FFWPU UK Trustees' First Quarter meeting

The FFWPU UK is governed by a trustees’ board that meets four times a year. The Spring 2021 meeting recently took place, and like all the meetings in 2020, it was held online through Zoom.

Our U.K. National Director, Dr. Michael Balcomb, reported to the board on current events and progress involving FFWPU UK and our sister organizations throughout Europe and the Middle East. He introduced the recently published FFWPU Annual Report, which was well-received by the Trustees and indeed all members. More than 700 copies have now been distributed.

Following the report, Dr. Balcomb responded to Trustees’ questions on actions to mitigate losses in Lancaster Gate income due to COVID, changes to the FFWPU organisation chart, training for staff and particularly for pastors, and provided an update on the staffing shortage at Cleeve House. He presented reports from UPF and WFWP showing that they were working to meet the matching fund conditions attached to the quarterly grant both organizations receive from FFWPU. Dr. Balcomb agreed that more expenditure should be made for the youth and young adult area and also answered questions on the work done to find a director for the Youth & Young Adults Ministry, and an Executive Assistant position.

Two trustees were appointed by the Chair to carry out the National Director’s annual appraisal, a key responsibility of the Trustees. Following that, all pastors and staff will receive annual appraisals before the end of April.

Apart from the usual finance reports from the Treasurer, Mrs Fisher, and the secretary, Mrs. Schroder, the board also discussed appointing solicitors to help update the FFWPU legal structure from its current form as a Charitable Trust to becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Discussions on either leasing or selling Livingstone House continued.

Motions were passed supporting an initiative by some of our young adults creating a sustainable blessed community, authorising an increase in battery storage capacity for a solar company on our farm in Stanton Fitzwarren, and for appointing new auditors.

Timothy Read, Chair