CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104917)
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CRUMLIN 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 2023 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Crumlin Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 91 Main Street, Crumlin. BT29 4UU
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 104917)
CHARITY TRUSTEES
The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were:
H.H Meekin T J Livingstone Ben Johnston (resigned 01.02.2024) H.L. McKnight (resigned 12.09.2023) Stephen McNie (appointed 02.02.2024) P. J. Melville
PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS
Minister Rev Ben Johnston (resigned as Vacancy Convener 01.02.2024) Rev Stephen McNie ( appointed as Vacancy Convener 02.02.2024) Clerk of Session T.J. Livingstone Treasurer P.J. Melville
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Mr Robert Allan, 10 Cairn Gardens, Crumlin. BT29 4UZ
BANKERS
Ulster Bank, 27 Main Street, Crumlin. BT29 4UR
Danske Bank, P.O.Box 183, Donegall Square West, Belfast, BT1 6JS
SOLICITORS
WG Maginess & Son, 68 Bow Street, Lisburn. BT28 1AL
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 Sessions 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 ministers in active 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 at 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. Crumlin congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Templepatrick 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.
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 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.
Crumlin 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 purposes 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:
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is increasingly characterised by love for God, and love and concern for others;
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is committed to the historic Christian gospel as revealed in the Bible;
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is relevant to people of this time and place.
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.
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 range of organisations including:
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Girls Brigade (ceased to operate April 2023)
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PW
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Coffee Morning
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Worship and prayer
The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 11.30am and 7.00pm on special occasions. During the week 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 conducted one marriage service and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year.
At 31 December 2023 there were 49 communicant members and 74 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship is 35.
Pastoral care
Due to our Vacancy from 1[st] May 2022, those members who are unable to attend worship due to sickness or age are visited on arrangement by the minister (Vacancy Convener).
Mission and outreach
At a local level the congregation supports its local mission and outreach including making donations to external missions and agencies. 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.
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)
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 supports congregation in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregation also contributes to the Presbyterian Children’s Society, Tear Fund and any other special appeals.
Presbytery
The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our minister (Vacancy Convener) and / or one of the elders. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church.
General Assembly
The minister ( Vacancy Convener) and one of our elders were nominated to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June.
Organisations
Each Tuesday evening (September to March) our G.B. Company meet in the Church Hall. An average of 11 girls plus leaders attend each week. This organisation ceased to function in April 2023.
On Wednesday we meet for Bible Study and Prayer time.
Our PW meeting for ladies with an average attendance of 18.
We hold a “Coffee Morning” each month for fellowship with approximately 20 attending.
Employees
A Church Organist employed on a part time basis.
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 by 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 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 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 notice boards, 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 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.
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)
The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charity Commissions Public benefit requirement statutory guidance.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The congregation’s main source of income is members’ contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 50 contributors during the year down from 53 the previous year, donating a total of £34,445. (£34,650 in previous year, 2022)
Total Income of the congregation during the year was £52,990 compared to £61,659 in the previous year.
Total expenditure decreased from £46,203 to £45,139.
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 64(3) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 208 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 24[th] April 2024 and signed on its behalf by
Name: P. J. Melville Name: T. J. Livingstone Date: 24 April 2024 Date: 24 April 2024
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITY (Receipts and Payments Account) for the year ended 31 December 2023
| Note | Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | Total | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | 2023 | 2022 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Receipts | ||||||
| Donations and legacies | 2 | 34,445 | 12,181 | 0 | 46,626 | 46,142 |
| Charitable activities | 3 | 0 | 6,364 | 0 | 6,364 | 15,517 |
| Other trading activities | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investment Income | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Sale of Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sale of fixed assets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Loans Received | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Total Receipts | 34,445 | 18,545 | 0 | 52,990 | 61,659 | |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Payments | ||||||
| Raising funds | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charitable activities | 8 | 27,401 | 17,738 | 0 | 45,139 | 46,203 |
| Investment costs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Purchase of Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Purchase of fixed assets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Loan Repayments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Total Payments | 27,401 | 17,738 | 0 | 45,139 | 46,203 | |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Net receipts / (payments) | 7,044 | 807 | 0 | 7,851 | 15,456 | |
| Transfers between funds | 1,252 | (1,252) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Non Cash/Bank Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
0 | |
| ---------- | -------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Net movement in funds | 8,296 | (445) | 0 | 7,851 | 15,456 | |
| Funds brought forward | 1,643 | 82,566 | 0 | 84,209 | 68,753 | |
| ---------- | --------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Funds carried forward | 12 | 9,939 | 82,121 | 0 | 92,060 | 84,209 |
| ====== | ====== | ====== | ====== | ====== |
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CRUMLIN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES As at 31 December 2023
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | Total | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | Funds | Funds | |
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Funds Reconciliation | |||||
| Bank and Cash at start of year | 1,643 | 82,566 | 0 | 84,209 | 68,753 |
| Net movement in funds | 8,296 | (445) | 0 | 7,851 | 15,456 |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | |
| Bank and Cash at end of year | 9,939 | 82,121 | 0 | 92,060 | 84,209 |
| ======- | ======= | ======= | ======= | ======= | |
| Bank & Cash Balances | |||||
| Bank Deposit Accounts | 0 | 0 | |||
| Bank Current Accounts | 92,060 | 84,209 | |||
| Cash in Hand | 0 | 0 | |||
| ---------- | ---------- | ||||
| 92,060 | 84,209 | ||||
| ======= | ======= | ||||
| Other Assets | |||||
| Fixed Assets – Note 10 | |||||
| - Church Premises | 1,318,513 | 1,197,886 | |||
| - Fixtures, Fittings &Equipment | 0 | 0 | |||
| - Vehicles | 0 | 0 | |||
| Investments – Note 11 | 327,601 | 322,393 | |||
| Gift Aid receivable on donations | 0 | 0 | |||
| ---------- | ---------- | ||||
| 1,646,114 | 1,520,279 | ||||
| ======= | ======= | ||||
| Liabilities | |||||
| Loans | 0 | 0 | |||
| Other | 0 | 0 | |||
| ---------- | ---------- | ||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||
| ======= | ======= |
Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on 24[th] April 2024 and signed on its behalf by
Name: P. J. Melville Name: T. J Livingstone Date: 24[th] April 2024 Date: 24[th] April 2024
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