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2025-12-31-annual-report

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in lreland

Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2025

Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NI104324

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

The Trustees Present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2025 including a Balance Sheet as at that date.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

St. Andrew’s congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Rosetta Road Belfast BT6 OFG

Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104324)

CHARITY TRUSTEES

_ Thereport Charitywere Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this

Rev. R.S. Aicken Mrs. E. McCallum Mr. K. Brown Mr. J. McCallum Mr. M. Forsythe appointed 22" june Mrs. L. McGarrell Mr. A. Hunter Mrs. S. McLearnon Mr. S. Knox appointed 22" June Dr. R. Scott Mr. A. Kilpatrick

PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS

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Minister Rev. R.S. Aicken Clerk of Session Mrs. E. McCallum Treasurer Mr. K. Brown

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Mirs. J. Sloan

BANKERS

Danske Bank

Forestside Belfast

SOLICITORS

None

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT

The Kirk Session

The charity trustees of the congregation are the members of its Kirk Session. Under the congregation’s governing document, The Code, the book of the constitution and government of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and Promote the spiritual interest of the congregation and of persons not connected with any congregation who are within its bounds. It ensures Pastoral care is in place in the congregation and seeks to further the contribution of the Church to Christian witness and service in the local community. The Kirk Session has delegated to its Congregational Committee the temporal affairs of the congregation including administering all funds and Property belonging to the congregation. Members of the Kirk Session are ex-officio members of the Congregational Committee.

The Kirk Session consists of the ordained minister and the ruling elders of the congregation. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except onlyathat theCasting Moderator,vote. the minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held once a month, or as appropriate. To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the congregation a person must be a voting member anda regular attendant on its ordinances. The selection of those Proposed to be called to the office can be either by the congregation or by the Kirk Session. Members are elected if they obtain two-thirds of those who vote.

Presbytery

Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of s0vernance the corporate oversight of a congregation is the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends generally the spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the East Belfast Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the active ministers of congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly, minsters who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

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The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and acting as its supreme legislative, administration and judicial authority, in dealing with all matters brought before it. The General Assembly is normally constituted during the first week in June for worship and to conduct its business. At the end of business, it is dissolved. The membership of the General Assembly consists mainly of the active ministers of each congregation, retired minsters and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation.

DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Christ is grounded in the Scriptures, and exists to love and honour God through faith in His Son and missionby the powerto our ofworld. His Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God’s The congregation’s mission purpose is by the grace of God, to help people of all ages become fully devoted followers of inclusive, Jesus Christ. Our vision is, by the grace of God, to be an welcoming community of Christ’s people of all ages, which:

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

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ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Worship and prayer

The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 11.00am, for prayer on the first Sunday of each month at 7.00pm, and for teaching at our Deeper sessions on the third Sunday of the month at 7.00pm.

On Sunday mornings, Robin and Andrew preacheda series of sermons on the Eldership during January, in Preparation for an election of Elders. Subsequently we have been continuing systematic Studies through Acts, Exodus and Mark.

Teams of volunteers serve coffee after the morning service each week, which is an project.Opportunity for people to catch up with each other. Donations 80 to the PCI Sunday School We normally have about 20 people attending our monthly prayer meetings, when we pray for the work and needs of our congregation, our community, and across the world.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

This year we were pleased to welcome representatives of Wycliffe Bible Translators and themExodusbetter to ourin Prayerprayer. meetings to explain more about their work, so that we could support

Our Deeper series once a month on Sunday evenings, which encourages us to go deeper into the Word, helps us grapple with the foundations of our faith. newerIn May we combined our AGM with a Vision Night, when Robin interviewed one ofour members, Debbie Boal, who had been invited to church by her neighbour, and reminded us that we could all help achieve our vision of making and growing disciples of Jesus by Praying, inviting people to church, prayerfully reflecting on our giving, and being cake.present, which can bea great encouragement. We finished the evening with coffee and

At 31 December 2025 there were 86 communicant members and 88 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship was 75, with others watching online,

Pastoral care

Members of the congregation, including those who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age, are normally visited on a regular basis by the minister and assistant minister, the elders, or by one of the congregation’s pastoral visitors. For any housebound members without internet access who request it, a distribution team continue to deliver a copy of the sermon each week, along with Bible reading notes and a copy of the weekly bulletin. At Christmas, the ministry team and other volunteers visited those who are unable to attend regularly with a Christmas card and a gift from the church, and the minister visited members who had lost loved ones during the year. Our Food Ministry continues to provide meals for people facing particular challenges, for example those who are ill, have suffered a bereavement, have had a new baby etc. The Pastoral Care Team meets with the minister regularly, to ensure Pastoral needs are being followed up. New Pastoral Visitors were trained by Robin on how to do an effective pastoral visit, and given help to complete Access NI forms. The minister, along with some of the elders, arranged home communion services appreciated.for a number of our members who can no longer get to church, and these were very much

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

At Session meetings, our Kirk Session regularly pray through our congregational list, praying systematically for each of our members by name.

