Presbyter
an
FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH
IN IRELAND
Trustees Annual Report and Flnancial Statements
for the year ended 31 December 2022
Registered Charlty In Northern Ireland (NIC1048511

Presbyter
an
FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
The Trustee5 present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December
2022.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
First Donegore congregation of the Presbyterian Church In Ireland
30 Maln Street
Parkgate
Ballyclare
Registered Charity In Northern Ireland (NIC104851)
CHARITY TRUSTEES
The Charity Trustees who served durlng the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were
Mrs Susan Fletcher
Mr Ivor Fletcher
Mrs Marianne Howle
Mrs Carolyn Mairs
Mr John Mulholland
Mr Chrls Mcclenaghan
Mrs Grace McCulla8h
Mr John Mccullagh
Mr Mlchael McKinstry
Mr Alan Mcwhirter
Mrs Edith Nesbitt
Mr Sam Pollock
Rev Stephen Simpson
PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS
Minister
Clerk of Session
Treasurer
Rev Stephen Simpson
Mr John Mccullagh
Mr Michael McKlnstry
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Simon Hopper FCA
Hopper & Co
6 Doagh Road
Ballyclare
BT39 9BG

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
BANKERS
Danske Bank Limited
18 The Square
Ballyclare
BT39 98B
SOLICITORS
Boal Anderson
56 High Street
Ballymena
BT43 6UH
STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT
The Kirk Session
The charlty trustee5 of the congregation are the members of Its Klrk session. Under the congregatlon's
governing document, The Code, the book of the constitution and government of the Presbyterlan
Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spSrltual Interest of the
con8re8ation and of persons not connected with any congregatlon who are within its bounds. It ensures
pastoral care is in place in the congregatlon and seek5 to further the contribution of the Church to
Christian witne55 and service in the local community. The Kirk Sessions ha5 delegated to its
Congregational Committee the temporal affairs of the congregation including administering all fund5
and property belonging to the congre8ation. Members of the Kirk Sesslon are ex-officio members of the
Congregational Committee.
The Kirk Session consi5t5 of the ordained minister and the rulin8 elders of the congregations. All
members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the
Moderator, the minister5 in active duty in the congregation, has no dellberative but only a casting vote.
Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held bi-monthly and are normally held In-person,
To be chosen for the office of the elder5hip 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 congregatlon or by the Kirk Session. Members are elected if they obtaln two-thirds of
those who vote.

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'dl
Presbytery
Under the Presbyterlan Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate oversight of a congregatlon
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. The First
Donegore congregatlon of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Templepatrick Presbytery
of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membershlp 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 the con8re8atlon,
The General Assembly
The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, representin8 in one body the whole Church
and acting as its supreme legislative, admlnistration and judicial authorlty, 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 membershlp of the
General Assembly conslsts mainly of the active mlnisters of each congregation, retired minsters and a
representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation.
DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
The charitable purpose of the congregation is the advancement of rellgion.
First Donegore is a congregatlon of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Presbyterian Church in
Ireland, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Chrlst Is grounded in the Scriptures and exists to
love and honor God through falth in His Son and by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members
to playtheir part in fulfillin8 God's mission to our world.
First Donegore exist5 to replicate the Scripture model of Church to be a people and place that shares
Jesus Christ and shows grace.

