an BALL LO GHAN CO GREGATION ESBrfE NCH CHINI ND TRusfEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees of Ballyloughan Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 Dember 2023 and a Statement of Assets and Liabilltles as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINSTRATIVE DETAILS Ballyloughan Congregation of the Presbyterlan Church In Ireland, 88 Doury Road, Ballymena, BT43 6JE Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105323) CHARITY TRusfEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of thls report were: Rev Darran Mccorriston stephen Burns Wesley Cummings Tony Farquhar Desmond Fulton Crawford Gillespie Nick Greer Jim Heatherlngton Tom Kerr Stuart McKay Thomas McNeill James Morrlson Colin Orr Stanley Warwick PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Secretary Rev Darran Mccorriston Mr Stanley Warwick Mr Colin Orr Mr Stephen Wilson INDEPENDENT EXAMINER D T Carson & Co, Chartered Accountants, 51-53 Thoma5 Street, Ballymena, BT43 6AZ BANKERS Ulster Bank Ltd, 49 Wellington Street, Ballymena, BT43 6AD
Presbyter an BA LO GHA co GRE TION O HEP ESBYFE CHI ELA TRusfEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D SOLICITORS Thomas Taggart, 27 Church Street, Ballymoneyi BT53 6HS srRucfuRE 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 Presbyterlan Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spiritual interest of the congregation and of persons not connetted with any congregation who are within its bounds. It ensure5 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 Q)mmittee the temporal affairs of the congregation including administering all funds and property belonglng to the congregation. Members of the Kirk Sesslon are ex-officlo members of the Congregational Committee. The Kirk Session consists of the ordained mlnister and the rullng elders of the congregation. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, eXpt that the Moderator, the minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote. ststed rntings of the Kirk Session are held several times each year as required. 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. Member5 are elected if they obtain the votes of two-thirds of those who vote. Presbytery Under the Presbyterlan 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. Ballyloughan congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been asslgned to the Ballymena Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the attive ministers of congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly, mlnisters who have retired from attive duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. The General Assembly The General Assembly15 the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and acting as its supreme legislative, administrative 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 condutt its business. At the end of buslne5S 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.
Presbyter an BALLYLOUG ANC GRE ATI N OFTHE ESB RIAN URC IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D DESCRIPTZON AND PURPOSE Ballyloughan 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 exlsts to love and honour God through faith in His Son and by the power of His Spirit, and to enable its members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world. The congregation's mission purpose is to grow whole-life followers of Jesus who love God wholeheartedly, each other sacrificially, and God's world generously: We alm to love God wholeheartedly because in Jesus He has first loved us. We aim to love each other sacrificially as Jesus has loved us, by belng committed to each other, encouraging each otheri praying for each other, and offering practical help to those In need. We aim to love God'5 world generouslyi locally and globallyi by showing respett to everyone, being committed to doing whatever15 good, and by sharlng the good news of Jesus. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Sunday Worship Sunday worship Is at the heart of the life of the church family. Ballyloughan Presbyterian Church aims for Its worship to be intergenerational and inclusive, a place where all are welcome. Services take place every Sunday mornlng at 9.30am and 11.00am as well as a twice monthly'programme on Sunday evenings. Our Sunday Services are also Ilvestreamed online. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is observed on several occasions during the year and baptisms are administered to children of believing parents and adults upon profession of faith. Children are welcomed and encouraged to participate in worship. There is a busy Thrive programme for primary children, and a breakfast group and 'SOLiD' Bible class for young people. There is also a crèche on Sunday mornings for pre-school children, Prayer is also offered to indivlduals following each service. During the year our minister condutted 3 baptisms and we admitted 18 new people into full membershlp of our church. At 31st December 2023 there were 289 communicant members and 333 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship has grown to an average attendance of around 350 across our two morning SeNIS. Pastoral care Members of the congregatlon are visited by the Mlnister, Pastoral Worker and elders. Those who are sick, elderlyi the bereaved and those facing difficult circumstances are given 5peclal attention through regular visits, phone calls and the provision of support, friendship and prayer. BALL GHAN CON REGATION O THE RESB RIAN CHURCH IN IREL4
an TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D Mission and outreach Meeting together for Sunday worshlp Is at the centre of the life of our church family and continues to be well supported. We recognise that we learn more and journey better when we journey as an inter-generational community. Above all we seek, in worship to glorify God, to enjoy coming together as a family of all-ages and stages in His presence and to leave challenged to be agents of change in the spheres of work and life to which we return. An Alpha course is run regularly to seek to engage those who are seeking or wanting to explore the Christian falth further. We operate Ballymena North Foodbank under the umbrella of the Trussell Trust. Each Thursday we run an 'Open Door, drop-ln, to whlch people can come for breakfast, help from Foodbank, information about our Job Club or other assIstan. The congregatlon also supports the United Appeal for Mlsslon which is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Unlted Appeal Fund provldes financial support for mission personnel at home and overseas, assists congregations with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church plantingi provides grant support for the upkeep of church prernises, 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 worshipi discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadershlp and pastoral care. The congregation also supports finanaallyi prayerfully and prattically the work of Dublin Christian Mlssion, the work of a Baptist church in Koprivnica, Croatia. AslaLink which reaches out to. We also operate a monthly envelope scheme administered by our Missions Committee which allocates the proceeds to other charitable causes and misslon partners including AsianLink, Hope & Light Ministries which reaches out to children and women en51aved in parts of East Asia, Coaching for Christ, Christians in Sport, Scripture Union, and others. Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our minister and one of the elders. This provides an Important link between the congregation and the wider structures of the church. General Assembly The mlnister and one of our elders were nominated to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Building5, Belfast, In June. Property Durlng 2023 our church carried out some major refurbishment work to both our main church bulldlng and other areas on the premises. This nece55ltated us vacatin9 the majority of the building for 9 months (January to September), and Sunday Servlces were held In the local prlmary School durlng that perlod, The work was completed by late September and we were able to resume Sunday Services and a full programme of attivity in our buildings from 1st October.