Training and Development

We encourage the congregation to develop their reading habits, and make devotional books available at Easter and Christmas. The elders have set aside some time in Session meetings for training, and this year we have been reading and discussing together a book on the eldership entitled ‘A Good Work’ by David Watson. At our monthly congregational prayer meetings we have been using the “Five Things to Pray for...” series of books, and occasionally have a guest along to tell us more about a particular project we are praying for. This year we invited Jo from Exodus to update us on their work among people and we heard from Wycliffe Bible Translators about their work in making the Bible accessible to people in their own language.

This year we were delighted to host the annual East Belfast Presbytery Mission Service in St Andrew’s. It was wonderful to see the church packed, to hear the glorious singing, and it was inspiring to hear how God is building his church throughout Ireland. There was an Opportunity to catch up with friends from other churches over supper afterwards

We are indebted to Jillian McClure for training a group of volunteers in the use of the defibrillator which has been installed in the vestibule. We hope we won’t have to use it — or that if we do, we remember all we’ve been taught!

In March, our Youth and Family Worker, Courtney McCombe, organised a Face to Facebook event, to help equip parents and carers to support their children and young people ina digital world.

Some of our elders participated in an Evangelism Training with Rico Tice in Dundonald PC, organised by East Belfast Presbytery. Rev David Johnston led us in studies in Jude for our Bible teaching weekend in October.

Some of us attended an East Belfast Presbytery Prayer and Worship evening in Orangefield to learn more about and pray for the Reconfiguration Process. In November our minister and a couple of when elders had a conversation with representatives of the Reconfiguration Panel, futurewe had an Opportunity to present our strengths and weaknesses, imagine what the might look like, and pray for God’s wisdom as the next steps are considered. Our reviewable tenure may also be impacted by the reconfiguration process

Our quarterly Prayer Diary, which is circulated to the congregation and our housebound members, is a useful tool to help us pray regularly for our Kirk Session, Church Committee, and the congregation, and gives us information on the missionaries we support, and any special events which are coming up.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)

In November, the Kirk Session reallocated our districts, dividing our members into five areas, with 2 elders responsible for each district. Everyone should have received a letter by now introducing their new elders, with their names and contact details. Elders will be praying for and keeping in touch with their districts.

TULIP:In our Deeper series, we began to Study the five points of Calvinism, known by the acronym

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We have had Many changes in our membership and leadership this year. We have been grieved by the deaths of several much loved members, although we rejoice that their earthly suffering is Over, and we have been sad to lose some long standing members who have moved to other congregations. However there were also some celebrations, as Robin held church membership classes in March and we welcomed four new members by profession of faith on Easter Sunday. We had some changes in roles of responsibility as Julie Murphy took over as Secretary to the Committee, Claire McGarrell became convener of the Missionary Team, and Lisa Maguire took on responsibility for safeguarding. Weare grateful for their willingness and commitment to serve in these ways. This year, the congregation elected two new elders, Michael Forsythe and Stephen Knox, and after a period of training, they were ordained and installed on 22 June. It wasa wonderful evening of praise and encouragement, surrounded by their families and friends, and we look forward to their contribution to the leadership in our congregation. Stephen McCombe Was appointed Assistant Minister in Ravenhill, so he and Courtney are still in the neighbourhood, and it’s great to keep in touch. Stephen took his final service with us on 8 June, after which we made Presentations to him and his family, and enjoyed coffee together afterwa rds.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

It was a bitter-sweet occasion for us when Andrew Frazer, our Assistant Minister, received a call and was ordained and installed as minister of Trinity, Ahoghill, and Grange in September. Andrew has had a full experience of ministry under the guidance of Robin, which we pray will give him a solid grounding for leading his own congregation. Andrew has taken a full part in St Andrew’s in leading worship and systematic preaching, when he has expounded Bible Passages very clearly, tackling difficult texts, and giving us direction on how to apply God’s word to our everyday lives. He has been very attentive in pastoral Care, meeting regularly with the pastoral care team, and showing the same level of compassion Robin does in visiting those who are housebound or ill. Andrew has played a full part in many of our church activities, from instigating a men’s ministry, to helping out at community lunches, to leading youth activities, and Participating in small groups. When Robin has been on holiday he could be confident our church family was in safe hands with Andrew stepping in. All of these activities have been learning opportunities which we know andwill standGrange, Andrew in good stead as he 80es On to take full responsibility for leading Trinity While we are delighted to be sending Andrew on from our congregation to make and grow disciples in Trinity, we very much miss him, Jenny, Joel and Zoe around St Andrew’s. We had a very moving farewell service, when we made a presentation of gifts family, and enjoyed coffee together after church. We pray that the whole Frazer family will find a warm welcome in Trinity and Grange, that their new church family will quickly take them to their hearts, that the Kirk Sessions will be Supportive and open to God’s direction, and that Trinity and Grange will be richly blessed by Andrew’s ministry, as we have been, Now that we no longer have an assistant minister, ministry apprentice, or youth and family worker, the elders are aware of the need to support Robin in Sharing the burden of pastoral care, and to help by leading prayers and doing the bible reading on Sunday mornings. Session are praying for an Opportunity and the means to employ the right person who has a Passion to see the people in our area drawn to explore faith and experience God’s love, and who will share in the vision we have to see God transform our neighbourhood.

Mission and outreach

Courtney’s term as Youth and Family Worker came to an end in June, and we miss her greatly, Particularly in Smash and our children’s ministries, however we are delighted that Janice has stepped in to help out. Our Thursday Kids Club finished with a barbecue in June, and unfortunately we could not find leaders to carry on that work from September. [tis always good to see our Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers at the Thinking Day service in February. Courtney McCombe was the speaker this year, and we were delighted to see so many of their Parents worshipping with us and sharing in tea and coffee afterward.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (coni’d)

We got together for an exciting Six Nations rugby tournament, with friends from neighbouring churches, when we watched the matches together in the minor hall, and enjoyed pizza and other goodies at half time.

For our Easter outreach we offered a book ‘Is Easter Unbelievable’ to people passing our church gates, as well as calling with our neighbours in Rosetta and Wynchurch, saying hello, offering a copy of the book, and letting them know details of our Easter services. One of the Exodus teams joined us for our Good Friday service, and had a sleepover on our premises, Our Easter family event, Messy Easter, was an afternoon of family fun with stories, songs, crafts and food, and an Easter scavenger trail. Our Holiday Bible Club in June this year was the space-themed ‘Out of this World’, and another Opportunity for children to have fun together, playing games and learning about Jesus.

In October we held Light the Night, with numbers in the grounds limited to 600 through online booking. We distributed evangelical literature to all the families who came, and the children were able to enjoy the activities without too much queuing. The fireworks were spectacular as usual! This is an Opportunity for families to enjoy quality time together in a safe and welcoming environment. We distributed evangelical literature to all the families who came, and advertised Our upcoming Christmas pantomime — Countdown to Christmas, a nativity for the community performed by the drama group Play It By Ear. This proved effective, as online booking for the panto filled up very quickly, and if the noise level was anything to go by, it was a very popular afternoon!

Our St Andrew’s Night get together for our whole church family was an Opportunity to have some fun, and be entertained by several talented people in our congregation, with poetry readings, music and Songs, and some sketches. Robin brought us a closing message, and we are indebted to those who provided the sumptuous supper!

Assistance Dogs (Northern Ireland) continue to hold monthly Craft Fairs in our main hall, with local crafts for sale, some puppies looking for cuddles, and some trained Assistance Dogs making friends with People. This is a good Opportunity for us to connect with people in the community, as well as regular stall holders, and to offer hospitality at our coffee dock. There was good footfall, and we look forward to continuing to host regular Craft Fairs next year for this worthwhile charity.

On Christmas Eve, led by our praise leaders Robert and Jeanette, a group of us sang carols to some of our older members at their homes.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)

Our congregation regularly supports Tearfund, an evangelical Christian relief and development charity, working with partners to tackle the causes and effects of poverty, bringing Jesus Christ’s good news to the poor in over 100 countries around the world. As part of our harvest gifts, shoeboxes were made up by members in support of Operation Christmas Child through Samaritans Purse International. Fruit and vegetables brought for our harvest celebrations were donated to The Larder foodbank. Our copper collection is donated to Tearfund.