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
Thls alm, fuels 7 priority areas of Church life, work and witness
l. The Worshlp of Flrst Donegore exists to enable people to glorify God by meeting Him a5 Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. Worship Services of differing type and content bring people of all ages to meet the Living
God.
2. The Prayer Ilfe of First Donegore exists to create a variety of opportunlties for the members of our
church family to engage wlth God for our world, our district and our church.
3. The Pastoral Care of Flrst Donegore exlsts to provide pastoral care for the whole person {spiritual,
physical, mental and emotlonall. We wish to see this delivered through the work of The Minister, Assistant
Minister, Elders, Pastoral Care Group and its members.
4. The Minlstry of Flrst Donegore exists to extend the Kingdom of God by making Christ known, and by
equlpplng, enabllng and encouraging members to Ilve out the values of God's Kingdom where they Ilve,
work, volunteer and worshlp
5. The Dlsclpleshlp of Flrst Donegore exists to make disclples of Jesus Chrlst, who make discSple5 of Jesus
Christ.
6. The Evangellsm of Flrst Donegore exists to share the Gospel of Je5U5 and show His love wlth the prayer
that people will come to and grow In a personal relationship with Him.
7. The 5ervlce of Flrst Donegore to the district beyond our gate5 is expressed through pastoral care;
prayer for district, businesses, schools and rural community; friendship - seasonal gifts from church.
deliverlng Communlty events. and meetin8 social needs of all ages
ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES
The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visltor5 are welcome to join. The sacrament of
the Lords Supper is observed on several occasions durlng the year and all those who have been baptised
and who have made a profession of faith In the Lord Jesus Christ are admitted to the Lord's Supper. The
congregation holds regular blble study meetin85 as well as providin8 re8ular opportunities to meet for
prayer.
With regard to worship services each Sunday, having established the technology during the pandemic to
facilitate sharing services both live stream and on demand via the congregatlon's YouTube channel, First
Donegore intend to continue to make use of such on-line facllStles in order to support those unable to
attend in person.

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
The congregatlon has a range of organlsatlons whlch minister to all ages including; Donegore Klds
{Sunday School); Donegore Youth {Bible Class)," Donegore Tots (Crèchel. Parents and Toddlers,. Bowling
& Badminton Clubs," Community Friendship Club; Community Drop-ln, Presbyterian Women; Boys
Brigade and Girls Brigade.
Many of the actlvitles of the congregation and Its organlsations which had to be curtailed during COVID
have returned to normal durlng 2022 with the remalnder expected to do so during 2023.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Worshlp and prayer
The congregation meets for worship every Sunday at 11am.
As part of the weekly schedule of services organlsed across the year, the congregation dedlcates specific
services to highlight its support for mission, both home and overseas, and to the highlight the work of
mission partners such as Christian Ald, Kids4school and the JAM Store.
In addition, First Donegore seeks to brlng comfort to famllies who have been bereaved by holdlng
speclal services of thanksgiving for loved ones. A bi-monthly Divine Healing Service, normally organised
by the Congregation for the dlstrlct and wider Templepatrlck Presbytery, were 5U5pended durin8 COVID
and have yet to restart.
A Mens and Ladies Bible Study forms an Integral part of a weekly programme of activities wlthln the
Church Bulldlngs together wlth Prayer tlme on a Tuesday evening and Sunday morning at 10,30am. The
Sunday morning prayer time has yet to restart slnce the pandemic but 15 expected to do sa in the
comlng year. These prayer tlmes provlde opportunities for members to meet to pray for the world,
district, church and for individuals as requested.

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
At 31 December 2022 there were 106 communicant members and 180 families connected with the
congregations. The average weekly attendance at mornlng worship either in-person or viewing on-llne is
e5tlmated to be around 150.
Pastoral care
The congregation through the mlnlster, elders and pastoral care team provide support to members and
other5 through personal visltation and prayer. Many church members also provlde Snvaluable Informal
care and support. When members face particularly testing times, the level of pastoral care is increased
further through hospltal, nursing home or home visitation.
Durlng recent years, in light of COVID restrictions, greater use of text, telephone and email
communlcation was deployed In order to stay in touch wlth the congregation together wlth re8ular
postal deliveries of pastoral and devotlonal resources. In addltlon, First Donegore made use of Its
internet slte, facebook and YouTube channels to support its on-line capability and try to keep connected
wlth its members as well as the wider community.
Mission and outreach
The con8reBation supports the United Appeal for Mission whlch is a central fund of the Presbyterian
Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregations to SUPPOrt the wider mi55ion of the denomination
and to do mi55ion and outreach on a denominational basis beyond what the congregation could do on
Its own, The United Appeal Fund provides financial support for mi55ion personnel at home and overseas,
a55i5ts congregations with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church planting, provides grant
support for the upkeep of church premises, assist with the runnlng costs of Union Theologlcal College,
the Church's tralnlng college for ministry students, and financially supports congregation in the areas of
worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care.
The congregation decided to nominate collections taken at Harvest once again thls year to sUPPOrt of
the work of some of its main missional partners, the Presbyterian Children's Society, Kids4School,
Christian Aid, Blythswood Care and JAM Randalstown together with United Appeal, this being in
addition to any specific collections made by the congregation to such causes and to the general
volunteering work undertaken by its members to these and other charitable vehicles.

