CHRIST CHURCH PRIMACY (COI)
Trustees’ Annual report and Statement of Receipts and Payments and Assets and Liabilities For the year ended 31 December 2023
Charities Number: NIC102609
Christ Church Primacy (COI) Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023
Contents
References and administrative details ............................................................................................ 3 Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023 ....................................................... 4 Objectives and Activities ............................................................................................................ 4 Achievements, Performance and Public Benefit........................................................................... 4 Financial Review ....................................................................................................................... 5 Structure, Governance and Management .................................................................................... 5 Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities ....................................................................................... 6 Independent Examiners Report to the Charity Trustees of Christ Church Primacy (Church of Ireland) 7 Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner ................................................................... 7 Basis of independent examiner's report....................................................................................... 7 Independent examiner's statement ............................................................................................. 7 Statement of Financial Activities..................................................................................................... 8 Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 ........................................ 13
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CHRIST CHURCH PRIMACY (Church of Ireland) Year ended 31 December 2023
REFERENCES AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Charity Name: Christ Church Primacy Charity Registration Number: NIC102609 Contact Address: Christ Church Primacy Balloo Road Bangor BT19 7PG
Trustees / Principal Office-bearers
Chair of Select Vestry Community Pastor Honorary Treasurer Honorary Secretary Church Warden – Rector’s: Church Warden – People’s: Glebe Warden Glebe Warden Vestry Member Vestry Member Vestry Member Vestry Member Vestry Member Vestry Member Vestry Member Vestry Member Vestry Member
Revd Simon Doogan Denise Wilson Moira McVeigh Jim Simpson Carol Graham Doreen Dunwoody Desie Wilson Tim Parr Brian Curran Audrey Derby Ashleen Johnston Helen McGlinchey Maura Mooney Colin Parker David Symington Rory Wilson Ann Scott
Independent Examiner
Gary Warke 5 Cranley Grove BANGOR BT19 7EY
Bankers
Danske Bank 77 Main Street Bangor BT20 5AP
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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
The trustees present the annual report and accounts for Christ Church Primacy for the year ended 31 December 2023.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The charitable purpose of Christ Church Primacy (Church of Ireland) is to advance the Christian faith, in alignment with the constitution of the Church of Ireland, and under the authority of the Bishop of Down and Dromore. This is offered in our corporate worship, pastoral care, evangelistic efforts and response to the acknowledged needs of our local community.
Church attendance over the year has fluctuated, influenced by deaths, new members and an initiative to form a Covenant Church with the Methodist congregation who also meet in the same building. Happily, attendance is on the increase, including young families. The Church continues to meet every Sunday and during the week runs a number of intergenerational programmes aimed to serve the local congregation and community.
The Church celebrated its 40[th] anniversary on 5 November, 2023. Celebrations were led by Bishop David McClay and District Superintendent Rev Philip Agnew, with many attendees from the local community and those who had served as church officers in years gone by.
ACHIEVEMENTS, PERFORMANCE AND PUBLIC BENEFIT
Community Engagement/ Evangelism/Mission
Monday Madness (children’s programme) ran from 5 June – 10 July, led by a team that hosted on average 50 children per week. The Big Top theme featured heroes from the Old Testament. On the final night families joined the children to celebrate what they had learnt over a supper of hotdogs.
The ‘Turning Tides Mission’ – 8-11 June 2023, saw CCP host a small SOMA (Sharing of Mission Abroad) team, hailing from England, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. During that weekend there was a mixture of religious and fun events, which included a night of line dancing with a BBQ to finish. The event was well attended by the local community.
Our annual Community Fun Day on 2 September was also well attended, with balloon modelling and face painting the most popular stalls. On the heels of the fun day there was additional sign up for Tots@primacy, Girl’s Brigade and Boy’s Brigade which was encouraging.
On 17 September we launched the Alpha course, which had approximately 18 people attend per week. The result of this course was one person coming to faith in Christ and many experiencing the Holy Spirit in a significant way for the very first time.
The Church continues to run Bangor CAP services, providing meeting facilities when needed, in conjunction with managing the Debt Centre Manager.
Mission Abroad
In addition to our local mission initiatives, the Church continues to support Kiwoko hospital in Uganda, via prayer and financial contributions.
Ecumenical Relationships.
Early in 2023 the Methodist church closed three churches in Bangor and later in June did not replace the Rev Mandy Durrell for Primacy Methodist. Primacy Methodist council approached our congregation with a request to consider the formation of a Covenant Church at Primacy. Three factors influenced our decision to consider this proposal. A concern for our Methodist friends, who felt called and committed to remain at Primacy, the financial impact their closure would have on our sustainability, and the fact that we needed their help to run ministries such as tots@primacy.
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On 4 June a Special Meeting was held to which Archdeacon Barry Ford representing the Covenant Council, and Mr. Colin Ferguson, representing The Church on the Hill, attended. They explained the rationale and function of a Joint ‘Covenant Church’. On 18 June we agreed to extend the joint worship services beyond the summer months, meeting at the new time of 10:30, with a planned review before Easter 2024.
Training and New Initiatives
Pastor Denise Wilson passed through the Church of Ireland selection process and commenced ordination training on a non-residential basis in September 2023. At this time Mr Jim Simpson applied and was accepted for Diocesan Reader training. He will commence studies in January 2024.
‘Kids@primacy’ is a new children’s ministry that began in September 2023, as a follow up to tots@primacy. Attendance at this club ranges from 6-15 children along with their carers and is proving popular on Friday afternoons.
Health and Safety
The property is well maintained, and safety measures/checks are performed as dictated by the Church of Ireland and Methodist Church in Ireland health and safety policies.
The Church is compliant with Safeguarding Trust policies and refresher training and NI Access checks are performed on an on-going basis as required.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
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 for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of these accounts and the financial statements for the year ended December 2023 can therefore be signed off as 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 salary, tax, National Insurance and NEST contributions of the full-time lay Community Paster, Denise Wilson, and CAP Centre Manager, Ashleen Johnston were paid by the parish. Gross salaries were in accordance with figures approved by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland.
Organisational Structure
The select Vestry is responsible for the day-to-day management of the parish. The Chair of the Select Vestry is either the member of clergy serving in the parish, or as is now the case, the Area Dean,
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Revd Simon Doogan. Others serving on the Select Vestry include 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 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 by the chairperson or the churchwardens.
Compliance with Public Benefit
The trustees of Christ Church Primacy have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that parish activities entered into during the year have helped them to achieve the parish’s objectives as well as providing public benefit. The services and activities we provide benefit all age groups in our community by contributing to the spiritual well-being of the participants and the reinforcement of Christian values. They also provide pastoral support and connection to the church for families, individuals and those who live alone.
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
Trustee 1
Trustee 2
Date: 31 October 2024
Date: 31 October 2024
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