# **SEAFORDE 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 (NIC105221}** 1 ## **SEAFORDE 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** Seaforde congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Demesne Road, Seaforde, Downpatrick. Co. Down. BT30 8SG Registered Charity in Northern Ireland {NIC105221) ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were Rev. D Bingham Mr. B Mitchell Mr. D Croskery Mr. A Watson ## **PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS** Minister Rev. D Bingham Clerk of Session Mr. D Croskery Treasurer Mr. A Watson ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** ## **SMC Accountants Ltd. 15 Gilford Road, Portadown. Craigavon. BT63 5EF** ## **BANKERS** ## **Danske Bank. 62-66 Bow Street, Lisburn. BT28 1YS** ## **SOLICITORS** **Murlands Solicitors. 15 English Street, Downpatrick. Co. Down. BT30 6AP** 2 ## **SEAFORDE 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 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 minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote. Stated meetings of the Kirk Session are held four 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. Seaforde 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, ministers who have retired from active duty, and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of the congregation. 3 ## **SEAFORDE 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 ministers, 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. Seaforde 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 statement is ## **"Proclaiming God's Glory in Christ - Preparing a people for God"** - We exist to glorify & honour God as we aim to live our lives in relationship with Him and faithful service to Him, receiving full forgiveness and eternal salvation by His grace through our faith in Christ Jesus as our Saviour and to live our lives by a biblical discipleship through the empowerment and direction of the Holy Spirit. - Proclaiming God's Glory in Christ. Our morning & evening services plus midweek Prayer and Bible Study are the public means of expounding and teaching the scriptures. In addition, our diverse range of organisations presents the gospel. - Preparing a people for God. We encourage and support the private study of God's Word and personal prayer supported by useful study materials and points for prayer. The people are enlightened to God's love in sending Jesus to this world and are encouraged to follow God's call on their lives and to be His witnesses wherever God sends. 4 ## **SEAFORDE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd}** 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. ## **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 five 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 - Youth Fellowship - Good News Club - Children's Church In addition to these organisations, many from the congregation volunteer as leaders in the youth organisations based in Clough Presbyterian Church. ## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Worship and prayer** The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 10.00 am and together with Clough congregation at 6.30 pm. 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. 5 ## **SEAFORDE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd}** As well as our regular services during the year, we conducted 1 marriage services during the year. At 31 December 2023, there were 32 communicant members and 42 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship is 60. ## **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. Recordings of services are made available on CD to those who cannot attend church. ## **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 congregations in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership, and pastoral care. At a local level, the congregation provides support for the Girls' Brigade, the Boys' Brigade, and the Youth Club held in Clough Presbyterian Church. Support was provided to Revival Movement to aid the production of outreach materials. Financial support was sent to PCI missionaries working in Jordan, United Beach Missions, and to LOGOS Ministries. Support was provided to Kisakye Ministries for their work in Uganda, providing homes, educational opportunities, healthcare, and pastoral care. Financial support was provided to 2 young people from our area who were doing summer outreach work, one in Uganda and one in Ireland. Money was also given to The Royal British Legion. The congregation held a Harvest Gospel Mission timed to coincide with our annual Harvest Thanksgiving Services. This mission was strongly attended by people from all sides of our community. 6 ## **SEAFORDE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (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 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 of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. ## **Property** The former Sunday School room in the church annex was extensively refurbished, insulated, and redecorated during the year, and a new external door was fitted. ## **Organisations** The Sunday School meets after our morning service and would have about 12 children on average. Children's Church meets during our morning service, and the smaller children can do simple craft activities or listen to bible stories. Good News Club meets on Wednesday evenings, is aimed at primary school-age children, and offers bible stories, quizzes, singing, and games. It has an average attendance of approximately 13. There was a 5-day summer club for 1 week, with approximately 20 children attending. ## **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. 7 ## **SEAFORDE 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 advertisements, 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 the Ministers 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. 8 ## **SEAFORDE 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. There were 36 contributors during the year {39 in the previous year), donating a total of £33,815 {£31,653 in the previous year) Total Income of the congregation during the year was £51,178 compared to £38,973 in the previous year. Total expenditure increased from £27,511 in 2020 to £28,423 in 2021. The opening balance for the year was £107,101, and the closing balance was £118,563. ## **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 receipt 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 27[th] February 2023 and signed on its behalf by Rev. D Bingham 27/02/2023 Mr. D Croskery 27/02/2023 9