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Contents
References and Administrative Details.......................................................................................................... 3 Trustees .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Principal Office-bearers ................................................................................................................................... 3 Independent Examiner ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Bankers ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 December 2019 ....................................................... 4 Objectives and Activities ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Achievements, Performance & Public Benefit ............................................................................................ 4 Financial Review ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 Going Concern ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Structure, Governance and Management ..................................................................................................... 6 Governing Document and Constitution of the Charity ...................................................................... 6 Recruitment and Appointment of Select Vestry (Trustees) ............................................................ 6 Pay and Remuneration ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Organisational Structure ................................................................................................................................. 6 Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities ........................................................................................................ 7
References and Administrative Details
Charity Name: BELFAST/Belfast: All Saints/All Saints/Connor/Church of Ireland Also known as: ASC All Saints’ Church UniChurch Belfast[1] Charity Registration: NIC 101981 Contact Address: All Saints’ Church Canterbury Street Belfast BT7 1LB
Trustees
Trustees are elected annually at the Easter AGM. Those marked with an asterisk (*) were serving trustees on 31 December 2019.
Norma Agnew Michael Hamer Ron McCormick Andy Blair Brian Haugh Andrew Scholes Peter Currie Morgan Hickman David Scholes Rosalind Dunlop Sarah Hunter Geraldine Shaw Peter Fee Trevor Johnston Paul Wilson Sam Francey* Peter Mackey
Principal Office-bearers
Clergy: Trevor Johnston Church Treasurer: David Scholes Church Secretary: Peter Fee
Independent Examiner
Jack Simpson 26 Annadale Green Belfast BT7 3DQ
Bankers
Danske Bank Business Banking PO Box 183 Donegall Square West Belfast BT1 6JS
- 1 The Sunday evening service is known as ‘‘UniChurch’’
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 December 2019
The trustees present the Annual Report and Statements of Receipts and Payments and Assets and Liabilities for All Saints’ Church for the year ended 31 December 2019.
Objectives and Activities
The charitable purpose of the Church of Ireland is the advancement of religion.
The principal function of All Saints’ Church is to support the advancement of the Christian religion by promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, educational, missional, social, and ecumenical. Being open to and engaging with society as a whole and offering support for those needing help are fundamental to the practical delivery of the benefits of Christianity.
Achievements, Performance & Public Benefit
All Saints’ Parish is a Church of Ireland church located in south Belfast which addresses the spiritual needs of a wide range of people groups both within the parochial and surrounding areas. Two services of public worship are held most Sundays. These comprise Bible teaching and the application of what is taught, prayer, hymns and the mutual encouragement to continue living as Christians.
As an inner-city church, the parish comprises a blend of core members who travel into the area, students from the local universities, a smaller number of others who live within the parochial boundaries, and others. In the course of the past year, the morning services had an average attendance of 160, comprising these core members and visitors. The average attendance at the evening services, which has been running since September 2018 under a newly reformatted style and name (UniChurch), was 150, most of whom were young adults. This is a marked increase in the second year of this service’s recalibration.
Students, particularly those from overseas and other diverse backgrounds, are made to feel welcome within a Christian community through a variety of events which involve hospitality, service and introducing the Christian faith. Various teaching activities take place on a weekly basis, including ‘Campus Bible Study’, and iBake, a new initiative for international students.
The parish has an active Sunday School, referred to as ‘ASC Kids’, which caters for the needs of over forty children. An Easter and summer holiday club were organised in conjunction with a local primary school, thereby opening the church to, and building relationships with, the local community. This ministry is built upon the numerous contacts made by members of the ministry team in visits to primary schools in the greater south Belfast area. A weekly event, called ASC Youth, for children of secondary school age runs on Friday evenings with social, spiritual and educational emphases at its core.
Several home groups meet regularly for Bible study, fellowship and prayer and these groups are also used to integrate new members into the parish. Five new groups were established this year, particularly associated with our reshaped evening service. A similar
group, Golden Saints, exists for retirees and meets bi-weekly for fellowship, hospitality and encouragement.
There is also a traineeship scheme whereby those considering full-time Christian ministry or mission undertake a one- or two-year programme and are trained in the areas of competency, character and conviction. This year we’ve been privileged to have had five ministry associates comprising two on a part-time basis and three on a full-time basis.
