VINECASH 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 (NIC104963)
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VINECASH 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 2022 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Vinecash congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland c/o 141 Aghory Road, Portadown, BT62 3SX
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104963)
CHARITY TRUSTEES
The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were:
Rev’d P. McClelland Mr T. Graham Mr B. Greer Mr J. Mason Mr K. Thompson
PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS
(Interim) Minister Rev’d P. McClelland Clerk of Session Mr T. Graham Treasurer Mr D. Bryson
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
William Morrow & Company 16 Carleton Street PORTADOWN BT62 3EN
BANKERS
Danske Bank, High Street, PORTADOWN, BT62 1LB
SOLICITORS
T.D Gibson, 107 Church Street, Morrison House, PORTADOWN, BT62 3DB
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VINECASH 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 Session has delegated to the 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 minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote.
Stated meetings of the Kirk session are normally held at least three times each year.
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. Vinecash 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 each congregation.
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VINECASH 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.
Vinecash 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 to worship God acceptably through Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and to make him known by word and deed.
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VINECASH 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 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 regular prayer meetings and has several organisations including:
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Sunday School
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Presbyterian Women
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Holiday Bible Club (in the summertime)
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Worship and prayer
The congregation meets for worship each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. During the week, the prayer meeting provides an opportunity for members to meet for fellowship, Bible study and prayer.
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, elders or by one of the congregation’s pastoral visitors.
Mission and outreach
At a local level, the congregation continues to support children’s ministry. The congregation gives to several mission organisations.
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VINECASH CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)
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 congregation in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care.
The congregation also contributes to the Presbyterian Children’s Society and to the denomination’s 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 (interim) minister (Rev’d P. McClelland) and one of the elders. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church.
General Assembly
The meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland was held from 22 to 25 June in Assembly Buildings, Belfast.
Property
The congregation committee exercised their responsibility for the buildings.
Organisations
The Sunday School and Presbyterian Women met regularly during the year, and the Holiday Bible Club in the summer time was very encouraging.
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.
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VINECASH CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 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 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 Commission’s Public benefit requirement statutory guidance.
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VINECASH 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.
During the year there were donations of £49,002 compared to £43,288 in the previous year.
Total Income of the congregation during the year was £55,630 compared to £45,303 in the previous year.
Total expenditure increased from £34,735 (2022) to £36,400 (2023).
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 25 February 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Revd Principal Michael McClenahan Mr T Graham 25 February 2025 25 February 2025
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