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
The congregation facilitates the hosting of events by Cleopas, a local par-church Christian ministry which
provldes spiritual support to churches and Christian leaders. Prior to COVID, the congregation would
have organized various missional events such as Alpha both wlthln church bullding5 and in locations
within the local community, in order to seek to outreach to wlder community.
In addition the church has used its facilities to organise various community events both Independently
and In partnership with the local communlty assoclation to celebrate certain events including in 2022 an
event to celebrate the late Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee and the Chrlstmas Tree Switch on In December.
The congregatlon also serves the local district through the work of its organisations, many of those
attending belng drawn from beyond the congregation itself. In addition the church glfts the use of its
ha115 to organisations such as the Jon-jo 8right Foundation to support rehabllitation of people injured
through serious accldent; to local families to SUPPOrt birthday and other celebrations and also to the
local communlty association and the local indoor bowllng league to facilitate regular meetings.
Presbytery
The congregatlon was represented at the regular meetings (both face to face and virtuall of Presbytery
through its mlnister and one of the elders. Thls provides an important link between the congregatlon5
and the wider structures of the church.
General Assembly
The minister and one of its elders are nominated to attend the meetlng of the General Assembly of the
Presbyterlan Church in Ireland held in Assembly Building5, Belfast.
Property
Alongside the normal routine annual inspections of fire extinguishers, electrical and mechanlcal
equlpment during the year the congregation undertook some more sl8nificant malntenance projects to
repair and enhance church buildlngs, its halls and to maintain its grounds. The congregational
committee, appointed to organize such works, expect to progress a slightly more extenslve programme
in the coming year, havln8 had to delay some projects duringthe pandemic.
Organlsatlons
Church Property is used actively throughout the week by its organisations, with the majority of those
attendin8 drawn from the local community and not dlrectly from withln the congregation itself.

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
Around 70 children attend Boys Brigade & Girls Brigade on a regular basis and enjoy a full programme of
events. Both these organisations have re-comrnenced meetlng in-person in 2022, returnin8 as far as
P055ible to a full programme of badgework and other activities.
The congregatSon also seeks to engage wlth Its young people in support the growth in their f3ith in Jesus
Christ through Donegore Kids, Donegore Youth and Donegore Tots, which run alongside the church
service each week.
Flrst Donegore established a new Youth Leaders Forum during 2022 wlth the aim of coordlnating and
developing activities across all its Youth organisations. Thls Forum was responsible for introduclng a new
quarterly Youth Alive event during the year aimed at young people in year 8 to 14 both from within
existing organlsations and beyond.
Presbyterian Women {'PW') returned during the latter part of 2022 to meet monthly, thereby providin8
forum for the women in the congregation to meet for fellowshlp and to support of the wider missional
aspects of our Church. The PW were able to organise Its annual church service once again prior to the
end of 2022, thereby enabling it to donate £500 to missional work.
The Community Friendship Club creates an envlronment for the 51i8htly older members of the church
and local community to come together in a relaxed social environment on a monthly basis whi15t the
Parent5 & Toddlers group provlde a support network for the very youn8 and their careers to meet
weekly during term-tlme. Neither organization re-started during 2022 however it is hoped as activities
return to normallty in the coming year that both return to provlde their normal programme of activitles.
The Bowling Club provides a social environment for those wlth specific sporting intere5t5 in the local
communlty. The Bowllng club competes regularly in a local league as well cup competitions with these
actlvities re-commencing towards the end of 2022. The Bowling Club have a150 been the organising
force behind an annual charltable bowlin8 tournament with fund5 being used to support a local
nominated charity however In light of covid restrictions in recent years, this actlvity has ceased.
Volunteer5
The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciatlon of those who glve freely of thelr time by
serving on commlttees and helpSng wlth organisations and other church activitie5.

