Eastern Baptist Association

Registered charity 1089795 · since 2001easternbaptist.org.uk·England, Wales·Updated 31 October 2026

At a glance

£125k

Annual giving, year to 31 December 2025

From filed accounts

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.

Key takeaways

A church or minister that is developing pioneering, church planting or other missional work fits this funder's stated purpose, and ministers who have not been able to obtain a BUGB CMD grant can apply for a bursary.
Requests should match the programme: up to £250 for training, up to £1,000 for a one-off missional project, event or group, up to £7,500 for mission and ministry development, and up to £15,203 for pioneering or church planting.
Its stated application method is by invitation only, so contact the EBA Secretary first to get the forms and discuss the assessment process, bearing in mind that the Pioneering & Planting and Mission & Ministry grants close on 28 February.
Applications are means-tested and must show how the work will become self-funding over the long term, with awards expected to taper, and Mission & Ministry applicants are expected to contribute to Home Mission.
Churches that have easily available resources to meet these costs should not apply, as the Association expects them not to.

Overview

Eastern Baptist Association is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1089795).

Eastern Baptist Association is a charity registered in England and Wales that exists to grow healthy churches in relationship for God's mission in the East of England. It makes grants available to its members, especially churches developing mission and ministry. Its stated grants are up to £15,203 (the equivalent of a half-stipend) for pioneering, church planting or other missional start-up ministries, up to £7,500 for mission and ministry development, up to £1,000 for one-off missional projects, events or groups, and up to £250 for ministers' training. Its annual report gives total giving of £124,587.

What they fund

Priority Areas

Eastern Baptist Association makes grants available to its members, especially churches developing mission and ministry. Its grant programmes support pioneering, church planting and other missional start-up ministries, as well as mission and ministry development in churches that do not meet the pioneering-grant criteria. It also offers one-off contributions to specific missional projects, events or groups, and bursaries for ministers' training and development when they have not obtained a BUGB CMD grant. For the two church-grant schemes, applicants are expected to show how the work will become self-funding and sustainable over the long term; awards are expected to taper over time. Those schemes are means-tested, and Mission and Ministry applicants are expected to contribute to Home Mission. Churches are expected not to apply where they have easily available resources to meet the costs.

Themes

Pioneering and church planting
Church mission and ministry
Missional projects
Ministerial training

What they don't fund

Churches with easily available resources to cover these costs, which the Association expects not to apply

How to apply

Churches can apply to the Pioneering & Planting, Mission & Ministry and Mission Project grants; ministers who have not been able to attain a BUGB CMD grant can seek a Ministerial Bursary Grant. Application forms for all four grants are available from the EBA Secretary, who can discuss the assessment process.

Application windows:

Pioneering & Planting Grants: Closes on 28 February.
Mission & Ministry Grants: Closes on 28 February.

Who can apply:

Mission & Ministry Grants: Applicants are expected to be contributors to Home Mission.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

Pioneering & Planting and Mission & Ministry applications are assessed means-tested.
Applicants for Pioneering & Planting and Mission & Ministry grants should show how the recipient will become self-funding and sustainable over the long term.
Mission & Ministry applicants are expected to contribute to Home Mission.
The Grants Committee may give a 10% uplift for ministry in parts of the Association that are poorer or less churched.

Where they fund

Registered area of operation (Charity Commission)

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Eastern Baptist Association.

South Wales Baptist AssociationRollingGave £61,947 The Baptist Union of Great BritainNo public processGave £3.9M The Baptist Union of WalesInvitation onlyGave £60,984 Yorkshire Baptist AssociationInvitation onlyGave £91,475 Heart of England Baptist AssociationInvitation onlyGave £80,107 The Antony Boot Charitable TrustRollingGave £74,666 Congregational FederationInvitation onlyGave £154k Aldershot Methodist Military TrustInvitation onlyGave £69,461 Marshall's CharityMixed deadlinesGave £652k Wales Leadership ForumFixed deadlinesGave £65,000

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2021	£273,320	£368,283	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£414,506	£334,195	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£278,681	£376,914	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£490,406	£424,976	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025	£405,824	£435,901	£124,587	Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.