Presbyter
an
RYANS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
Trustees Annual Report
for the year ended 31 December 2022
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105053)

Presbyter
an
RYANS 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 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Ryans Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Old Newry Road
Rathfriland
Co. Down
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105063)
The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were:
Rev. B. Colvin
Mr. Samuel Wright
Mr. Stanley Bond
Mr. William Mitchell
Dr. Helen McDowell
PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS
Minister
Clerk of Session (A)
Treasurer
Rev. B. Colvin
Mr. S.D. (Uel) Wright
Mr. WJ Dodds
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Shriver Price & Co.
49 Downshire Road
Newry
Co. Down
BT34 IBA
BANKERS
Danske Bank
Donegall Square West
Belfast
BTI 6JS
SOLICITORS
Gordon Bell & Son.
9-11 Newry Street
Rathfriland
Co. Down
BT34 SPY

Presbyter
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RYANS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
STRucfuRE 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 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 Ryans
congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Newry 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.

Presbyter
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RYANS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
The charitable purpose of the congregation is the advancement of religion.
Ryans 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 congregations 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
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]
AcfiviTIES AND OBJEcfivES
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 bible study meetings and has a wide range of organisations
including:
Sunday School
Children's Church
Presbyterian Women
Holiday Bible Club
Good News Club (run jointly with Downshire Road Presbyterian Church)

Presbyter
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RYANS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Worship and prayer
The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 10.00am and normally once per month for
an evening service at 7:00PM. During the week the Bible Study provides an opportunity for members to
meet for fellowship, to study the scriptures and for a time of prayer.
As well as our regular services during the year we received one new communicant member and gave
thanks for faithful services and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. We did
not administer the sacrament of Baptism in 2022.
At 31 December 2022 there were 90 communicant members and 64 families connected with the
congregation. The average week attendance at morning worship is 55.
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
The congregation supported 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 plantin& 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 contributed to the denomination's annual World Development Appeal, and any
other special appeals.
At a local level the congregation supported the Poppy Appeal and Child Evangelism Fellowship.
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 strurtures of the
church.

Presbyter
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RYANS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
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.
Property
Repainting of the interior of Church & Hall
Hand Rails erected in the graveyard
Organisations
Sunday School meets on a Sunday morning during the Sunday service from September to May
Children's Church meets on a Sunday morning during the Sunday service from June to August
Presbyterian Women recommenced in October 2022 and meets monthly
Bible Study and Prayer Meeting meets twice per month from October to April/May
A Holiday Bible Club for primary aged school children took place for a week in August
A Good News Club for Primary School Age Children takes place monthly in Downshire Road but is
run jointly
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 noticeboards, printed
material, press advertisement, websites, and social media or in other ways.

Presbyter
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RYANS CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
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.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly Freewill
Offering. There were 57 famity contributors during the year 55 in previous year, 2022, donating a
total of £20523.57, (£20,983.00 in previous year, 2021).
Total Income and expenditure of the congregation during the year is as detailed in attached financial
statements of Ryans Presbyterian Church.
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 congregations 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 onlst March 2023.
and signed on its behalf by:
Rev. B. Colvin, BA. BD.
. S D Wright