WHITEHEAD CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC104899
WHITEHEAD PRESBYfERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 and a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEfAILS Whitehead congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 8 Kings Road, Whitehead, BT38 9PU. Registered Charity in Northern Ireland {NIC1048991 CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Mrs R Bennett MrA Grier Mr M J Crooks Dr G Farquhar Mr J Glenn MrA H Graham Mrs H Graham Mrs L Greenwood Mr T Greenwood Mrs W Grier MrDGHall Mr W Heggan Mrs L Macdonald (Decd.) Mr C A Mccracken Mr R Warburton PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Vacancy Convener Clerk of Session Treasurer Rev N Duddy Mrs H Graham AH Graham INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Falconer Stewart BANKERS Danske Bank, High Street, Carrickfergus. BT38 7AN
WHITEHEAD CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND 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 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 at least six times 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. 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 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. Whitehead congregation of the 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, ministers who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation.
an WHITEHEAD 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, administration and judicial authority, in dealing with all matter5 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. Whitehead congregation of the 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's mission purpose is, by the grace of God, to help people of all ages become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Our vision is, by the grace of God, to be an inclusive, welcoming community of Christ's people of all ages, which: is increasingly characterised by the love of God and love and concern for others; is committed to the historic Christian gospel as revealed in the Bible; is relevant to people of this time and place. In living out our Mission and Vision as a family of God's people: we are determined to present the Good News of the Gospel as directly and clearly as possible and in a manner that is engaging, relevant and genuinely helpful, and which allows people to ask questions without risk of embarrassment or condemnation. we are committed to helping people of all ages, from the youngest to the oldest, to discover that faith in Christ is about whole life living and not just Sunday morning singing. we will strive to encourage a developing sense of individual responsibility for the growth of personal faith in people of all ages. we will encourage Christians to support and encourage each other in their faith life. we will promote a genuine determination among our members to embrace hospitality as a personal choice beyond corporate mechanisms, to reflect the welcome of the gospel and the heart of Christ from our members to one another and to visitors. we promise to value, support, encourage, train and resource our leaders and help them to see their role as part of the larger team. we have chosen to play a key role in the community of Whitehead as people who care about the things that matter to the people of Whitehead and to go out of our way to support individuals, families and groups in our community who are in need.
an WHITEHEAD CONGREGATION OF THE pREsBER1AN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) we agree to work with the other churches in the town and local area to show that our unity in Christ is more important than our differences while recognising that our unique identity is also worth maintaining and celebrating. ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visitors are welcome to join. The Sacrament of the Lord's 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 Bible study meetings through Home Groups which meet regularly. The congregation has a range of organisations including: PW (Presbyterian Women) Badminton Club 5-a-side Football Men's Coffee Group Ladies, Coffee Group ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worship and prayer We meet each Sunday morning for worship whilst continuing online services, The prayer group continued to meet on-line and a weekly prayer time was held during the summer months in the halls. Three Homegroups met in people's homes and one in the church halls involving 50 people. Business meetings were held in person. Rev Nathan Duddy continued as Vacancy Convener. We did not conduct any Sacrament of Baptism. No marriage services were conducted. We gave thanks for the lives of 12 members who had died through the year and sought to bring comfort to all those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 December 2022 there were 119 communicant members and 158 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship was 51. Pastoral care All members of the congregation received visits, on their doorsteps, by elders distributing copies of magazines produced quarterly to try to keep everyone up to date with what was happening. The Vacancy Convener also visited families where there was illness or a bereavement or a general pastoral care issue.
an WHITEHEAD CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd) MISSION AND OUTREACH The congregation continues to reach out in various ways through our regular weekly activities: The Coffee Men meeting in a local café allowing conversation among those who find it hardest to talk. A similar meeting exists for ladies to meet in a local café. Recordings of Sunday services were made available online through YouTube and Facebook. We have continued to be enthusiastic members and supporters of the Whitehead Storehouse, our local foodbank, which has proved to be a vital lifeline to many members of our local community. Our church's involvement in hosting local events was curtailed by the Covid Lockdown and subsequent cancellation of most. We have lifted restrictions on this facility. 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 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, assists with the running costs of Union Theological College (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. The congregation contributes to the denomination's Moderator's Special Appeal and any other special appeals. Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our Vacancy Convener and representative Elder. This provides an important link between the congregation and the wider structures of the church. General Assembly The meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland was held at Assembly Buildings, Belfast in June and attended by one of our elders, nominated bythe Kirk Session.
an WHITEHEAD CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'd) Property We are pleased to report that the property is generally in good order. Regular checks were made to ensure that the premises were free from water ingress and suitably ventilated and maintained. ORGANISATIONS Presbyterian Women Usually meets monthly from October to March. Met only October to December in 2022. Average attendance is 16. Varied programme including worship, prayer, talks, craft demonstrations and fund-raising for missionaries. Badminton Club Usually meets weekly from October to May with exceptions for school holidays and for competitions. Met in 2022 under this programme. Average attendance 16. Playing badminton, Coffee Men This group meets in a local café for tea, coffee and chat on a weekly basis. They have an average of 12- 18 men- it is open to men outside our congregation. Ladies Coffee Group This group meets in a local café for tea, coffee and chat on a weekly basis. They have an average of 10- 15 Ladies- it is open to women outside our congregation. Five-a-side Football Club Usually meets fortnightly throughout 2022- average attendance was 8 adults (range of 6 to 12)- playing indoor football. 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.
an WHITEHEAD CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT The Presbyterian Church in Ireland 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 facllitated 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 noticeboard5, printed materiali 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.
an WHITEHEAD CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN 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 {WFOI. There were 106 contributors during the year (103 in 20211 donating a total of £66,190 {£67,662 in 20211. Total Income of the congregation during the year was £114,400, compared to £99,539 in the previous year. Total expenditure of the congregation during the year was £66,866, compared to £92,748 in the previous year. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements of the congregation in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting practice. As the congregation's total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 6413} of the Charities Act {Northern Ireland} 2008 to prepare a receipts and payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities. 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 Kirk Session at a meeting on 31 October 2023 and signed on its behalf by 11 Rev N Duddy Warren Heggan (Cl of Session) Date: Date: io