# **BALLYWALTER CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND** **Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31 December 2021** **Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105231)** ## **The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended** **31 December 2021 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.** ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** Ballywalter congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Main Street Ballywalter Newtownards, BT222PJ Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105231) ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were:- **Rev. Gareth Simpson Stephen Walker Brian Thompson Lesley Boyle** **Shirley Burns Anne Wilson Mark Spence Johnny Stewart** ## **PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS** |Minister|Rev.| |---|---| ||Gareth| ||Simpson| |Clerk of Session|Stephen| ||Walker| |Treasurer|Brian| ||Thomp-| ||son| ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** Mr Jeff Rodgers 74 Dunover Road, Ballywalter, Co. Down, BT22 2LH ## **BANKERS** Ulster Bank 22 Frances Street, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 7DP ## **SOLICITORS** Elizabeth A. Warden Solicitor The Stables, Seaview Farm, 92 Bowtown Road, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 8SL ## **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 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 congregation. 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 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. Ballywalter congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Ards 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 ## **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. Ballywalter 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 help people follow and know Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour by being “an active presence for Jesus Christ” in our homes, village, wider community and to the ends of the earth. 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 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 and Bible Class - Boy’s Brigade - Girl’s Brigade - - Parents and Tots - Youth Club - Youth Fellowship (YF) - Badminton - Presbyterian Women - Indoor Bowling Club - Knit and Knatter - Coffee and Chat - Young Women’s group - Bible Study groups Due to the continuing threat posed by the Co vid 19 virus certain restrictions were continued during the year, eventually while some were adjusted or removed altogether This resulted in some activities being curtailed. Live services of worship were introduced in 2020 have continued and these have enabled those who are unable or unwilling to attend in person to engage in worship. ## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Worship and prayer** The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday morning at 11.OOam. During the week Bible study and prayer time provides an opportunity for members to meet together for fellowship, to study the scriptures and for a time of praise and prayer. We had 3 baptisms and 3 Marriages during 2021. As well as our regular services during the year we gave thanks for faithful service and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 December 2021 there were 222 communicant members and 255 families connected with the congregation. Following the worst of Covid and the easing of restrictions Church services have resumed and attendance is slowly increasing with average attendance of 120 with others joining on the streamed service on YouTube. Normal circumstances the average weekly attendance at morning worship would be 150 ## **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. During Covid contact was made primarily by telephone however doorstep and house visits when required took place. Normal visitation has commenced again as restrictions eased. ## **Mission and outreach** At a local level the congregation is normally busy across any given week with various organisations meeting, staffed by volunteers from age 18 to those in more senior years. The church at local level seeks to support the community through allowing use of its facilities and resources, supporting of the north down food bank and through the spreading of the good news. This year the CSSM team run by Scripture Union NI was able to return to Ballywalter having been cancelled because of Covid in 2020. This was a limited CSSM as numbers were restricted and online registration in advance required. However, it did bring a sense of normality and encouragement to the village. At a wider level, the congregation supports the United Appeal for Mission which is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (contributing £8612 in 2021). 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. Donations to others in 2021 were made to: - Leprossy Mission £853 - Youth For Christ £1000 The congregation also contributes to the denominations annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School projects and other special appeals. ## **Presbytery** The congregation was represented at meetings of Presbytery by our minister and representative elder. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. ## **General Assembly** The minister and one of our elders normally attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in October. ## **Property** The Church committee continues to provide oversight and maintenance of our suite of Buildings that include: Church building and halls, Church Hall and Manse to ensure they remain fit for purpose. in addition, general maintenance was carried out to the church buildings and halls during the year. Necessary maintenance and minor repairs were also carried out in the manse throughout the year. ## **Organisations** (and attendances) Ballywalter Congregation has a wide range of organisations catering for all ages. For the best part of 2021 all of these organisations continue to be impacted by Co Vid 19. Organisations meet throughout the week and at various times. The halls are fully utilised. Membership numbers are in brackets. The adult organisations include Knit and Knatter (15), Presbyterian Women (40), Young women’s group (18), Indoor Bowling group (10), Chat and Coffee did not meet 2021. Bible Study groups and prayer times are held at various times during each week. Children’s organisations include Sunday School inc Creche and Bible Class (30), youth Fellowship (10), Parent and Tots (15), Girl’s Brigade (40) Youth club, Boys Brigade and Badminton did not meet 2021 All organisations are open to everyone and religious background is irrelevant. ## **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 fa- cilitated 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 notice boards, 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 adhoc 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 168 contributing families in 2021 donating a total of £64,915 compared to 182 families donating £64,185 in the previous year. Total Income of the congregation (including all organisations) in 2021 was £84,954 compared to £87,753 in the previous year. Total expenditure of the congregation (including all organisations) in 2021 was £87930 compared to £86,605 in the previous year. Income continues to be suppressed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Despite this, we met all of our financial obligations in 2021, and we start 2022 with sufficient funds to meet anticipated expenses in the first quarter ## **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 October 2022 and signed on their behalf. Brian Thompson Church Treasurer Rev.GarethSimpson Minister