N.I. Charity Commission Number NIC 104850
Annual Report of the Trustees and Congregational Accounts 31st December, 2025
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Joymount Presbyterian Church
Church Office 1 Robinsons Row Carrickfergus Co. Antrim Bankers Dankse Bank Abbey Centre Longwood Road Co Antrim Office telephone 028 9335 0926 (9-1 Mon, Tues and Thur) Manse telephone 028 93603685 Website www.joymount.org
Our Vision
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Christ is grounded in the Scriptures, exists to love and honour God through faith in His Son and by the power of His Spirit to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world.
We in JOYMOUNT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH publicly affirm that Jesus Christ is Saviour and Lord. We encourage people to become members and we want members to:
Come to Jesus - To acknowledge Him as Saviour and Lord. Grow in Jesus - To become more like Jesus. Go for Jesus - To journey out in life with Jesus
Our Church
Joymount Presbyterian Church is part of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) and is supervised by the Presbytery of Carrickfergus. Joymount was established in 1852 and exists to make known and proclaim Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord and encourage members to follow and serve Him.
We meet at 11.00am each Sunday morning and at 6.30 pm on the first and third evenings of the month. This was reduced to first evening of each month in 2024. We continue to record our morning service and post it on our website and Facebook to allow those who are housebound to follow the service. Our services follow the Christian calendar starting with Advent and continuing through to Pentecost. We observe the Sacrament of Communion 4 times each year.
Joymount is a busy and active congregation, as can be seen from the list of organisations from the local community which make use of our premises for their activities. We reach out far into the community with our work through the church organisations. Many of our members are involved in the management of some of the local organisations and schools. We make the church available for local organisations to use the premises for their weekly activities and for their services of worship. We organised Easter and Christmas Outreaches in the local shopping centre and weekly market to promote the name of Jesus.
Our ministry team continue to provide teaching, counsel, leadership and pastoral care for the members of the congregations with backup from the Kirk Session. The sick, the elderly, the bereaved and the troubled are visited in their times of need.
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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 congregations. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator, the minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote.
Stated meetings of the Kirk Session are held 10 times a year and as required.
To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the congregation a person must be a voting member and a 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. This was done and the 8 Elders-elect were installed in March 2024.
Presbytery
Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of governance 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 of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Joymount Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Carrickfergus 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.
During the year we were represented at Presbytery by our Minister and Representative Elder along with a depute Representative Elder who will become our Representative Elder next year.
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.
Purpose
Joymount 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 by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God’s mission to our world.
The congregation aims to live out its Mission and Vision as a family of God’s people by being:
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A Covenant Community: where our relationships are rooted in the promises of God by living faithfully toward him and toward one another.
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An Intergenerational Community: where adults intentionally take the lead to engage with, encourage and nurture younger members to maturity in Christ.
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An Outward looking Community: where we want the blessings of God that belong to us in the gospel to become blessings for others beyond the bounds of our community.
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As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, we believe that the Bible is the supreme authority over all we do, and that the Westminster Confession of Faith, along with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms set out what we understand the Bible teaches on key matters of Christian faith and practice.
| Members of the Ministry Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister | Rev. John Stanbridge | |||||
| Assistant Minister | None | |||||
| Members of Support Staff | ||||||
| Church Administrator | Mr Andrew McKeegan | |||||
| Church Officer | Mrs Andrea Matheson | |||||
| Cleaner | Mrs Catherine McCormick | |||||
| Musical Director | Mr Raymond Smyth | |||||
| IT Support | Mr Andrew McKeegan | |||||
| Church Officials | ||||||
| Clerk of Kirk Session | Mr Stephen Drake | |||||
| Treasurer | Ms Gillian McCallion | |||||
| Committee Secretary | Mrs Isabelle Strugnell | |||||
| Rep to Presbytery | Mrs Isabelle Strugnell | |||||
| Members of Kirk Session and Trustees | under the Charity Commission | |||||
| James Adair Sharon Adamson |
Gordon Bates | Linda Beattie | Martha Blair | |||
| Edwin Boal Jane Boal |
James Bodles | David Bothwell | Denise Difallah | |||
| James Dunlop Stephen Drake |
Kay Fowles | Gillian McCallion | Andrew McKeegan | |||
| Ruth McKeegan Hilary McGavock | Joanne Magee | Robert Magee | Gary Montgomery | |||
| Elizabeth Picton Francis Picton | Isabelle Strugnell | Aaron Walker | Graham Wills | |||
| Elders Emeriti or non Trustees | ||||||
| Herbert Holmes Elizabeth Pherson William McCartney Sharon Donald |
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| Rosemary McFarland Peter Denny | Evelyn Bates | |||||
| Church Committee | ||||||
| Angela Bothwell Fiona Burnside | Elizabeth Cathcart | Angela Creighton | Yasin Difallah | |||
| Kerry Laughlin Diane Loughridge | Jennie Montgomery | Phyllis Morgan | Jacqueline Russell | |||
| Joanne Tinsley Chris Strugnell |
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| Church Organisations | ||||||
| Bowling Club Boys’ Brigade |
Bus Stop Coffee Group | |||||
| Girls’ Brigade Joymount History Club Joymount Friendship Club |
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| Tots Presbyterian |
Women JAM (Sunday Schools) |
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| Youth Fellowship (UNITE) | ||||||
| School Board of Governors | ||||||
| Oakfield Primary School | Victoria Primary School | |||||
| Organisations using our premises | ||||||
| Art Club Badminton Club | U3A Committee Ballet classes |
Tai Chi |
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Statistics on the Congregation
| All families under pastoral care of the Congregation | 356 |
|---|---|
| Persons of all ages in above families | 738 |
| No. of families who contributed to FWO | 218 |
| Attendance at: | |
| morning worship | 135 |
| evening worship | 34 |
| Sacrament of Baptism | 0 |
| Admitted to the Lord's table for first time | 2 |
| Total persons on Communion Roll | 220 |
| Those taking at least 1 communion during year | 138 |
| Kirk Session | |
| Male | 13 |
| Female | 12 |
| No. attending Bible Study/Fellowship meetings outside Sunday Services | 16 |
| No. attending Bible Class or Sunday School | 8 |
| No. Attending non-uniformed organisations for children/young people | 13 |
Employment 2025
1 Minister, 1 Musical Director, 2 caretakers/Cleaners, 1 Church Administrator, 1 IT Support. (The IT Support person is self-employed)
Volunteers
The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on committees and helping with our church organisations and other activities. Your efforts are most valued.
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Property Report
| January | Firmus Gas – meter inspection carried out on. |
|---|---|
| British EngineeringServices – inspection carried out. | |
| February | Church boiler service - Castles. |
| March | Church lughts cleaned & repaired. |
| April | Fire extinguisher service – church,halls,No. 1 – B. Taggart |
| Fire Alarm service and certificate halls and church – Longmore Electronics |
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| Stair lift serviced | |
| Emergency Lighting Test and certificate – halls and church - John Thompson |
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| Church Fire doors,hinges replaced. | |
| May | |
| June | Stainglass window removed repaired & replaced. |
| July | Car Park closed off for 24 Hours. |
| August | Repair work on organ. |
| Downstairs toilet in Manse,leak repaired & floor titled. | |
| Prayer room doorpainted. | |
| September | Church boiler service – Castles. |
| Stair lift serviced | |
| Fire Alarm service & certificate, Church & Halls – Longmore. Back up Batteries replaced. |
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| October | Repair work on organ. |
| Boiler service No1 & Manse Gas boiler serviced. – Carse Plumbing. | |
| November | |
| December | Upstairs Kitchen – Water boiler replaced. |
Gordon Bates, Property Convenor
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Committee Report
Following an inspection of our kitchens by an Environmental Health Officer it was agreed to purchase a new refrigerator for the downstairs kitchen as the existing one was in a poor state of working order. Health and Safety training will be provided in the New Year for relevant members and Certificates will be awarded for training attendance and completion.
A separate worktop for use along with the existing kitchen trolley was purchased. Two kettles and a new boiler were purchased for the upper kitchen.
Gordon Bates was appointed as the new Church Property Convenor.
As a fundraiser, a very enjoyable Table Quiz Night took place in Carrick Golf Club on Friday 21 March which was well attended. Several other fundraising events were held during the year.
In the Knott Garden, Easter Decorations using similar boards as those used at Christmas were placed with adaptations to include ‘eggs’ instead of lights.
Following the 7 am Easter Dawn Service at the Castle on 20 April a breakfast of baps, sausages and bacon were served for all in the church hall.
Catering was also provided outside the church for the King Billy Landing Pageant on 14 June where burgers and drinks were enjoyed by many despite the inclement weather.
The flower beds in the Knott Garden were treated to some top-dressing soil and bark.
A fire risk assessment was carried out with an inspection of the church buildings.
Volunteers successfully brought down and washed the church lights and replaced bulbs on 22 March.
