CONLIG CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105279) CONLIG 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 Conlig Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Main Street Conlig BT23 7PT Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105279) CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were Cecil Connell John Miskimmon Gwen King Brian Morrison Ronnie Maxwell Derek Prentice Rev John Mcconaghie Edith Savage Sheena Mcllfatrick PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Rev John Mcconaghie Brian Morrison Edith Savage Clerk of Session Treasurer INDEPENDENT EXAMINER David Hooks 250 Donaghadee Road Bangor BT19 6NH BANKERS Ulster Bank Killeen Avenue Bangor BT19 IND Progressive Building Society 6 Castle Street Bangor BT20 4ST Ulster Bank 22 Frances Street Newtownards BT23 3DP CONLIG 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 Session has delegated to its Congregational Committee the temporal affair5 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. All purchasing, installing, and modifying of property must be paid from the Property Fund and within the limits of that fund. The General Fund is only to be used for purposes approved by the Trustees. 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 normally held every second month with a vision and planning meeting on the alternate month. Eight stated meetings were held during the year, as the Session focused on a return to normality after the Covid pandemic. To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the congregation a person must be a voting member and 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 approval from two-thirds of those who vote. Nominations and a selection process for additional elders took place in December. Four members were selected to be approved by the congregation in January 2023. Presbytery Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate oversight of a congregation is the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends the Spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Conlig congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Ards Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists of the active ministers of congregations CONLIG CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd) assigned to it by the General Assembly, minsters who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. The General Assembly The General A55embly is the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and arting 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 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. Conlig 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 members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world. The congregation's mission purpose is to reach up to God, reach out in mission and to reach inward by discipleship, 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 CONLIG CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) 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 range of organisations including Craft Group, Embrace, Friendship Group, EPIC, and SHINE. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worship and Prayer The congregation met for worship each Sunday at 11.00 am. The emphasis was on worship as a church family with young families encouraged to attend via the League of Church Loyalty. In the Autumn of 2022 we held morning worship, on two Sundays, in the church hall. This offered a more informal setting for worship and increased fellowship among those attending. Praise at each service is led by Lynda-jane Nelson and John Donaldson. The Midweek Connection delivered an opportunity for members to meet for fellowship, to study the scriptures and for a time of prayer throughout the Winter, Spring and Autumn months. Over the Summer months a small group met weekly for a time of prayer on Thursday evenings. At 31 December 2022 there were 90 communicant members and 167 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship was reduced, particularly in the first half of the year, to around 60 to comply with the social distancing requirements. Pastoral Care The minister, elders or one of the congregation's pastoral visitors visited members of the congregation, who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age, on a regular basis. Following two years, in which visiting was severely restricted due to the Covid pandemic restrictions, visiting slowly returned to normal activity. A new Pastoral Care team, to complement the work of the elders, was established in the later part of the year. Mission and Outreach At a local level, the congregation was actively involved with the Conlig Community Regeneration Group and engaged in outreach through our organisations. The congregation also provided accommodation CONLIG CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) for Praxis and gave support to Storehouse via a grocery box in our vestibule. Our Embrace and Craft Group organisation provided an opportunity for ladies in the community to integrate with church life. The congregation contributed to 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. It delivers financial aid 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 congregation in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership, and pastoral care. The congregation also contributed to the denomination's annual Moderatorfs Appeal (to support relief work in Ukraine), the PCI Sunday School project and World Development special appeals. It also collected funds for Christian Aid, Fonic Trust, European Christian Mission, Kids4School, the Nl Hospice and the British Legion. Gifts of toys were given for the Salvation Army to distribute, at Christmas, to children in Bangor. Presbytery Our minister and Brian Morrison represented our congregation at the regular meetings of the Presbytery. They also served on various commissions and committees of the Presbytery. This provided an important link between the congregation and the wider structures of the church. During the 2021122 year our Minister also served as Moderator of Presbytery. General Assembly The Kirk Session nominated Edith Savage to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June 2022. Our Minister is automatically entitled to attend the Assembly. Property During the year, the Church Committee conducted significant maintenance to our property by means of a Church Maintenance team. A specialist restoration contractor was also engaged to carry out essential work on the windows of our Worship Building and Minor Hall. Organisations In 2022 we began to rebuild our organisations from the low points of the pandemic restrictions. SHINE, our organisation for children of primary school age, normally met during morning service. It taught children bible stories at an age-appropriate level. EPIC, for members of secondary school age, also normally met on Sunday mornings for fellowship, bible Study, prayer, and worship. Leaders of both CONLIG CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) organisations wore distinctive blue hoodies. The Craft Group provided social interaction for women in the congregation and local community. It also created items for sale and, with weekly donations, raised funds for our church. Embrace provided an opportunity for ladies to get together once a month for fellowship, with the aim of providing a spiritual influence in their lives. The Friendship Circle (previously known as Friendship Group) held several monthly meetings and drew attendances of over 40 members of the congregation and their friends. Ronnie Maxwell arranged for well know Christian musicians to entertain the group at each meeting. 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). 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. Public access is made known using 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 CONLIG CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) indirert contact within 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 member5, contributions by bank transfer to its General Fund or through Weekly Freewill Offering envelopes. There were 1091112 in 2021) contributors to this General Fund, by these means, donating a total of £55,357 (£51,307 in 2021). Total income of the congregation during the year was £98,672, an increase from £90,095 in the previous year. Total expenditure increased from £78,182 in 2021 to £91,442 in 2022. The trustees also transferred £10,000 from the General Fund and invested it in the PCI General Investment Fund. 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 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 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 and signed on its behalf by Reverend TJ Mcconaghie Brian Morrison 20 February 2023 20 February 2023