## **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND** Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104364) ## **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT** The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 including a Statement of Assets and LiabiliGes as at that date. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** Abbots Cross congregaGon of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 91 Doagh Road Newtownabbey Co Antrim BT37 9QN Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104364) ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** The Charity Trustees who served during the year were: Mr Gary Anderson Mr MaShew BunGng Mr Dean Gordon Mr Thomas Hazley Mr Maurice James McClay Mr Thomas McWaSers Mr Gary O’Rourke Mr Michael Rutledge Mr Ronald Wilson ## **PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS** Minister Rev Michael Rutledge Clerk of Session Mr Gary O’Rourke Treasurer(s) Mr John Henry Mrs Cherith Fi[s **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (con:nued)** ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** Mr Roy Eakin 18 Farm Lodge Road Greenisland Carrickfergus Co. Antrim BT38 8XH ## **BANKERS** Ulster Bank Limited 2 Farmley Road Glengormley BT36 7QU ## **SOLICITORS** Reavey & Company 22 The Diamond Rathcoole Newtownabbey BT37 9BJ ## **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (con:nued)** ## **STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT** ## **The Kirk Session** The charity trustees of the congregaGon are the members of its Kirk Session. Under the congregaGon’s governing document, The Code, the book of the consGtuGon and government of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spiritual interest of the congregaGon and of persons not connected with any congregaGon who are within its bounds. It ensures pastoral care is in place in the congregaGon and seeks to further the contribuGon of the Church to ChrisGan witness and service in the local community. The Kirk Sessions has delegated to its CongregaGonal CommiSee the temporal affairs of the congregaGon including administering all funds and property belonging to the congregaGon. Members of the Kirk Session are ex-officio members of the CongregaGonal CommiSee. The Kirk Session consists of the ordained minister and the ruling elders of the congregaGons. All members are enGtled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meeGngs, except that the Moderator, the ministers in acGve duty in the congregaGon, has no deliberaGve but only a casGng vote. Stated meeGngs of the Kirk session are held at least eight Gmes a year. a regular aSendant on its ordinances. The selecGon of those proposed to be called to the office can be either by the congregaGon 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 governance the corporate oversight of a congregaGon is the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends generally the spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregaGons assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Abbots Cross congregaGon of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the North Belfast Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the acGve ministers of congregaGons assigned to it by the General Assembly, minsters who have reGred from acGve duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of the congregaGon. ## **The General Assembly** The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, represenGng in one body the whole Church and acGng as its supreme legislaGve, administraGon and judicial authority, in dealing with all maSers brought before it. The General Assembly is normally consGtuted 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 acGve ministers of each congregaGon, reGred minsters and a representaGve elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregaGon. ## **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (con:nued)** ## **DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE** The charitable purpose of the congregaGon is the advancement of the ChrisGan religion. Abbots Cross congregaGon of the Presbyterian Church is a congregaGon 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 by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God’s mission to our world. The congregaGons mission purpose is ‘Know Jesus through his teaching, Show Jesus in how we live, and Go for Jesus into the world. At Abbots Cross we believe we are called to share the love of Jesus in word and deed with those who don’t yet know Him. We're also called to support, encourage and equip those who are followers of Jesus. We organise ourselves to best facilitate this. At Abbots Cross we believe in the Mission of God. We believe that we are called to be missional disciples of Christ who live out our faith on our everyday 'Frontlines'. As we do so we parGcipate with God as He works, drawing people to Himself. We believe this to be a fundamental and very exciGng part of who we are. In addiGon to equipping our members we seek to engage with those on our doorstep, in the local community and around the world, irrespecGve of their beliefs or ethnic origins. ## **ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES** The congregaGon meets for worship every Sunday morning. Evening services take place every 2 weeks. Visitors are welcome to join. During the week the house groups and discipleship groups provide an opportunity for members to meet for fellowship, to study the scriptures and have a Gme of prayer. Prayer is an important aspect of congregaGonal life with formal prayer meeGng held at least once a month and home prayer groups also meeGng monthly. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is observed on several occasions during the year and all those who have been bapGsed and who have made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are admiSed to the Lord’s Supper. The congregaGon has a wide range of organisaGons including **:** - Bowling Club - Childrens Church - Discipleship Groups - House groups - FM Club – Special Needs - Foodbank - Friendship and Cran Class - Girls Brigade - Women’s Ministry - Youth Fellowship - Junior youth club ## **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (con:nued)** ## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Response to COVID-19** Many of our acGviGes conGnued to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. UK restricGons were relaxed in February 2022. The Presbyterian church adopted the relaxaGon in April 2022. ACPC have sought to reestablish face to face meeGngs while facilitaGng remote fellowship via live streaming of services and conGnuing to uGlise WhatsApp prayer. ## **Membership** At 31 December 2022 there were 169 Communicant members (2021 – 161). The weekly aSendance, at morning worship was approximately 165 (2021 – 140), as tested by a random head count. ## **Mission and outreach** At a local level the congregaGon has a Mission Plan and supports a number of external missions and agencies through prayer and donaGons. Total donaGons to missions were approximately £30,768 (2021 - £18,865). In 2022 the church contributed approximately 5,000kgs (2021 – 4,000kgs) of food to Newtownabbey FoodBank. In the summer of 2022, the church undertook a children’s outreach weeklong camp, followed by a weeklong sports camp. located in a local primary school. The congregaGon supports the United Appeal for Mission which is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregaGons to support the wider mission of the denominaGon and to do mission and outreach on a denominaGonal basis beyond what the congregaGon could do on its own. The United Appeal Fund provides financial support for mission personnel at home and overseas, assists congregaGons with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church planGng, provides grant support for the upkeep of church premises, assist with the running costs of Union Theological College, the Church’s training college for ministry students, and financially supports congregaGon in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregaGon also contributes to the denominaGons annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School project and any other special appeals. ## **Presbytery** The congregaGon was represented at the regular meeGngs of Presbytery by our minister and / or one of the elders. This provides an important link between the congregaGons and the wider structures of the church. ## **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (con:nued)** ## **General Assembly** The minister and one of our elders were nominated to aSend the meeGng of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. ## **Organisa:ons** The church buildings are used extensively during the week by a wide range of organisaGons for all generaGons. ## **Volunteers** The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciaGon of those who give freely of their Gme by serving on commiSees and helping with organisaGons and other church acGviGes. ## **PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT** members and the general public by making known the ChrisGan Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through the advancement of religion. understanding in ChrisGan 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 opportuniGes for response to Bible teaching. In turn, this framework leads to pracGcal expressions of ChrisGan beliefs and standards in the local community such as through the care of those in need (including the sick, disabled and bereaved). 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 using noGceboards, printed material, press adverGsement, websites, and social media or in other ways. 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 communiGes throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwide which benefit from our engagement with and support for both ChrisGan and other secular organisaGons, chariGes and individual members of the public. guidance. ## **ABBOTS CROSS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (con:nued)** ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** The congregaGon’s main source of income is members’ contribuGons through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 162 contribuGng families during the year (2021 – 171). DonaGons totalled £95,562 (2021 - £91,333). Total Income of the congregaGon during the year was £204,350 (2021 - £188,784). Total expenditure was £179,640 (2021 - £141,289). ## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES** congregaGon in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounGng pracGce. As the congregaGon’s total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under SecGon 64(3) of the ChariGes Act (Northern Ireland) to prepare a receipts and payment account and a statement of assets and liabiliGes. explain the congregaGon’s transacGons and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any Gme its financial posiGon. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregaGon and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevenGon and detecGon of fraud and other irregulariGes. Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeGng on September 12th, 2023, and signed on its behalf by |Name|Date| |---|---| |Dean Gordon|12/09/23| |Gary Anderson|12/09/23|