Last Wednesday 23 November 2016, Transformation Thurrock recived confirmation that its application for charitable status had been approved.
The Charity Commission said in an email:
We are satisfied that TRANSFORMATION THURROCK is a charity and it has been entered onto the Register of Charities with the Registered Charity Number 1170333.
The decision to register was based on our assessment of the information supplied during the application process and the declarations given in the trustee declaration form and we are satisfied that TRANSFORMATION THURROCK is established for charitable purposes only for the public benefit.
This process has taken rather longer than we expected, but those of us involved in this believe that this paves the way in 2017 for an expansion of vision and outworking for Transformation Thurrock, as well as the possibility of replenishing the website and method of new dissemination.
Ideas are already circling for…
- a return of united prayer among the borough’s fellowships
- making an opportunity for civic prayer with council public service entities
- regional prayer along the Thames Gateway and into Essex
- more united mission initiatives
- more training in simple mission practices
- exloring further the making of disciples
- creating new spaces in which to be and do church with a generation ignorant of Jesus
Becoming a charity will also make it easier for other charities to donate – expenses have not been paid for some six months and so Transformation Thurrock has been running on goodwill and faith. The way our income and outgoings will be dealt with will change accordance to law and our changed status.
There are three initial ‘first’ trustees, who are:
- Colin Baker, pastor of Grays Baptist Church and current chair of Transformation Thurrock
- Andrew Blakey, of Thurrock Christian Fellowship and chair of Grays Riverside Community Big Local (and to whom many thanks are owed for considerable help in getting us this far)
- Judith Acreman, of Thurrock Christian Fellowship and active community worker
There is a wider body of trustees whose names shall be made public after the inaugural trustees’ meeting.
Tim Harrold, currently ‘secretary’ of Transformation Thurrock, shall become Creative Consultant.
Please watch out for more news on developments. At some point, Transformation Thurrock will be relaunched with much fanfare and a Full English Breakfast!
