## **BELLVILLE** # **CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND** **~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~** # **Trustees Annual Report** Year ended 31[st] December 2023 ## **Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104958)** **~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~** ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** Bellville congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 130 Derrytrasna Road, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, BT66 6QP Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104958) ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were; _Rev. Frank Gibson Mr. Thomas John Parks Mr. Mervyn King_ ## **PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS** Minister : _Rev. Frank Gibson_ Treasurer / Clerk of Session : _Mr. Mervyn King_ ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** ## **BANKERS** ## **SOLICITORS** N.T. Accountancy Services Ltd. Danske Bank Ltd. Walker McDonald 7 Hill Lane 45 - 48 High Street 2- 6 Edward Street Derrytrasna Portadown Portadown Lurgan Co. Armagh Co. Armagh BT66 6PE BT62 1LB BT62 3LX 1 **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 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. Bellville 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. ## **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. Bellville 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: is increasingly characterised by love for 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. The congregation aims to live out its Mission and Vision as a family of God’s people by being: _A Covenant Community_ : where our relationships are rooted in the promises of God by living faithfully toward him and toward one another - _An Intergenerational Community_ : where adults intentionally take the lead to engage with, encourage and nurture younger members to maturity in Christ. - _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. - 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. 2 **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 two 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 and prayer meetings. We also avail of other outreach opportunities including:- Gospel Musical Evenings Local Historical Lectures Quiz nights Other one-off events as agreed with session and committee. ## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Worship and prayer** The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 10.30am. 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. At 31 December 2023 there were 19 communicant members and 16 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship was 14. ## **Pastoral care** All members of the congregation including those who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age are visited on a regular basis by the minister or elders. Those who are in care / residential homes also receive regular pastoral visits. ## **Mission and outreach** 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, 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 donate to other mission and emergency appeals whenever they arise. ## **Presbytery** The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our minister and / or one of the elders. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. ## **Property** The Church and grounds including the cemetery have been in the care of the trustees i.e. The Education Board of Armagh Presbytery. This body is now being replaced as trustees by “the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Holding Trustee Company” and a **memorandum of the choice and appointment of new trustee** has been completed and provided to our solicitors who have now completed the registration process in early January 2024. ## **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. 3 PU8UC BENEFITSTATEMENT The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the public benefft requirement by providing benefrt to its members and the general public by making known the Christian Gospel of the Lord Jesus Chrtst through the advancement of religion. The dirett benefits which flow froTn 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 Fatth and the Shorter and Larger Catechism51 leadin8tO spiritual and moral development and opportunstie5 for response to Bible teachin& In turn, this framework leads to prartical expressions of Christian beliefs and standards in the local community such as through the care of those in need lincludin8 the sicl disabled and bereaved). Generallythe above benefits are delivered locally by congregations and their members. or are facilitated thr(wgh p￿$byterieS or are organised and delivered centrally. Local delNery is facilttated by central resources in almos( all cases. Public access is made known through the use of noticeboards, printed material, press advertisement, websrtes. and soaal media or in other ways. The benefrts 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 benefrt flowing from our purpose is related to Ministers. Missionaries, Deacone55es. 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 charfiable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficiaries of this purpose are member5. their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in dirett and indirect contact wtth, the community in which pastoral service5 are provided and other communities throughoLEt Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland. and worldwide which benefr( from our engagement with and support for both Christian and other secular organisations. charities and indiv￿ual members of the public. The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charrty Commissw)ns Public benefrt requirement statutory guidance. FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly Freewill offering. There were 20 contributors during the year {a decrease of 2 on the previous yearl donating a total of £10.3191£9.899 in prevtous year, 20221. Total Income of the congregation during the year was £16,737 compared to £16,695 in the prewous year. Total expenditure decreased to £12,888 from £16,041. As in previous years, standard income and expenditure streams remain steadv. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES The Trustees are responsible for preparingthe annual report and the financial statements of the congregation in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting practi￿. The Trustee5 are responsible for keeping adequate a¢¢ounting records that are sufficient to Show and explain the congregation's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at anytime itsfinancial position. They are also responsible fcf safeguardingthe 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 .. . and signed on its behalf bv