We maintain our Strong links with Cregagh Primary School, and at Christmas we delivered gifts for every child in the school on behalf of our church. Robin is a representative on the school’s Board of Governors, and one of our members is the current Chair of the Board. Cregagh Primary School held their senior school Carol Service in St Andrew’s — our praise band accompanied the singing, and our members hosted supper afterwards. The school Principal and teachers are very appreciative of this strong link with our church.

We are involved in the Cregagh Community Association, with two representatives attending their meetings. We help at the monthly community pensioners’ lunches by transporting people, serving, clearing up, and chatting to those who attend. This year we also helped out at the VE Day Celebration Dinner in May.

The Exodus Belfast Centre has become well established in our premises, and is making good connections in schools in our area. Exodus taught SOAR leadership courses in Grosvenor and Wellington, and 14 teams with 129 team members met weekly from mid February until June in preparation for serving in Ireland and abroad in the summer. This was a huge and very encouraging growth on the previous year, and represents contact with 60 churches in total. Exodus aspire this year to reach ‘less likely’ young people — young men, and young people who are far from church. We continue to pray for them as they do this important and effective among young people in our area.

The Exodus summer teams met as usual from mid February until the end ofJune. We were delighted that one of our members, Laura McGrath, joined the Exodus team to Cork, and we enjoyed Supporting her and following her Progress. This year Exodus had so many more teams than last year (a good problem to have!) that it put some pressure on meeting space. So during the year Exodus have started work to bring our basement back into service so that they can hold some team meetings there in future. Exodus have also set aside a budget to refurbish the minor hall for St Andrew’s, in an effort to make this a warmer and more welcoming space for everyone to use.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (coni’d)

Daisies and Buttercups (pre-school and after-school groups) meet throughout the year in the Courtney Hall, and make occasional use of the main hall and our extensive grounds to run off steam. This year they also started a homework club in the minor hall on weekday afternoons during term time.We were also able to offer Space to Mount Oriel Clinic to continue their vaccination programmes. In June we hosted Forge Integrated Primary School for a morning’s visit to our building, and an introduction to what goes on here,

Our facilities are the regular meeting place for Cregagh Cactus Club and the Ulster Guides Singing Circle. We are pleased that the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers continue toevenings. have good numbers and excellent leadership, as they make use of our halls on Friday

An international church, Eschatos, with origins in Ghana, has purchased the Olivet Hall at Bell’s Bridge, but due to some legal technicalities they have been unable to take possession yet. Their pastor, Rev Ben Dadebo, asked if they could use our hall to meet temporarily on Sunday afternoons, so the Kirk Session were pleased to be able to help them out with accommodation over the Christmas period.

We continue to partner with Trinity Chester, an International Presbyterian Church project, and are supporting them financially and in prayer as they establish this church plant, and build on their connection with students. We appreciate the reciprocal encouragement which enriches both congregations. Their minister Rev Deinio] Williams took our morning worship on 16 February.

A number of years ago Our church received a generous bequest from the Kyle family, and Session agreed at the time to tithe a thank-offering which we would give away to support other people. We have previously made donations of £5,000 to Mercy Ships, and £5,000 to Wycliffe Bible Translators, and we had a balance of £5,000 which we wanted to use to help some local charities. So in May we donated £1,000 to Assistance Dogs NI, £1,000 to L’Arche Belfast, £1,500 to the Presbyterian Children’s Society, and £1,500 to the Student Bursary Fund. These are all causes which help people outside St Andrew’s and we pray the money will be used to bring help to those who are suffering, and to extend God’s kingdom.

The congregation supports the United Appeal for Mission which is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregations to support the wider mission of the denomination and to do mission and outreach ona denominational basis beyond what the congregation could do on its own. The United Appeal Fund provides financial support for mission personnel at home and Overseas, assists congregations with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church planting, provides grant support for the upkeep of church premises, assists with the running costs of Union Theological College

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

The Church’s training college for ministry students), and financially supports congregations in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care.

