IRISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TRUSTEES. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's Igoverning do¢ument], the Charities Act 2011 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities= Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). Objectives and activities a. Public Benefit Statement The Irish Council of Churches is committed to the advancement of the Christian religion and the promotion of religious harmony. Its vision is to be a benchmark of unity in Christ for churches and communities globally by developing and providing a channel for Ireland's churches to connect through a common belief in Christ. Five values underpin its work.. The goal and grounding of all that we do is our shared Faith in Jesus Christ., we seek to be faithful to God and committed to ourjourney together. Holiness.. willing to be opened and Changed by God as we connect with each other and meet together in the Lord., experiencing God's holiness as we spend time together in prayer and seeking to be reconciled in Christ. Respect.. respecting and seeking to understsnd each other's beliefs,. we are aware of our diversity while recognising the presence of Christ in each other as we seek lo understand the fullness of God's revelation for the world. Hope.. hoping in Christ and living in the power of the Holy Spirit sustaining us and fueling our courage., we are courageous in our vision and mission having the strength together to fulfil our reason to be. Witness.. witnessing to God's kingdom of justice, peace and reconciliation through word and action; to our common discipleship in the way we live and work together; and as we listen to the world in which we live and serve. The Irish Council of Churches meets the public benefit requirement in ways.. 1. The advancement of religion.. The formal ecumenical body in Ireland, established in 1922, its current membership reflects the changing landscape of Christianity in Ireland across Protestant. Orthodox, Refomied, Independent and Migrant-led churches. Since 1973 it has coordinated the Irish Inter-church Meeting, a formal dialogue between the Irish Council of Churches and the Irish Episcopal Conference. Together, the Council and the Meeting bring together senior leaders representing the majority of Christian traditions in Ireland. Member churches express their Christian witness working together for the benefit of all peoples, in Northem Ireland and internationally. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include the ability of member churches to work together to raise awareness and understanding of their religious beliets and practices. The Irish Council of Churches provides an opportunity for member churches to better understand each other., promoting co-operation, joint working, and greater efficiency. The direct benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the Irish Council of Churches, services and activities and through feedback from representatives of each of the member churches. The Irish Council of Churches is a¢¢ountable to all its member churches and its work is reported to their governing bodies. This purpose does not lead to harm. The beneficiaries of this purpose are the member churches of the Irish Council of Churches. The beneficiaries also include the public generally in Northern Ireland specifically those involved in or associated with the Christian faith. There is no private benefit. 2. Through reconciliation and the promoting of religious harmony.. The Irish Council of Churches enables churches to work together to promote reconciliation across the historic political. social. ethnic and religious divides in Northern Ireland and through the island of Ireland. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include the promotion of political, social, ethnic and religious harmony by promoting good relations beeen people of different Christian traditions, building cooperation and understanding, and sharing information with the general public. This purpose does not lead to harm. The beneficiaries of this purpose are the public generally in Northern Ireland especially those who look to their church and the Irish Council of Churches to provide guidance on how they should treat others in society. There is no private benefit.
IRISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TRUSTEES. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. Achievements and performance Principal Activities Key activities of the Irish Council of Churches include: Formally bringing together senior representatives from across our member churches to meet, dialogue and plan activities of mutual concern, at least quarterly. Promoting reconciliation across historic political, social, ethnic, and religious divides. Facilitating joint co-operation through our liaison groups, enabling collaboration, ctroperation and the sharing ot information by bringing together representatives with specific responsibilities for a wide variety of aspects of the mission and ministry of our members. Coordinating working groups which advise on topics of mutual concem, bringing together nominated experts representative of the diversity of views expressed by our members. Enabling dialogue, sharing and joint action with the Irish Episcopal Conference through the Irish Inter-church Meeting. representatives of which meet at least quarterly. Highlighting the work of member churches before each other and the wider public in Ireland through disseminating resources, aggregating news on our website, sharing information on initiatives and communicating joint statements. Engaging with government and civil society on issues of mutual concern and advocating on public policy issues, as requested by our members, for the benefit of society at large. Working with our member churches on externally funded projects which fulfil our charitable purposes. Assisting the churches in relating to newer migrant-led churches and building informal relationships with leaders of other faiths. Working closely with other national and intemational ecumenical bodies, particularly those established to work in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches. Representing the member churches at keynote public events, including supporting joint public worship. Exploring the ongoing development of our networks to achieve our purposes. Full detsils of Council activities are available at.. www.irishchurches.org.
IRISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TRUSTEES. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 Financial review The accounts for the year show a deficit of £5,807, which is slightly better than budget, even after increased energy and utility costs. During the year we also performed essential mainlenan¢e to the Inter-ChurGh Centre. Member subscriptions returned to pre-covid levels in 2022 and will be maintained at that level for 2023, a testarnent to the cautious management of the organisations, financial resour¢es, despite increasing costs. It is likely we will have to increase subscriptions in the coming years to keep pace with expenditure. Trustees will maintain this cautious approach to planned expenditure throughout 2023. With the reduced risk from Covid-19, meetings returned to an in-person format wilh limited exceptions, leading to a corresponding increase in meeting costs. Most significantly, the Inter-church Meeting was again held over two days, allowing for much-valued time for delegates lo network and make new connections. A varied approach to meetings. whereby some are held in-person and some online-only, continues to prove useful and allows for more efficient use of time and resources, whilst also fostering the connection and trust that underpin the relationships essential to the effectiveness of the organisation. We find these relations are only truly developed through in-person encounter. Our total reserves now stand at £545,297 and are sufficient to provide for the financial requirements of the organisation going forward. The Executive Committee, informed by the Joint Management Committee, are discussing plans for the Inter-church Centre on Elmwood Avenue. The building itself is no longer well-suited to the needs of the organisation, being much too large. It has proved challenging lo find tenants from the non-profit sector and the building needs considerable capital investment to bring it in to line with regards to accessibility, energy efficiency and IT standards. Several options are being examined and the Executive Committee will bring proposals to the next AGM for the Council to consider. During 2022 we continued to prioritise partnership working. both with our neighbouring ecumenical organisations, and in our ongoing academic research projects with the DCU Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations. We are grateful for the continued support of our member churches and their commitment lo the work that is done together through ICC and IICM. Supporting them through the varied challenges Ihey face in their work at local congregation, community and national levels remains a priority for the coming year. Finally. I would like to thank colleagues on the Joint Management Committee, ICC Executive and Irish Inter-church Committee for their support and careful attention to matters of finance and governance. I would also like to thank our staff team, and in particular. to acknowledge the very careful and detailed work carried out by our Finance Assistant, Rebecca Schwindt, under very challenging circumstances this year. Going concern After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectstion that the Charity has adequate sources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the a¢¢ounting policies. Reserves policy It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted ftjnds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month's expenditure. The Trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity's current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year. Structurei governance and management Irish Council of Churches is a registered charity, number NIC102643, and is constituted under a Trust deed.
IRISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TRUSTEES. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 The Trustees who seNed during the year and up to the date of slgnature of the financial Statements were.. Rt Rev Andrew Forster Rt Rev Sarah Groves Mr Jonathan Wilson Very Rev Dr Ivan Patterson Mr William Hunter Most SeniorApostle OIu501a Obube Ms Georgina Copty Rev Canon Dr Daniel Nuzum Vacant Mr George Sayegh FrAnish John Ms Yvonne Langebach (Appointed 1018122) Rev Brian Anderson Ms Gillian Kingston Rev Dr Heather Morris Mr Mark Kernohan (Appolnted 6151221 Rt Rev Colin Campbell Rev Dr Paul Baille {Appointed 418122. Deceased 15111122} Rev Nigel Craig (Resigned 3113122) Rev Helen Freeburn (Appointed 1218122} Rev Trevor Gribben Rev Lorraine Kennedy-Ritchie (Resigned 3113122) Pastor Tunde Adebayo-oke James Ne550n Vacant Colonel Neil Webb Fr Dr Jobymon Skaria The management of the Charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the Trust deed. Funds held as Custodian trustee No funds are held as custodian on behalf of others. The rustees, report wa5 approved by the Board of Trustees. Wilson Trustee 16 March 2023