## Ahorey Congregation of The Presbyterian Church in Ireland Registered Charity in Northern Ireland, (NIC105028) Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 1 ## **AHOREY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022** ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** Ahorey Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 137/139 Aghory Road, Portadown, CRAIGAVON BT62 3SX Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105028) ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Rev Philip W A McClelland Thomas (Tom) McMurray Trevor D Robinson Trevor D Sandford J Fred Sandford John M (Jack) Woolsey ## **PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS** Minister Clerk of Session Congregational Committee Secretary Treasurer Philip W A McClelland Trevor D Sandford Trevor D Robinson John M (Jack) Woolsey ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** Iris Megaw BSc MIATI 20 The Fairways, Portadown BT62 3FR ## **MAIN BANKERS** Danske Bank, PO Box 183, Donegal Square West, BELFAST BT1 6JS Ulster Bank, 20 High Street, Pirtadown, CRAIGAVON BT62 1HU ## **SOLICITORS** Walker McDonald, 2-6 Edward Street, Portadown BT62 3LX 2 **AHOREY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 (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 task of managing 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 held at least four times in each year. The easing of Covid-19 restrictions enabled us to have normal meetings during 2022. 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. Ahorey 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. 3 ## **AHOREY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 (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 an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. ## **DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE** The charitable purpose of the congregation is the advancement of religion. Ahorey 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 is to magnify Christ by making disciples in Ahorey and beyond. As far as our vision is concerned, we long to see Christ praised in our area and world as our covenant community overflows with disciple-making disciples of all ages who, equipped by the exposition and example of godly leaders, gather to edify each other and scatter to evangelise those outside, through the prayerful speaking of the word of God. 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. ## **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 is open to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ. All those who have been baptised and who have made a credible profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are admitted to communicant membership of the congregation. Regular bible study/prayer meetings are held, and the congregation has a wide range of organisations including - Sunday School Sunday Crèche Teenagers Bible Classes - Presbyterian Women Boys’ Brigade Girls’ Brigade - Anchorage Youth Club Men’s Fellowship 4 **AHOREY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 (cont’d)** ## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Worship and prayer** As Covid-19 restrictions have eased, the congregation has made a return to normal Worship, Bible Study & Prayer meetings – Sunday at 10.30am, and at 6.30pmn on the fourth Sunday (September to June); the weeknight Bible/Prayer Meeting provided an opportunity for members to meet together for fellowship, study the scriptures and pray for local, national and international issues/concerns. As well as our regular services during the year we acknowledged God’s gift of new life at 1 Sacrament of Baptism, we conducted 3 marriage services, and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. On 31 December 2022 there were 112 communicant members and ~145 families connected with the congregation, giving a total of ~365 communicant members and adherents. The normal average attendance at Sunday morning worship during the year was ~100. ## **Pastoral care** Members of the congregation who were unable to attend church due to sickness or age were 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’s main mission & outreach was through its Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade companies, with memberships of ~85 and ~110 respectively. The congregation supported the United Appeal for Mission, a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregations to support the wider mission of the denomination and to facilitate 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 also contributed to the denomination's annual World Development Appeal. Donations to all external missions, agencies and charities amounted to ~£33,000.. 5 ## **AHOREY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 (cont’d)** ## **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 congregation and the wider structures of the church. ## **General Assembly** The minister 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 2022. ## **Property** No major property projects were initiated in 2022. ## **Organisations** The 181[st] NI (Ahorey) Girls' Brigade Company had an enrolment of ~110 girls aged 3-17, and ~20 leaders. As a Christian organisation, girls are encouraged to live out the GB motto – Seek, Serve and Follow Christ. The 1[st] Ahorey Company of the Boys’ Brigade had ~15 leaders and an enrolment of ~85 boys aged 4-18. The BB object is “The advancement of Christ’s kingdom amongst Boys, and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness”.. Sunday School, for children of Nursery and Primary School met for ~20 minutes during morning worship and then retired to the church hall for further bible-based instruction/activities using Go Teach resources. Attendances averaged ~15 children each week. The Crèche and catered for ~5 babies and toddlers. The Bible Class (Years 8-10) usually met at 9-30am on Sunday mornings (‘breakfast setting’). Engage (Years 11-14) usually met twice a month (after evening worship). The Presbyterian Women’s (PW) group, met most months and involved local and visiting speakers on topics related to the PW Theme. Members raised £2,140 for PW Missions. Membership was ~30. . 6 ## **AHOREY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 (cont’d)** ## **Volunteers** The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on committees, helping with organisations and other church activities. ## **Covid-19** The Trustees monitored any Covid-19 documents from nidirect and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and are pleased that activities have largely returned to normal. ## **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 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 with whom the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in direct and indirect contact, the community in which pastoral services are provided, and other communities throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwide, all of which benefit from our engagement with and support for both Christian and secular organisations, charities and individual members of the public. The Trustees had regard to the Charity Commission’s Public benefit requirement statutory guidance. 7 an AHOREY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 Deeember 2022 (cont'd) FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main sOu￿e of incon]e is members contributions through our Named Giving schemes - offering envelopes andlor bank standing orders. There were 127 such contributors during the year(108 in 2021). Total income of the congregation during the year was £129.8k (£104.7k in 2021). Total expenditure was £104.7k (£88. Ik in 2021). recovered under the Gift Aid and Gifi Aid Small Donations Schemes was £16.9k (£14.Ok in 2021). STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES, RESPONSIBILITIES The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements of the ongregation in accordanc¢ with applicable la￿, and generally acc¢pi¢d accounting practice. As the congregation's total income (-£1 ?9.8k), does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 64{3) of the Charities Act (Northem Ireland) 2008 to prepate a re¢¢ipts and payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities. The Tn￿ are responsible for keeping adequate accounting Tecords that are sufficient to show and ¢xplain the congregation's transactions and disclose viith r¢&sonable 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 irregulaTities. The Congregational Committee (delegated by the Kirk Session lo manage the temporal affairs of the congregation) intennitlently checks the church tr¢&surer s accounting records and associated audit trails to organisations, internal records in order to ensure that the accounts are managed at the highest lev¢ls of probity. Approved by the Kirk Session (The Charity Tn￿lees) at its meeting on 19 fwL 202f and signd on its behaIf by". Rev Philip W A Mcclelland (Minister) Trevor D Robinson (Church Secretary)