All Saints’ Parish also cooperates with other churches within the inner city who share our ethos. During the course of the year occasional public lectures with internationally renowned speakers attract large crowds, thus furthering the reach of All Saints’ Church and facilitating Christian education.
The trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities entered into during the year have helped to achieve the parish’s objectives as well as providing public benefit.
Financial Review
Total receipts on unrestricted funds were £210k and £22k was received for restricted funds. Like-for-like core giving (excluding bequests) increased by £12k (9%) from 2018 as new members joined the congregation and existing members increased their donations. Outstanding Gift Aid of £7.8k from donations in 2019 has yet to be received.
We gratefully acknowledge an anonymous bequest of £25k and a grant of £10k from the Church of Ireland Orphan and Children’s Society.
During 2019 the sum of £194k was spent from unrestricted funds and £57k from restricted funds to provide for the Christian ministry of All Saints’ Church.
Most of the essential maintenance work on the rectory was carried out during 2019 at a cost of £19k. A further £6k was spent modernising the kitchen in the church. This capital expenditure was funded by the realisation of £25k of investments.
All Saints’ Church supports Christian mission through other agencies and individuals nationally and internationally. This is represented by the Mission Fund, and this year £21k was donated.
Although core giving increased, a decrease in grant income, coupled with additional staffing costs and the building maintenance costs, resulted in total payments being £19k more than total receipts, although unrestricted funds rose slightly due to the asset sales mentioned.
At the end of 2018 unrestricted funds were £71k in credit and £49k was held in restricted funds. At the end of 2019 unrestricted funds were £72k and a further £28k was held in restricted cash funds.
It is the policy of the Select Vestry to hold the equivalent of 3 months running costs as reserves to cover unforeseen eventualities, currently estimated to be £60k, with a further £5k being needed to finish rectory repairs. At the end of December 2019 the unrestricted funds surplus was £72k. It is anticipated the slight excess will be used in increased staffing costs as we expand our ministry in 2020.
Going Concern
The trustees have reviewed the budgets for the year ahead and are satisfied that there are adequate funds in place to ensure that the Parish can continue its activities and the financial statements for the year ended 2019 can be signed off as a going concern.
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing Document and Constitution of the Charity
Chapter III of the Constitution of the Church of Ireland governs parishes and parochial organisation. The Select Vestry members are the charity trustees.
Recruitment and Appointment of Select Vestry (Trustees)
All members of the Church of Ireland who are over the age of 18 and are either resident within the parish or live elsewhere but have been accustomed members of the congregation for at least three months, may register as members of the General Vestry of the parish, allowing them to attend and vote at meetings of the General Vestry and to stand for election to the Select Vestry.
Meetings of the General Vestry are held at least once a year. The Select Vestry is elected as part of this General Vestry meeting. The Select Vestry will hold their positions for a period of one year. Select Vestry members may be re-elected annually and there is no limit on the number of terms which may be served.
Pay and Remuneration
The rector receives a stipend in accordance with figures approved by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland. He also receives locomotory expenses and expenses of office, and allowances for communication and to carry out evangelism.
No other payments were made to any trustee except to reimburse them for purchases made on behalf of the church.
Organisational Structure
The Select Vestry is responsible for the day to day management of the parish. The Select Vestry consists of the member of the clergy serving in the parish, the churchwardens, the
glebewardens and generally not more than twelve other members of the General Vestry elected at the General Vestry meeting.
The Select Vestry is chaired by the incumbent or other member of the clergy officiating in the parish. Select Vestry members are responsible for making decisions on matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding how parish funds are to be applied.
The Select Vestry meets at times fixed by the members or by the Diocesan Synod. Special meetings may be convened at any time by the chairperson or the churchwardens. In 2019 the Select Vestry met nine times.
~~Lo~~ Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the Statement of Receipts and Payments and Statement of Assets and Liabilities in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
The law applicable to charities in Northern Ireland with income of less than £250,000 requires the trustees to prepare a Statement of Receipts and Payments and a Statement of Assets and Liabilities for each financial year.
The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Parish’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the assets and liabilities of the Parish. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Parish and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Signed on behalf of the trustees:
Rev T Johnston (Chair)
D Scholes (Treasurer)
18 June 2020