Loughbrickland Mission Hall
Trustees’ Annual Report
- 1st January 2021 December 31st 2021
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Trustees’ Annual Report (1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021)
Charity Name: Loughbrickland Mission Hall (NIC Number: 100874)
Location: Loughbrickland Mission Hall Main Street Loughbrickland Co. Down BT32 3NQ
Working Address: 103 Benburb Road,
Dungannon, Co.Tyrone, BT71 7PZ
Purpose of Loughbrickland Mission Hall:
The promotion and advancement of Christianity on strictly non-sectarian principles with all trustees holding evangelical views- and adhering to the Mission Hall’s ‘Statement of Faith’. The ‘Statement of Faith’ is annexed to this report.
The trustees are satisfied that both elements of the public benefit test are met.
The direct benefits flowing from this purpose include the raising of Christian moral values and standards amongst the people who attend the services and to wider society from seeing religious people in the community, the cultivation of cross-community relations (for example through common events like youth soccer training and coffee mornings) and the provision of youth ministries which advances religious knowledge and education amongst young people. Additional benefits include increased contribution to missionaries who adhere to our ‘Statement of Faith’, which sees improved relief to disadvantaged people at home and abroad. The benefits can be demonstrated though feedback from the beneficiaries and the visible presence of religion and its resources in the community.
No harm arises from any of the above.
The beneficiaries are primarily the users/ adherents of the hall and its statement of faith; and more widely the general public. There are no private benefits which are more than incidental or necessary, for example, a small token of gratitude to guest speakers etc.
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- Main Activities of Loughbrickland Mission Hall (1st Jan 2021 31st December 2021)
The global events surrounding Covid-19 had an obvious bearing upon the regular activities of Loughbrickland Mission Hall (LMH) throughout 2021. In particular, the months of January through to March saw no ‘in-person gatherings’ but rather virtual meetings were conducted via Zoom, which saw connections being made with different people.
Returning to in-person gatherings, as per government guidelines, the main activities comprised of:
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A Sunday evening service was conducted weekly with a visiting speaker or missionary. These meetings served to raise Christian moral values and standards among its attendants. It is open to the public and has enjoyed regular attendance from a diverse range of people from the community. These meetings, as well as special mid-week meetings, were recorded and made available to those unable to attend, through the means of our Youtube page.
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Tuesday evening prayer service . In like manner, these meetings served to raise Christian moral values, and were an on-going opportunity to pray for the local community and its needs.
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Taste Worship Nights. As of July 2021, we commenced a monthly gathering of young people in their twenties and thirties who now regularly gather for worship evenings with a short epilogue being shared.
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Children’s Christmas Outreach . In December, the Mission Hall hosted Colin Tinsley (Hope for Youth Ministries) on a Saturday morning with many children and young families attending to participate in this special Good News Club.
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Christmas Hampers: The hall held a collection of various non-perishable foods and resources for those in need at the festive season. Hampers were prepared within the hall before being handed out to those in the community who appreciated these kind gestures.
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Support of local and international missionary organisations. The Mission Hall regularly hosted missionary organisations throughout the year, and contributed collections to the respective missionary organisations. These organisations varied in their missional context: some organisations were primarily engaged in activity within Northern Ireland, whereas others were international in their outreach. However, all organisations supported by the Mission Hall had the shared purposes of alleviating poverty; providing relief to disadvantaged people, and ultimately, the
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furtherance of the evangelical Christian message in a local, as well as in an international context.
Governance of Loughbrickland Mission Hall
The charity is managed by a Committee, which in accordance to the Mission Hall’s constitution (February 2015), must have more than 4 persons but not more than 15.
The Committee must have the following offices of chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary and treasurer. Individuals, as well as officers, can be appointed at any one of the monthly meetings of the charity by the majority consent of the Committee. A trustee must be an adherent of the charity, agreeing with the Mission Hall’s ‘Statement of Faith’ and regard the statutory guidance on public benefit requirements from the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland.
Failure to adhere to the Mission Hall’s ‘Statement of Faith’ as well as the statutory guidance of the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland, would result in the disqualification of any trustee.
At least 10 meetings of the Committee are held annually (typically on a monthly basis), with a majority of trustees expected to be present in order to take decisions on behalf of the charity. Minutes are kept for every meeting.
Throughout 2021, there have been 6 members on the Committee:
Mr. Jim Stewart (Chair)
Mr. David Meredith (Vice-Chair)
Mrs. Wilma Stewart (Secretary)
Mr. Stephen Bartley (Treasurer)
Mr. William Adams
Mrs. Elizabeth Adams
- Financial Report (1st January 31st December 2021)
The opening bank balance on 1st January 2021 stood at £ £5,884.51
Throughout the year, the Mission Hall collected £15,039.71 through collections and free-will donations. Total expenditure throughout the year came to £14,294.56.
The closing bank balance on 31st December 2021 stood at £6,629.66
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Trustees at time of Report’s Approval (22th October 2022):
Mr. Jim Stewart (Chair)
Mr. David Meredith (Vice-Chair)
Mrs. Wilma Stewart (Secretary)
Mr. Jeremy Young (Treasurer)
Mr. Stephen Bartley
Mr. William Adams
Mrs. Elizabeth Adams
Signed:
Date: 22/10/2022
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In annex:
LOUGHBRICKLAND MISSION HALL
STATEMENT OF FAITH
a. The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
b. The sovereignty of God in creation, providence, revelation, redemption, and the final judgement.
c. The divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness of Holy Scripture as originally given and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
d. The sinfulness and guilt of all men since the Fall, rendering them subject to God’s wrath and condemnation
e. Redemption from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin only through the sacrificial death as our Representative and Substitute, of Jesus Christ the Incarnate Son of God.
f. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and his ascension to the right hand of God the Father.
g. The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting him repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ.
h. The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
i. The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
j. The one holy, universal Church which is the Body of Christ, and to which all true believers belong.
k. The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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