By Hayley Beckett on 1st July 2025
EBA Council Summary 30 June 2025
EBA Trustees – with one apology met for the EBA Council meeting on 30 June 2025. We welcomed both Jess West new co-option and Gordon Hindmarch newly elected trustee to their first meeting.
Lou Webber (EBA Moderator) welcomed everyone. In opening the meeting Lou read from Psalm 95 Reminding us that we should focus on the things that we can be thankful for.
June Love, Moderator of the grant committee, joined the meeting for the first two items on the agenda. The first bringing the recommendations of the grant committee for 2026 grants. June was present to offer the reasons behind some of the decisions and to answer any other questions. Trustees accepted the recommendations. Grant applicants will be written to in the next week or so. The second item was a report on the review of grants and the grants system which was the result of a report commissioned back in late 2023. A small working group had been working to review the grant system and bring proposals for change. The council were content with the proposals, a few more questions that need answering for clarity churches will be written to and informed of the changes.
Richard (EBA Treasurer) presented the financial summary up to May 2025, stating that there are no surprises in the accounts and it is all as expected and we are working with a deficit. This situation cannot continue in the long term and trustees are going to address this issue soon.
Hayley Beckett (EBA Company Secretary) brought the Administration Report which included an update on the passing of the byelaw amendments and confirmation that EBA had submitted its required return to both the Charity Commission and Companies House.
David Mayne (RMTL) presented the team report, starting with celebration that two of our churches who have been in pastoral vacancy for a long time have settled during June which is really good news for those churches. The team has also made some commitments to being more intentional about supporting chaplains.
Gillian Jones (EBA Safeguarding lead) had written a report for trustees. Trustees offered thanks to Gillian for all she adds to the life of the association. Trustees appointed Sandra Crawford as the new safeguarding trustee.
Trustees revisited a proposal that was first tabled in 2024. This would see the creation of districts (working title) across EBA. At the AGM in 2024, at the minister’s conference 2025 and again at the association days in June this was shared, and time was given to input into the discussion. A draft list of what the districts would look like was given to trustees for comments. Groups would be split geographically with between 10-17 churches in each. Going forward in the autumn communication would be sent out to churches and the opportunity to input into final drafts will be given at the roadshows in early 2026 before the system being rolled out later in 2026.
Trustees plan to have some sharing and listening days at the beginning of 2026 to enable information sharing and input into future strategy. These will spread across the association with different times of day offered along with online opportunities. Dates and times will be confirmed over the next few months and then be advertised to all churches and ministers.
Other items discussed at the meeting included a review of the association days and agreement that we would keep to this pattern for the next couple of years and then review again, an update on Claire and notice that the CYF networker’s contract has been extended until March 2027 due to remaining residual funds in the restricted fund that enabled us to initially appoint the roles..
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The meeting closed in prayer.
19th May 2025
EBA Council Summary 12 May 2025 EBA Trustees – with two apologies met for the EBA Council meeting on 12 March. Lou Webber (EBA Moderator) welcomed everyone. In opening the meeting Lou read from John 10. Reminding us that our job is to follow Jesus, hear Jesus and listen…
9th April 2025
EBA Council Summary 29 March 2025 EBA Trustees – with three apologies and Gale Richards and Gillian Jones as invited guests – met for the EBA Council meeting on 29 March. Lou Webber (EBA Moderator) welcomed everyone. In opening the meeting Lou read from Matthew 8:23-27 (Jesus calms the storm)…
30th January 2025
EBA Council Summary 27 January 2025 EBA Trustees – with three apologies – met for the EBA Council meeting on 2 November 2024. Lou Webber (EBA Moderator) welcomed everyone. In opening the meeting Lou read from Mark 2: 1-5, In the act of the paralysed man being lowered through the…
