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2022-12-31-annual-report

DRUMBO CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

Trustees Annual Report

For the year ended 31 December 2022

Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105236)

DRUMBO CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2022 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Drumbo congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

123 Drumbo Road, Drumbo, Lisburn BT27 5TX

Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 105236)

CHARITY TRUSTEES

The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were Trustees at the date of this report were the Minister; Rev. Adrian McLernon and:

Gary Ballantyne Matthew Glenn Denis Currie David Hunter Roy Irwin Mark Milligan William McCord Helena Trimble Chris Reid

PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS

Minister Rev. Adrian McLernon Clerk of Session Denis Currie Committee Secretary Desmond Shortt Treasurer

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

David Brewerton

BANKERS

Ulster Bank Limited Belfast City Office Belfast BT1 1UB

SOLICITORS

W.G. Maginess & Son 68 Bow Street, Lisburn BT28 1AL

DRUMBO CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (Cont’d)

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 love 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

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Worship and Prayer

The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 11am. During the week Bible Study Groups provide an opportunity for members to meet together for fellowship, to study the Scriptures and for a time of prayer.

As well as our regular services in 2022 we conducted 2 marriage services and 11 funeral services, seeking to bring comfort to those who had been bereaved.

At 31[st] December 2022 there were 175 communicant members and 276 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship was 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.

Mission and Outreach

At a local level the congregation seeks to impact and support the community, through allowing the use of its facilities and resources. At a wider level, the congregation usually sends out a team to another country each year, to help with building and maintenance projects.

DRUMBO CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REOIRT (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 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 6 times per 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 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. Drumbo congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has been assigned to Dromore Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the active ministers of the 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.

DRUMBO 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 constituted during 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

Drumbo congregation 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 the Holy Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God’s mission to our world.

The congregations mission purpose 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:

The congregation aims to live out its Mission and Vision as a family of God’s people by being:

DRUMBO CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (CONT’D)

Sunday School meets each Sunday with up to children of school age in attendance. Several house groups meet weekly for Bible Study, in addition to the Wednesday Morning Bible Study with overall weekly attendance of up to . On one morning each week our Hall is used by our Parents’ and Toddlers Group, with up to parents/carers in attendance with their children.

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 Larger and Shorter Catechisms) leading to the 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, lonely 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.

DRUMBO CONGREGATION IOF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (C0NT’D)

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 from members’ contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were recorded families contributing during the year 2022 (189 in 2021) donating a total of (£83,390 in 2021).

Total income of the congregation during the year 2022 was compared to £163,781 in the previous year.

Total expenditure was (£132,803 in 2021)

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) 2008 to prepare 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 on and signed on its behalf by

Denis Currie

Rev Adrian McLernon