Living Hope church posted a £62,000 deficit last year, latest accounts for the charity show.

During the year, Living Hope Community Church Ltd received income from tithes, offerings and donations from church members and others totalling £846,632, down slightly from £849,071 in 2018.

But total expenditure in the year up to the end of August 2019 was £953,873, (it was £953,608 in 2018), making a deficit of £62,271, up from £48,237 the previous year.

As a charitable company, the church is exempt from paying income tax.

Employment costs, totalling £453,318 (down from £497,634 in 2018) made up the biggest element of expenditure. During the year, the average number of employees was 13, including eight full-time pastors and assistant pastors.

Four of these served on the board as a directors and all these took home slightly lower salaries in 2019.

Total directors’ remuneration dipped from £207,834 in 2018 to £203,431 last year .

Highest paid was chief executive and lead pastor Jonathan Stanfield who received £62,517 (down from £63,924 in 2018).

Chairman Chris Staples and Peel pastor Euan MacRea both received £48,400 (down from £49,446 in 2018) and Ramsey pastor Adrian Porter took home £44,114 (45,018 in 2018). One director, John Anderson, receives no salary.

Remuneration rates for directors and staff are set by a committee consisting of ’suitably qualified and experience church staff’ independent of the directors, the accounts note.

During the year, the directors made donations to the church of £55,742, up from £29,610 the previous year.

Mr Stanfield received an interest-free housing loan of £160,000, renewed in 2016 and repayable after 20 years, to help to buy the Holly Lodge manse in Douglas. The balance is listed at £93,983 in the accounts following a £71,412 write-down in 2016-17.

Mr Stanfield and Mr Staples are both directors of South African-based global church Four12, to which Living Hope made donations of £56,619 in 2019. Neither received a payment from, or have any financial interest in Four12.

During the year, a relative of one of the directors was employed as a youth pastor and received a salary of £20,167 (up from £15,292 in 2018).