Archived: New Heart Baptist Church: mini-charity review

Mini charity review of New Heart Baptist Church (NH) as an Associate member of Missions Interlink. (Including the answers to the questions that the Australian charity regulator, the ACNC, suggests that you ask.)

Is it responsive to feedback?

• When sent a draft of this review, they…did not respond.

Is NH registered?

• As a charity, yes. But in its old name, Rochedale Baptist Church, with the addition of t/as New Heart Baptist Church.
  • The ABN registration is still in the old name.
• NH is an unincorporated entity.

What do they do?

• See here.
• And the Annual Information Statement 2015 (AIS 2015):
  • Conducted regular church services and other religious activities including acts of kindness and mercy in the community as part of those religious activities.

Do they share the Gospel?

• Yes

What impact are they having?

• No information found.

What do they spend outside the costs directly incurred in delivering the above impact, that is, on administration?

• As they are not required to lodge any financial information, even in the AIS 2015 – they are a ‘basic religious charity’ – and they have chosen not to lodge this information voluntarily nor publish anything on their website, we cannot make this calculation.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• No

Is their online giving secure?

• Online giving is not offered.

What choices do you have in how your donation is used?

• None

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• Yes (six months after year end, eight days before the deadline).

Does their reporting comply with the regulator’s requirements?

• AIS 2015: No
  • Their name is incorrect.
  • There are no outcomes.
• Financial Report 2015: NA
  • Although their size is Medium, meaning that they should lodge accounts that have at least been reviewed, their status as a ‘basic religious charity’ means that they are exempt from reporting.
  • But their Associate membership of Missions Interlink requires them to “have available for [their] members and supporters a clear and appropriate financial statement which has been approved by its auditor.” So just ask.
  • They could have lodged this voluntarily, but they chose not to.

What financial situation was shown in that Report?

• NA

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• NA

If a charity, is their page on the ACNC Register complete?

• Yes

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• Here’s who they identify as the leaders.
• The ‘Responsible Persons’ on the ACNC Register match the elders plus the Senior Pastor, but with an extra person, Roger McKnight:
  • Paul Butler
  • Peter Lane
    • Is it this Peter Lane?
  • Johan Laubscher
  • Roger McKnight
    • Is it this Roger McKnight?
  • Johan Oosthuizen
    • Is it this Johan Oosthuizen?
  • Robert Spence
    • Is it this Robert Spence?

To whom is NH accountable?

• NH is an Associate member of Missions Interlink. Missions Interlink has an accountability regime^[1].
• NH is also accountable to the ACNC.

1. For one opinion on the strength of that accountability, see the section Activities in this review. ↑