Overseas Mission Support -2025

During the past year, Our congregation has continued to financially and prayerfully support a number of overseas mission partners. This work is overseen by the Missionary Committee, which seeks to keep the congregation informed and engaged through regular updates and prayer resources. This year we were pleased to welcome two new members to the Missionary Committee, Stephen and Beth. As a committee, we are also exploring new ways to deepen our relationships with our missionaries and to strengthen the support we offer to them.

The Riveros - Moyobamba, Peru

We continue to financially and prayerfully support Emma and Fredi Rivero in their ministry in Moyobamba, Peru, through Latin Link. This year marks 20 years of faithful service in Peru, for which we give thanks to God.

We are privileged to be Emma’s sending church, and are regularly in touch with the Riveros. Emma serves as Sunday Schoo! Superintendent within the local church and is, together with Fredi, involved in providing child protection training, helping to safeguard children and equip those working with them. Fredi is involved in a wide range of ministries from Sports, Music, Bible studies to prison, sharing the hope of the gospel with prison inmates. Together outreach.with their family, they are actively engaged in church life, discipleship and community

Ruth McKee - Arequipa, Peru

We have continued to financially and prayerfully support Ruth McKee in her work asa physiotherapist at the Shalom Centre in Arequipa, where she serves children with disabilities and supports their families, demonstrating God’s love in practical ways. After Many years of faithful service in Peru, Ruth will be returning home to Northern Ireland in May, and we give thanks for her commitment and the impact of her ministry.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)

FONIC Trust- Nepal

We continue to prayerfully support the work of FONIC Trust in Nepal. Through their ministry, approx. 25 rural Pastors are supported in their ministry, and Christian teaching and discipleship resources are developed, translated and distributed to churches and communities across the country, including materials for children’s ministry, women’s groups and wider discipleship training.

The Smithers Family - SIM, Manchester

We continue to financially and prayerfully support the Smithers family in their ministry with SIM in Manchester. Dave works within a local school, while Helen is involved in English language teaching, community outreach and church-based support work. Through their daily work and relationships, they seek to share God's love and the hope of the gospel with those around them.

Gary and Mary Reid - Olkinyei, Kenya

We give thanks for the ministry of Gary and Mary Reid, who have recently returned home to Northern Ireland after 30 years offaithful service among the Maasai people in Olkinyei, Kenya. During their time in Kenya they were involved in church planting, leadership development and community transformation, working closely with local believers and church leaders. We are grateful for their long-standing commitment and the lasting fruit of their work.

As we give thanks for the faithful service of those whose overseas ministries are drawing to a close, particularly Ruth McKee and Gary and Mary Reid, we also look ahead to new Opportunities for partnership.

New opportunity in Moldova

One area we are keen to develop is our relationship with Oak House Community in Moldova, which provides a Christian community and safe environment for young women who are often at risk of trafficking, supporting them through education and towards independent living. Stephen Knox, a new member of the Missionary Committee, makes regular visits to Moldova to support Oak House’s work. From 2026, we look forward to building a closer relationship with Oak House and strengthening our prayerful support for this ministry as well as continuing to support our other missionary interests.

Presbytery

The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our minister and one of the elders. This provides an important link between the congregation and the wider structures of the church.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)

General Assembly

The minister and one of our elders were nominated to attend the meeting of the Genera] Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June.

Property

The Committee met on four occasions during 2025. After two years of significant work both to maintain and refurbish the Property, 2025 was a year of minor works. £6,088 was spent on the programme of works.

Organisations

COFFEE & CRAIC (Moyra Hunter)

Coffee and craic meets every Wednesday from 10.30-12.00. It’s a friendly, welcoming space for people to come and catch up with their friends over a coffee or tea, wheaten bread, cheese, toast, pancakes and sweet treats. We have about 20 people on average who just enjoy sitting, chatting and catching up on all the current events and taking pleasure in each other’s company.

From September we decided to introduce a short thought for the day to give encouragement.

We also are very pleased that some of the people that come along have got involved in helping setting up, serving and clearing up afterwards.

We finished the year as usual welcoming Cregagh Primary School’s choir to entertain us and remind us of why we celebrate Christmas. We think this was their best choir yet so our thanks go to the school.

SMASH (Janice Aicken)

resource,SMASH started off 2025 continuing to look at The Gospels as part of The Biggest Story Courtney, our Youth and Family worker, established a Suggested timetable for SMASH which provided structure for the children and a format for the leaders to follow: game, story, video, juice and biscuits, craft and prayer. We have found the children to engage really well with this format. At Easter time Courtney provided Easter packs for the children which included ‘God's Big Promises: Bible Heroes Sticker and Activity Book’ and small treats. The children learnt a line from the Lord’s Prayer each week and this correlated with the children’s talks.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

COME DINE WITH US

Our only Come Dine With Us evening was in February this year, when we entertained 35 people at a Chinese night, with Sweet and Sour Chicken, Black Bean Vegetable Stirfry and Rice, finishing off with Banoffee for dessert. We had invited the Guide leaders to joinusasa thank-you for working so hard on an excellent Thinking Day service, and it was lovely to see Roslyn, Kirstin, Sorcha and Aisling there enjoying the hospitality.

Our other main event was cooking the PW dinner in April, and although we had hoped to have another Come Dine With Us in June, it was unfortunately pushed out of the calendar by other events. We are hoping to be more active next year, as it’s always good to spend some time together relaxing over food, and getting to know one another a little better.

Volunteers

The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on committees and helping with organisations and other church activities. We believe that the key to a healthy church is more than activities, programmes or events — though these have their place — the key is the gospel, and we aim to support all our volunteers in keeping the gospel at the front and centre of everything we do as a church.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

The Presbyterian Church in lreland meets the public benefit requirement by providing benefit to its members and the general public by making known the Christian Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through the advancement of religion.

The direct benefits which flow from the purposes of the Church include the gaining of an understanding in Christian beliefs as set out in the Bible and in the Church’s subordinate standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shorter and Larger Catechisms) leading to spiritual and moral development and opportunities for response to Bible teaching. In turn, this framework leads to practical expressions of Christian beliefs and standards in the local community such as through the care of those in need (including the sick, disabled and bereaved).

Generally the above benefits are delivered locally by congregations and their members, or are facilitated through presbyteries or are organised and delivered centrally. Local delivery is facilitated by central resources in almost all cases. Public access is made known through the use of noticeboards, printed material, press advertisement, websites, and social media or in other ways.

The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the services and informal and ad-hoc feedback from members, their families, and members of the public.

The purpose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowing from our purpose is related to Ministers, Missionaries, Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits as a result of their holding office or employment. However, this is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficiaries of this purpose are members, their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in direct and indirect contact with, the community in which pastoral services are provided and other communities throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwide which benefit from our engagement with and support for both Christian and other secular organisations, charities and individual members of the public.

The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charity Commissions public benefit requirement statutory guidance.

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TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The congregation’s main source of income is members’ contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 80 contributors during the year, (85 in the previous year, 2024) donating a total of £100,058 (£ 110,386 in the previous year, 2024)

Total Income of the congregation during the year was £183,576 compared to £196,699 in the previous year.

Total expenditure decreased to £ 185,936 from £233,125, this included £6,088 on property repairs and maintenance.

RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements Practice.in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting

The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the congregations and the financial activities for that year. In preparing the financial statements the Trustees are required to:

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The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the funds transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the congregations and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Statement of Recommended Practice “Accounting and Reporting by Charities (1 January 2015)”. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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A Congregation of The Presbyterian Church in Ireland

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St. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

For the year ended 31 December 2025

GOING CONCERN

The activities of the congregation are dependent on Ongoing contributions from its members. The Trustees are of the opinion that the congregation has sufficient resources at the date of approval of these financial statements to meet commitments which will arise in the year from the date of signing this report and subject to the continuing support from members to fund on an Ongoing basis the congregation’s current activities and other financial commitments.

RESERVES POLICY

The Trustees have considered the level of unrestricted reserves that it is appropriate to hold taking account of current and ongoing commitments. It is the policy of the Trustees to hold at least 4 month’s normal expenditure. At the year-end unrestricted reserves were £40606 which represents a higher level of reserves. The Trustees, however, consider it prudent to hold reserves at this level as the funding of its present activities is dependent on the ongoing financial support of members.

RISK REVIEW

A review of major risks has been undertaken by the Trustees and systems and procedures implemented to manage identified risks. The principal risks are in relation to the likelihood of reputational damage and financial risks associated with the expectation of ongoing financial support from members. These risks are mitigated by the Trustees, and the congregational Committee, regularly monitoring the various activities of the congregation at stated meetings and by encouraging members in their regular giving.

Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on 17‘ February 2026

and signed on its behalf by Rev.Le hecho— R.S. Aicken 17" February 2026

KBr Mr. K. Brown 17" February 2026

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