‘Direct Debit’ slips have been provided for those who wish to place them in the offering plate indicating that they donate by direct debit.
Two new 65” screens were installed either side of the church pulpit.
Loose offering of £135 from the Remembrance Day Service went to the British Legion.
‘Santa’s Breakfast’ was a very successful morning event held on Saturday 13 December when breakfast was served in the upper hall and a bouncy castle in the lower hall for the children to enjoy.
A Seniors’ Christmas Party was held on Saturday 6 December and was attended by 89 invited seniors. Full turkey dinner was served followed by pavlova or apple tart.
Isabelle Strugnell, Committee Secretary
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Kirk Session Report
The church continues to reach out to the community at Christmas and Easter, handing out gifts and cards to the public at the town market, De Courcy Centre and at a care home and to the organisations that use our halls. A second successful Holiday Bible Club was held in August, well attended by children and well supported by members of the congregation in a very energetic week. Our various Christmas services, especially ‘The Promise’ cantata also helped to bring people into church.
Many children now have no church connection so we are growing links with the Scripture Union Schools Project for East Antrim; Rev John is currently chair of the District Support Team; he and other elders have attended prayer meetings and prayer breakfasts and we are donating £20 per month to the important work of reaching unchurched children.
The spiritual development of members has been advanced through a series of Tuesday afternoon Bible studies in the spring and then by ‘Practicing the Way’, a Cairn development in which the six participants are learning in monthly meetings what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus. This began in the Autumn and will continue to summer 2026.
A continuing concern of Session is the ‘missing generations’, those who have a church connection through parents or from childhood but show no interest now. Rev John has tried to make worship less formal, involving members of the congregation in prayers and readings, and inviting guest speakers from Christian charities and missions.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland as a whole was rocked by news in November of long-term failings in the way it deals with people have been or may have been abused in a church or church activities. That is now under investigation by the PSNI and Charities Commission. Session has set up a task group to examine urgently but thoroughly how Joymount should deal with these issues and ensures that all complaints or suspicions are heard and Joymount GB has been celebrating its 80th anniversary year with a range of events.
Early in the year we started The Club, a social evening on a Friday, like a youth club but for all ages. Two trial evenings went well and there is now a programme for the year. This was Joanne Magee’s idea and she is the lead organiser.
In December Rev John ran a course of preparation for church membership that resulted in one adult being added to our communion roll.
Joymount members have also been contributing to the work of the PCI as a whole. Sharon Adamson and Robert Magee are accredited preachers and as well as leading worship in Joymount when Rev John looks after Loughmorne and Woodburn they regularly preach in other churches. Linda Beattie has been President of PW (nationally) for most of the year and has been very busy visiting other branches and speaking in churches. She was also in a group
Peter Denney and Evelyn Bates have been made emeritus elders following their retirement from active duties in Joymount. We are grateful for their long and active service. Jim Dunlop has prepared the table for communion for over 20 years and is now stepping down (while still an active elder). We are grateful to him and Phyllis for their help in this. Aaron Walker and Isabelle Strugnell will take on this task. (Just one of many unseen jobs that keep the church going).
Hilary McGavock resigned as administrator and, after public advertisement and interview, has been replaced by Andre McKeegan. We thank Hilary for sterling work, having done so much to keep everything going through Covid and the vacancy.
Stephen Drake
Clerk of Session
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Treasurer’s Report
Once again, we are thankful to God for his continued provision for us and our members continue to generously support His work here in Joymount.
Overall, our income is down from £222,137 to £209,822.
Our regular direct giving has fallen this year by £11,685 but the associated gift aid continues to be an important source of income.
Our target for United Appeal in 2025 was £13,458 and we have exceeded this again. Our target for 2024 is £13,456. The World Development Appeal for 2025 focused on supporting sustainable development projects in Honduras and Ethiopia , aiming to combat poverty and empower communities.providing help to communities in Rwanda and Honduras to provide food security. Thanks to the generosity of the congregation, we were able to contribute £1801 to this appeal although this is down from last year.
Expenditure has seen a large increase of £26,481, mainly due to the ongoing repair work on the organ. Property and equipment maintenance increased by over £41K but £36K was due to repair of the organ. The property convenor’s report outlines the work carried out in 2025. Staff costs and utilities remain roughly the same as last year.
All our bank accounts are relatively healthy although it must be remembered that there is money accrued in the No. 1 account which will be required for payments in January and February of the next year. The money in Virgin Money gives us our designated reserves.
Gillian McCallion
Church Treasurer
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