Presbyter an LL UGHAN NG ATI THE RESB CHU CHI IRELAND TRusfEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D Organisations Ballyloughan Pre5byterlan Church runs numerous organisations for the benefit of the community. These Include significant provlsion for children and young people. Our Glrls, Brigade and Boys, Brigade Companies provide a varied programrne of attivities for children of primary school age, as does our Community Youth Club, On Friday evenlngs, a youth group Is run with a Christian focus called The Mix, led by the church'5 Youth Worker and other volunteers. Opportunities for deeper discussion and prayer are provided by small groups, a 'Deeper' programme, and our monthly Kingdom Come Worship and Prayer nights. A weekly Parents I Carers and Tots group is held. Alongside these activities, there is a weekly Wednesday cafe for folks to drop In to, includlng senior citizens, as well as a monthly Thursday Lunch Club for seniors. We also run occasional bl-monthly meeting5 for women and men. Volunteers The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on committees and helplng with organisations and other church activltles. 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 Christlan Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through the advancement of religion. The direct benefits which flow from the purposes of the Church include the galning of an understanding in Chrlstian 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 prattical expressions of Christian belief5 and standards in the local communlty such as through the care of those in need (includlng 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 ntra]ly. Local delivery Is facilitated by central resources in almost all cases. Public acces5 15 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 prlvate benefit ftowlng from our purpose is related to Ministers, Mi55ionaries, Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits as a result of their holding Offi or employment. However, this is incidental and nesSary in order to further our charitable purpose. There are no other prlvate benefits. The beneficiaries of this purpose are members, their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church In Ireland is in direct and indirect contsct with, the community In which pastoral SerViS are provided and other communities throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwlde whlch 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 Publlc benefit requirement statutory guidan.
an ATION F THE PRESB ERI"A RCHI ELAND TRusfEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 212 contributing families during the year donating a total of £142,665. Total Income of the congregation during the year was £471,499 compared to £315,603 In the previous year. Totsl expenditure Increased from £224,621 to £256,716. RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF THE FINANCIAL sfATEMENTS The Trustees are responsible ft)r preparing the Annual Report and the financial ststements In accordan with applicable law and United Kingdorn Generally Accepted Accounting Practice The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements ft)r financial year which give a true and fair view of the stste of affairs of the congregations and the financial activities for that year. In preparlng the financial statefflents the Trustees are required to: Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent Prepare the financial staternents on the going conrn basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the funds will continue in operatlon. The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the funds transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the congregations and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Statements of Recommended Practice "Accounting and Reporting by Charities (l January 2015)" They are also responslble for safeguarding the a55ets of the congregation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. GOING CONCERN The actlvlties of the congregatlon are dependent on ongoing contrlbutions from Its members. The Trustees are of the opinion that the congregation has sufficient resources at the date of approval of these financial statements to meet commitments which will arlse in the year from the date of signing this report and subject to the continuing support from members to fund on an ongoing basi5 the congregation's current activities and other financial commitments. RESERVES POLICY The Trustee5 have considered the level of unrestrlcted reserves that it is appropriate to hold tsking account of current and ongoing commitments. It is the policy of the Trustees to hold at least Six month's normal expenditure. At the year end unrestritted net current assets were £84,955 and are sufficient to meet this poliq. The Trustees consider it prudent to hold reseNes at this level as the funding of its present attivities is dependent of the ongoing financial support of member5.
Presbyter an LLYLO ON REGA ON OF THE PRE NCH ELA TRusfEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D RISK REVIEW A review of major risks has been undertaken by the Trustees and systems and procedures Implemented to manage Identified risks. The principal risks are in relation tr) the likelihood of reputational damage and financial risks associated with the expectation of ongoing financial support from members. These rlsks are mitigated by the Trustees, and the Congregational Committee, regularly monitoring the varlous activities of the congregation at stated meetlngs and by encouraging member5 In thelr regular givlng. Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on 20th May 2024 and signed on its behalf by Mr Stsnley Warwick (Clerk of Session) Mr Colin Orr (Treasurer) Dated . 20th May 2024 Dated . 20th May 2024