING THROUGH TOGETHER Director of Property Members of the Bishop’s Council - Mr Stephen Hoad (Directors and Trustees): Director of Formation and Ministry It is hard to believe that at the beginning of have adapted and met the needs of the times, The Lord Bishop of Rochester (Chair) - The Rev Canon Chris Dench last year, we had little inkling of the upheaval, together. - The Rt Rev James Langstaff Director of Diocesan Board of Education uncertainty, and sorrow that we were about to Our strategic vision has been a bedrock, as we The Bishop of Tonbridge - Mr John Constanti experience. - The Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones Bishop’s Chaplain have helped people grow in their relationship The Chair of the Board of Finance - The Rev Lindsay Llewellyn-MacDuff We have all probably lost count of the number of with God; as we have helped enrich lives during a - Mr Nigel Pope conversations we have had in which we have tried time of isolation; as we have resourced each other Advisors: to think about how we will be living in 6 months’ practically and spiritually. Ex-officio: Auditors: time, a year, more. The Archdeacon of Bromley & Bexley Haysmacintyre LLP It has not always been easy. We have had to - The Ven Dr Paul Wright 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1AG A year on from the start of the pandemic and find new strengths and resilience. A willingness The Archdeacon of Rochester Registrar: we have signs of hope thanks to the vaccines; to sometimes ask for help or to request - The Ven Andrew Wooding Jones Mr Owen Carew-Jones however, these months have been hard. People understanding. The Archdeacon of Tonbridge Winckworth Sherwood LLP have faced illness, death and grief; others have So, this year’s report has a simple thread. It is the - The Ven Julie Conalty Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, been living in isolation, and some have seen their story of how our family of faith – parishes, schools, The Dean of Rochester Cathedral London SE1 9BB livelihoods fall away. - The Very Rev Dr Philip Hesketh Bankers: chaplaincies, community projects, individuals, The Chair of the House of Laity Barclays Bank Plc, 2nd floor, 30 Tower View, The loss and long-term impacts of the pandemic and Diocesan teams, have lived through this past - Mrs Sarah Poole Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4WA are only just beginning to be understood. Likewise, year together and have begun to emerge from the The Chair of the House of Clergy Property Adviser and Glebe Agent: its impacts on the Church. other side. - The Rev Canon Alyson Davie Savills plc The Chair of the Board of Education 74 High Street, Sevenoaks, TN13 1JR And while much remains uncertain, what is clear, The Bishop of Tonbridge, the Rt Rev Simon - The Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones Investment Advisers: is that at this time, as a community of faith here in Burton-Jones, has said it is like we are emerging Mercer Global Investment Management Ltd. the Diocese of Rochester, we have been, and will from an earthquake. The landscape has been Elected – House of Clergy: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London, see this through together. fundamentally changed. But rather than running - The Rev Canon Mark Barker EC3R 5BU to the first piece of masonry, we would do well to And more than that, we have been an intrinsic part - The Rev Dr Julie Bowen Insurers: listen. To listen to the cries of those who need us. - The Rev Martyn Saunders Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc in seeing others through as well. Our communities Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, have come together in new ways; neighbours have And we do so, sure in the knowledge that, Elected – House of Laity: Gloucester GL1 1JZ been cared for, new relationships established, while things may be different, we will find ways - Miss Christine Bostock and new forms of connection discovered. While at forward for our personal and shared living. For, - Mr David Fitzpatrick The Rochester Diocesan Society and Board of Finance points our buildings have been closed for worship, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today - Mr Philip French is a company Limited by Guarantee our outreach, our prayer-life, our pastoral concern and for ever’ (Hebrews 13.8). However great our - Mr Guy Gallico Registered Charity No. 249339 for others, has continued. uncertainty about how life will be, that is one thing - Mr Gerald O’Brien Registered in England No. 140656 of which we can be absolutely certain. - Mr Alan Strachan Both churches and our diocesan support teams 2 3 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 OUR VISION OUR AIMS 49 Balance sheet 50 Statement of cash flows We are Called Together to enhance and Grow: To better live out the Great 51 Notes for the financial statements 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 78 Parish Fund Balances character in acts and attitudes of grace and Enrich: Enrich every community through the generosity activities of the local church 80 Parish Offers 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 MESSAGE FROM MESSAGE FROM THE DIOCESAN CHAIR OF THE SECRETARY BOARD OF FINANCE Matthew Girt Nigel Pope 2020 was a difficult year for many people and affordable for 2021, is not a sustainable position Looking back on the last year, there are several economic fall out of the financial crisis, and the organisations and certainly one to move on long term. Rightly the Diocese has initiated a themes which come to mind. One most particularly second being the current pandemic. from. However, it has been a much stronger year strategic review, with one of its key objectives being though is loss. Whether that is loss of loved ones, financially for the Diocese than we had feared mid- to work out how to invest for the future to arrive at friends, freedoms, opportunities – there has been far Set against that backdrop of challenge, we have been way through 2020 as Covid 19 took hold and we a sustainable financial position. too much loss. fortunate to have his wisdom, his innate ability to modelled worst case financial scenarios. draw the best from people, and his quiet and strong I must conclude with thanks to the parishes for That loss has led us to change, and that in itself is leadership in this Diocese. We have been blessed too Our operating deficit for 2020 ended up at £0.9m, their generosity. Thank you for all the work you significant. Significant, because it has meant letting go by his gift for fostering fruitful relationships between slightly worse than our base case budget deficit of are doing to build the Kingdom of God in your of many closely held patterns of living, of sharing, and ourselves, and external partners. £0.8m, and we ended 2020 with £9m of cash and churches and communities. how we live out our faith. However, another theme short-term deposits. Overall, Parish Offers, plus My thanks also to Matthew, whose leadership has that comes just as strongly to mind for me is that of Relationships that have led to real change and positive DBF fees, ended the year only 3% lower than 2019, been invaluable and steadfast during this time, courage. transformation in the flourishing of lay ministry, which in the circumstances was amazing, and a and to the entire Diocesan Staff Team for their the significant reach and impact of community £320k grant from Archbishop’s Council and cost professionalism and commitment to serving the Those changes in life, their stop start nature, the engagement, of the more recent growth in the mixed savings enabled us to end up so close to budget.