Middle East Reformed Fellowship
MERF (Ireland) 5 Mount Royal Donaghadee BT21 0QY
Trustees Annual Report
1st January 2024 - 31st December 2024
charity number 103181
Trustees :
Rev Victor Atallah, Larnaca Mr Jim Butler, Donaghadee Rev Raymond Kelly, Garvagh Rev lan McClean, Coleraine
Other Council Members :
Rev Prof. David McKay (chairman) Rev Norman McAuley Mr John McClean Rev Stanley Millen Rev Richard Murray Mrs. Isobel Gilmore
Constitution:
The Fellowship is governed by the Deed of Trust dated November 11 1999. Trustees are nominated by the Council and appointed by the Trustees. Potential members are considered against the Council's requirements concerning availability, competence and specialist skills. Members of Council will have an interest in the welfare and progress of the Gospel in the areas covered by the charity.
Prior to appointment to Council, members are appraised of the objects and ethos of the Fellowship and of the duties and responsibilities they will be expected to undertake. Council continues regularly to review any major risks relating to the charity.
Trustee and Council changes:
none
Objects
The object of the Fellowship is to support Christian work in the lands of the Middle East, North Africa and Asia through funding national church leaders, training, literature, broadcasting and practical aid.
The Fellowship benefits greatly from the involvement of Council Members and volunteers.
Income
The Fellowship continues to be supported by donations from churches, other organisations and by individuals. We are grateful to God for the continued financial support for the work
Finance
Details of our finances and auditors report are given in our Statement of Accounts
Promotion
We have been visiting churches, other Christian groups and organisations with PowerPoint presentations of the work of MERF. Our MERF News (monthly by e-mail, bimonthly by post) is circulated and continues to provide information. Information is also available on the MERF website.
Statement of Public Benefit
MERF Ireland Cou ncil has continued to be directly involved in the bible training work at Lokichoggio, Kenya as we arrange for lecturers to teach pastors, evangelists and other Christian workers.
Radio and internet broadcasts in the Nuer language are also prepared at our compound there. Also, through our local evangelists, the gospel is being preached to the local Turkana people and practical aid is also distributed to the needy.
Our Arabic Media Broadcasting, operated by teams in Egypt , Lebanon and Cyprus has been very effective, especially among young Arabic speaking people.
The Farsi websites have hundreds of thousands of visitors
In Indonesia we now broadcast in 6 languages in that country.
Our involvement in Pakistan continues to grow. There is a special interest in education through the 4 Calvin Academies and in the medical clinics which we support. With the ongoing famine conditions in Ethiopia we have been able to contribute to the relief effort, as well as our ongoing broadcasts in the local languages.
Further relief has been provided through churches in South Sudan , Lebanon and Palestine .
We continue to publish and distribute Christian books which are much appreciated by pastors.
Our children's resource material is proving particularly popular.
Rev Ian McClean, 6[th] March 2025