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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'd)
PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the publlc beneflt 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 understandlng
In Christian bellefs as set out in the Bible and in the Church's subordinate standards (the Westminster
Confession of Faith and the Shorter and Larger Catechlsms) leadln8 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, persons with disabilities and bereaved).
Generallyi the above benefit5 are delivered locally by congregations and their members or are facilitated
through presbyteries or or8anised and delivered centrally. Local dellvery Is facllitated by use of central
resources in almost all cases. Public access Is made known through the use of noticeboards, prlnted
materiali press advertisement, websites, and social media or in other ways.
The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the servlces and Informal and ad-hoc
feedback from members, their familles, and members of the public.
The purpose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowing from our purpose is related to
Ministers, mis5ionarie5, Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits as a
result of their holding office or employment, However, thls is incidental and necessary in order to
further our charitable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficlarles of this purpose are
members, their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in direct and indlrect
contact with, the communlty In which pastoral services are provlded and other communities throughout
Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwlde whlch benefit from our engagement with and
5UPPOrt for both Christian and other secular organisation5, charities and individual members of the
public.
The Klrk Session has had regard to the Charlty Commlsslons Publlc beneflt requirement statutory
guidance.
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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The congregation's main source of income is members, contrlbutions through the Weekly Offerin8.
There were 128 families recorded as contributing durlng the year (115 in previous year, 2022) donating
a total of £78,5801£70,274 in previou5 year. 2022).
Total Income of the congregation durlng the year was £138,463 compared to £123,628 in the previous
year, with donations benefitting from return to in-person activities.
Total expenditure increased to £155,329 In 2022 compared to £127,094 in 2022, predorninantly as
result of a return to normal levels of church activity post the pandemlc, inflationary pressures on costs
particularly energy costs and greater levels of development and maintenance work Incurred on church
property.
RESERVES POLICY
The policy of the trustees is not to accumulate reserves but to use reserves in the promotion of the
Charity's objects, and maintain a balance on unrestricted funds that equates to at least six months,
unrestricted payment5 £51,002 to cover unforeseen situatlons that may arise from time to time. In light
of the main risks facing the Charlty the trustees consider the current level of reserves £472,028 and their
use las requlred) Is above thls target. The trustees continue to monitor their reserves levels on
periodlc basis.
FUTURE PLANS
With COVID restrlction5 easing during 2022, the church has sought accordingly to return as far as
possible to normal in the year. This has enabled the church committee to progress some of the
maintenance and enhancement project5 on church property which had to be deferred during the height
of the pandemic. A wider review of church resources is expetted to be undertaken in the year ahead for
conslderation by the congregation.
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial staternent5 of the
congregation In accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accountlng practlce.
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FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
As a consequence of the income of the congregation exceeding £250,000 during the prior year thereby
requlring the 2018 accounts to be prepared on an accruals ba5iS, the trustees have decided to contlnue
to prepare accounts on this basis subsequently,
The Trustee5 are responsible for keepln8 adequate accountlng records that are sufficient to show and
explain the congregation's transactlons and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any tlme its financial
position. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregation and hence for taking
reasonable 5tep5 for the preventlon and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on 15th May 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
Nam
John Mccullagh
Name: Mlchael McKin
Date." 15th May 2023
Date.. 15th May 2023
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