an MINTERBURN CONGREGATION OF THE pRE5BERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Staternents for the year ended 31 December 2023 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Minterburn congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 145 Minterburn Road, Caledon, BT68 4XL Registered Charity In Northern Ireland INIC104889) CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Ivan Liggett Christopher Holland Davld Parr Sandra Spence Jennifer Parr PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Joanne Smith Ivan Liggett Jennifer Parr INDEPENDENT EXAMINER GDP Accountants Ltd 122A Moore Street Aughnacloy Co Tyrone BT69 6AA BANKERS Danske Bank 5-6 Market Square Dungannon Co Tyrone BT70 IA8
an MINTERBURN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) STRucfuRE AND MANAGEMENT The Klrk Sesslon 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 contributlon 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 exerclse equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator, the mlnlsters in actlve duty In the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote. Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held at least twice in each year or as appropriate. 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. He/she should be circumspect and exemplary in his/her conduct, both in the Church and in the world, of acknowledged piety, endeavouring to maintain the worship of God in hls/her famlly and held In esteem by the people. 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-thlrds of those who vote. 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 Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Minterburn congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Armagh 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 the congregation.
an MINTERBURN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) 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, adrninistration 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 The charitable purpose of the congregation is the advancement of religion. Minterburn congregation of the Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the PresbY(erian Church in Ireland. The Presbyterian Church In Ireland, as a Reformed Church withln 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 Splrlt, and to enable her members to playtheir part in fulfilling God's mission to our world. The congregation's mission purposes include: The need to put our faith in practice. To be more effective witnesses in the Minterburn area and beyond. To rise to that challenge, we believe God Is dlrecting us to the following priorities for future mission: To encourage the 20130's age group to become more fully involved in the life and witness of the congregation. To reach out to the 20/30's age group in the Minterburn area and beyond. To continue to prioritise the children In the area through Sunday School, Youth Club, Mums and Tots, Sunday morning5, Holiday Bible Club and the like. As a concrete outworking of God'5 challenge and direction we commit ourselves to taking the following steps in mission: To establish a team ministry within the congregation of those who have a heart for this area of service. To under8ird this ministry with prayer. 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.
an MINTERBURN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visitors are welcome to join. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is observed on several occasions during 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 bible study meetings and has a wide range of organisations. The organisations that meet regularly include: Sunday School Youth Allve Mums & Tots Bowllng Club Badminton Club pw Men'5 Club Junior Football Club Youth Fellowship ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worshlp and prayer The congregation usually meets ft)r worshlp each Sunday at 12 noon. Services are recorded occasionally for YouTube. During term time, the Bible Study provides an opportunity for members to meet together for fellowship* to study the scriptures and for a time of prayer. As well as our regular services during the year we acknowledged God's gift of new life at I Sacrament of Baptism, there were 2 marriage services and we gave thanks for faithful services and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 December 2023 there were 124 communicant members and 103 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship is 65. Pastoral care Members of the congregation who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age are visited on a regular basis by the minister or by the elders. Mission and outreach Holiday bible club met again in 2023. During 2023 £8,652 was paid to external charities. The congregation has supported the United Appeal, Moderators Appeal, PW missions, Children's Society, Pakistan Appeal, Open Doors, World Development Fund, Air Ambulance and Cancer Research.
an MINTERBURN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'd) The congregation 5UPPOrts 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 on a 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, assist with the running costs of Union Theological College, the Church's training college for ministry students, and financially 5UPPOrts congregation in the areas of worship, discSpleshlp, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregation also contrlbutes to the denominations annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School project and any other special appeals. Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our Minister and our Representative Elder, Christopher Holland. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. General Assembly The General Assembly wlll be in June 2024 and will be attended by the Minister and the Representative elder, Others will be encouraged to attend as they are able. Property No significant repairs were carried out during the year. Organlsatlons The following Church organisations met during the year: Sunday School meets weekly with average attendance of 40. Youth Alive has an average attendance of 50. Mums & Tots has average attendance of 22. Bowling Club has an average attendance of 12. Badminton Club has an average attendance of 10. PW has an average attendance of 16. Men's Club meet occasionally. Junior Football Club met in the Summer of 2023 with an average attendance of 20 Youth Fellowship meet during term time with around 8 attending.
an MINTERBURN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Volunteers The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time bv serving on committees and helping with organisations and other church activities. PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the public benefit requirement by providing benefit to its member5 and the general public by making known the Christian Gospel of the Lord Jesus Chr15t 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 standard5 In the local community such as through the care of those in need (including the slck, dlsabled and bereaved). Generally the above benefits are delivered locally by congregatlons 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 result of their holding office or employment. However, thi5 is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficiaries of this purpose are members, theirfamilies, 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.
an MINTERBURN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 107 contributors during the year (116, 20221 donating a total of £41,902 (£39,425, 20221 Total income of the congregation during the year was £78,579, compared to £78,106 in the previous year. Income generated was conslstent wlth the previous year. The total expenditure decreased from £72,522 to £69,902. Expenditure fell due to a reduction In spending on repairs in the year. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial staternents of the congregation in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting practice. A5 the congregations total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 64(3} of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 to prepare a receipts and payment account and statement of assets and Ilabilities. The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are Sufficient to show and explain the congregation's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its financial position. 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. Approved by the Tr stees at a meeting and signed on its behalf by: Name: Name: Pa Date: Date: