DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN
CHURCH IN IRELAND
Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 December 2022
Reglstered Charlty In Northern Ireland(NIC105125)

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st
December 2022 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
DOWNPATRICK congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Fountain Street, Downpatrick, BT30 6AW
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland {NIC105125)
CHARITY TRUSTEES
The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this
report were
Rev. O. Patterson
Mr R. Shields
Mrs E. Storey
Miss A. Chestnutt
Mr R. Martin
Mr. B. Redhead
PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS
Minister
Clerk of Session
Treasurer
Rev. O. Patterson
Miss A. Chestnutt
Mi55 B, Reid
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Mr Norman Elliott FCA, Norman Elliott Chartered Accountants, 13, Engllsh Street,
Downpatrlck, BT30 6 AB
BANKERS
Ulster Bank Ltd., 218 Market St., Downpatrick. BT30 6BU
SOLICITORS
J. Murland and Co., 15. English St., Downpatrick BT30 6AP

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN 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 wltness and
service in the local community. The Kirk Session 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 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 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 Se55ion. 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. Downpatrick congregation of the Presbyterian Church has
been assigned to the Down 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.

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN 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.
Downpatrick 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.
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, alon8 wlth
the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, sets out what we understand the Bible to teach on
matters of Christian faith and practice.
The Congregation's mission is: by the grace of God, to see Christ's kingdom grow in the
lives of men, women and children. It is our desire to fulfil Christ's great commission of
Matthew 28.19 to see people of all ages and backgrounds becoming fully devoted followers
of Jesus Christ.
l. We desire that people will clearly understand Jesus, message of salvation.
2. We desire that those who grasp that message will grow in their love, devotion and
service to Jesus.
The Congregation aims to live out its mission and vision as a family of God's people by
being:"
a Bible centred community, living lives that are based on God's Word and seeking to
please Him in all we do.
an outward looking community that seeks to reach out and welcome people from every
background and that seeks to share the Good News of Jesus Christ by our words,
welcome and actions.

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont.)
at the centre of our local community by being part of it and being relevant in the issues
and problems that we seek to help change
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 five occasions during the year and all those
who know the Lord and are walking in fellowship with Him are admitted to the Lord's
Supper. The congregation holds regular Bible study meetings and has a range of
organisations including:"
Sunday School
Creche
Junior and Senior Youth Clubs
Mothers and Toddlers
Presbyterian Women
Men's Fellowship
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Worshlp and Prayer
The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 11.30 am. At regular intervals
there is a Bible Study which provides an opportunity for members to meet together for
fellowship and to study the Scriptures. There is a weekly prayer time where members meet
tO8ether to pray for the needs of the con8re8ation and the wider world.
While livestreaming of Sunday services was a product of the Covid Pandemic, we continue
to do this. It is watched by many people each week, most of whom are non-members. It has
been through this that several people have joined us for worship on a Sunday.
At 31" December, 2022, there were 84 Communicant members and 88 families connected
with the congregation. The average attendance at Sunday worship was 71 people. There
was one baptism and no marriages or deaths.
Pastoral care
Members of the congregation who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age are
normally visited on a regular basis by the minister and elders. Those who have been
bereaved are also provided with support and prayer

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES
ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
Mission and outreach
Outreach is very important to us as a congregation and the Lord has provided many
opportunities for us to reach out into the community with the good news of Jesus Christ.
At a local level the congregation organises and provides the base for the community
foodbank. While this is staffed by members from all churches, the co-ordinator is a member
of the church committee and the trustees are the elders. The use of this has increased with
an average of 30 parcels distributed per week. A special effort is made at Christmas to
distribute a large number of food hampers.
A major form of outreach is the annual Holiday Bible Club which was able to take place for
the first time since the Covid Pandemic. An average of 40 children attended each day. They
learned about God and his love for us through Bible stories, games, drama and craft.
Children of all faiths and none came to thi5 and it is a vital outreach into the local
community with the good news of the gospel. It was widely publicised through notice
boards, social media, Church website and invitations to local housing estates,
The church was full for the annual Carol service and was once again attended by all sides of
the Community.
The congregation's Facebook page continued to grow, reaching out to many in the local
community and there were many encouraging messages from people around the world who
have been helped by the teaching on the congregation's website.
The congregation seeks to SUPPOrt the local community through allowing use of its facilities
and resources. The hall is used on a regular basis by such groups as Surestart, a Drama
group for young people with special needs, Women's Institute, Barnardos, an Art society, a
flower arranger's group and Men's Club.
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 congregations in
the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral
care.The congregation also contributes to the denomination's annual World Development

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES
ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
Appeal, Sunday School project and any other special appeals.
Presbytery
The congregation was represented by our minister and one of the elders. It provides an
important link between the congregations 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 in June.
Property
Repairs were carried out to the church roof and the electrics in both the church and the
halls were upgraded. Other minor works were carried out in order to maintain the fabric of
the church, halls and manse.
Organlsatlon5
Sunday School, known as GLU is held every Sunday during the second half of mornin8
worship. There is a small but enthusiastic group of 15 children. A Children's Day service
took place in June and was followed by a picnic for all church members at Delamont Country
Park.
Junior Youth Club meets every Saturday night and is for children of primary school age.
Senior Youth Club is a new venture which started at the end of the year. It is attended by a
small number of keen members and it is hoped to build on this.
Mothers and toddlers IFountain Friends] recommenced for 6 weeks before Christmas and
numbers had to be limited to 40 children for safety reasons. This has always been a great
opportunity to chat to people and to reach out into the community.
PW Connect meets monthly from September to April and provides an opportunity for
fellowship for the ladies of the congregation by means of a varied programme. An average
of 15 ladies attended. The annual PW service was held in April.
The congregation packed over 150 boxes for the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox appeal.

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND ANNUAL
REPORT (cont.)
The Men's Fellowship met from time to time to share a meal and fellowship.
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, thi5 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 case5. 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.

DOWNPATRICK CONGREGATION OFTHE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES
ANNUAL REPORT (cont)
The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charity Commissions Public benefit requirement
statutory guidance.
*INANCIAL REVIEW
The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly
Freewill Offering. There were 65 contributors during the year 71 in the previous year, 2021
donating a total of £51,380 compared with £55,101 in previous year, 2021.
Total Income of the congregation during the year was £132,287, compared with £111,948 In
the previous year. Total expenditure decreased to £104,489 in 2022 compared with
£124,927 in 2021 as this year we had no major expenses.
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements of
the congre8ation In accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting
practice.
As the congregatlon's total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected
under Section 64(31 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 sufficlent to
show and explain the congregation's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at
any time its financial position. They are also responsible for safe8uardin8 the assets of the
congregation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of
fraud and other irregularities.
glqi
Approved by the Kirk Sesslon at a meeting on leftteFd*] and signed on its behalf by
[Datel 27-09- 23
[Date] 2Flq123