This policy plan covers the objective, vision and core values of the Grace Baptist Church International in Amsterdam (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Church’). The church upholds the principles upon which the church stands.  As such decisions are taken on the bases of these premises.

The Church was established in Amsterdam – The Netherlands, on the 15^th of February 2015. The legal form on which the church is driven is “foundation”. The Church is registered with the Chamber of Commerce under number 6312602. At the time of drafting this policy plan the Church had 70 active members. This number has since been increasing steadily and the expectation is that the membership strength will be rising in the coming years.

This policy plan has been drawn up for the period 2015-2016. The intention is to review this policy plan every year.

NAME OF THE CHURCH     :           Grace Baptist Church International

EMAIL ADDRESS                  :           info@gracebaptistchurchinternational.org

TEL. No                                  :           06-85754566

VISITING ADDRESS              :           EGoli 1, 1103 AB, Amsterdam Zuid-Oost

POST ADDRESS                    :           Postbus 36068, 1020 MB Amsterdam

FISCAL NUMBER / RSIN      :           855103590

BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER :          NL43 INGB 0006 9419 29

Under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the objectives of the church are thus enumerated:

1. Create and provide avenues for public worship of God, which would enable members, experience His presence and awareness.
2. Bear witness to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and assist members in the divine task of bringing people to Christ through personal visitation and witnessing.
3. Educate individuals to grow in the knowledge of God, wisdom, moral righteousness and performance.
4. Minister to individuals both in and outside the church with the aim of meeting their social, spiritual and physical needs.
5. Promote, encourage and foster a true loving fellowship in the spirit of unity, peace and harmony among members.
6. Cooperate with other Baptist bodies and churches of like-minded faith, other Christian groups and Para Christian groups or organizations, to promote the cause of Christ, and the general well being of society and mankind.
7. Formulate and promote policies and programmes that will seek to achieve the overall objective and mission of the church.

Legal form: Because the church is driven in the form of a foundation, it has an advisory board. The board is composed of a chairman, treasurer, a secretary and two other members.

The board is currently made up of the following members:
1 Mr S. Osei-Owusu : Chairman
2 R. Ahenkorah : Secretary
3 C.K. Yamoah : Treasurer
4. A. Osei Agyeman : Member
5. D.O. Agyeman : Member

The board has three key duties and responsibilities:
1 To protect and maintain the church’s values.
2 Care for a balanced relation between income and expenditure.
3 Ensure the publication of a justifiable pursued annual financial policy.

In addition to the above mentioned core responsibilities, the board is also responsible for the daily activities within the church. To this end, the board comes together once a month for meetings during which important issues are discussed. Written minutes are kept during such meetings.
The board seeks for the support and understanding of the church members before making important decisions. This means that the Grace Baptist church International is democratic and congregational, that is why important issues are first discussed with the church members before concrete decisions are taken in the interest of all. In addition, the decisions are only taken after the majority of the church members have agreed to them.

In principle, no benefits or remunerations are granted or paid to the board members. Board members sometimes only do receive meagre compensation monies to defray parts of costs they may incur as a result of and in the course of performing their advisory duties.

Most of the time the church uses volunteers to accomplish its activities and projects. The volunteers at all times happen to be church members. The board may decide if and when a volunteer fee is appropriate. The board is at all times guided by the fiscal rules of the Netherlands that apply to the payment of compensation to volunteers.

The church is a not-for-profit organisation and as such it has no profit motives.
Revenues of the church are obtained through:
1 Contributions by the church members
2 Special donations
3 Thanksgiving offerings
4 Other income such as “kofi & Ama” – free-will monthly contributions from members based on the day that a member was born.

The expenditure of the church will be forecasted every year in the form of a budget and eventually compared with actual expenditures that will be made at the end of each given period to access imbalances and the reasons for variances. The structural expenses of the church consist of fixed costs that are incurred on monthly and or annual bases.

These are mainly the following:
1 Rent of the church premises
2 Transport costs
3 Minor Office expenses
4 Volunteer remunerations
5 General management costs

In addition to the fixed costs, there are also variable costs. These are costs that vary on monthly or annual bases. Examples of such costs could be donations to sister churches and visiting pastors and minor gifts/donations that may be given to bandsmen in the church, to afflicted church members who may lose a family member through death or to members who for a reason or the other may be in dire financial need.

The board is committed to ensuring responsible financial policy. The board interoperates and always seeks a justifiable balance between the income and expenditure of the church.
A responsible financial policy also implies that a sound and transparent financial administration is kept by the church.

The treasurer and his financial team are ultimately responsible for the proper execution of the financial administration. To ensure the keeping of proper, complete and professional financial administration, the church will in the very near future make use of the services of professional financial service providers.

The following items are specifically tracked and maintained in the administration of the church:
A. The revenues obtained.
B. The expenditures incurred, including those that are meant for
the direct management of the church – that is organizational costs.
C. Minor expenses for volunteers and (visiting) pastors and guests.
D. The nature and scope of any asset and/or liability of the church.

In addition, the annual budget is part of a responsible financial policy. It is the intention of the church each year to make sure that the board establishes a budget for the coming year.
The following are the bases for arriving at the church’s budget.
1 The policy of the church.
2 The revenue and expenditure of the preceding financial year.
3 The planned projects and activities for the coming year.
The budget always has to be formally approved of by the board and the entire church members represented by the church council.

The board meets several times a year to discuss (among other things) the church’s finances. The finances of the church are tailored to meet the church’s objectives whilst ensuring the maintenance of a reasonable financial buffer for the coming years. The continuity of the church can in this way always be guaranteed.

One of the tasks of the board is to ensure that a formal and accountable financial report is brought out each year. One expects such reports to (among other things) carry information that borders on the church’s achievements as contained in the church’s policy as well as the activities and projects that may be carried out by the church and decisions taken in the current financial year. In the report, the board will also be expected to give a presentation of her proposed decisions and activities for the coming financial year. The board also has to make sure that its annual report includes a balance sheet, statement of income and expenditure, and explanation of the two documents.

It is the duty of the board to make sure that the annual report is made available to interested third parties and stake holders as and when it becomes necessary.