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CASTLEROCK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN
CHURCH IN IRELAND
Trustees Annual Report
for the year ended 31" December 2023
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NICI 05337)

CASTLEROCK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REpoirr (conVd}
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The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended
31st December 2023 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.
REFERENCE AND ADMINisfRATIVE DEfAILS
Castlerock congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
32 Circular Road, Castlerock, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT514XA
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland INIC105337)
CHARITY TRusfEES
The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this
report were:_
Minister (Vacant)
Mrs Alma Andrews
Mr Alastair Doherty
Mr James Hu8hes
Mr Geoffrey Warke
Mlss Heather Mcsparran
Mr Lindsay Montgomery
Mr George Munce
Dr David Stewart
PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS
Minister
Clerk of Session
Congregational Secretary
Treasurer
Vacant
Miss Heather Mcsparran
Mr Alastair Doherty
Mr George Munce
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Olive K Wallace ACMA, CGMA
101 Coolyvenny Road, Englishtown, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT5135F
BANKERS
Danske Bank
22 The Diamond
Coleraine
BT52 IDE
SOLICITORS
ANDERSON GILLAN BARR SOLICITORS;
14 Victoria Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6DW

CA5fLEROCK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRU5fEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd)
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srRucfuRE AND MANAGEMEMr
The ￿rk Sesslon
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 ministers in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but
only a casting vote.
Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held each year prior to the Communion Seasons in
May and November.
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 govemance the corporate oversight of a
congregation is the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends generally the spiritual
and temporal affair5 of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Castlerock congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been
assigned to the Coleraine & Limavady Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The
membership of the Presbytery consists mainty of the attive ministers of congregations
assigned to it by the General Assembly, minsters who have retired from active duty and an
elder appointed by the Kirk Session of the congregation.

CASTLEROCK CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conYd)
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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 normalty 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 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.
Castlerock 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 His Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission
to our world.
The congregation exists to glorify God by worshipping Him, growing in faith, caring for one
another & reaching out to others.
AcrivrriES AND OBJECTIVES
The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visitors are welcome to join. The
Sacrament of the Lords 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, has a
Presbyterian Women's Group and holds activities to raise funds and support the activities of
the wider church.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Worshlp and prayer
The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 11.00am.
At 31st December 2023 there were 178 communicant members and 146 families connected
with the congregation. The average week attendance at morning worship is 70. At the
beginning of 2023 our congregation remained vacant but the Linkage Commission and
Presbytery Commission endorsed the placement of Rev Dr Peter Fleming in the capacity of
Stated Supply minister from I" January 2023. In September 2023 these same bodies gave
permission for us to call a minister on a part time basis. By the end of 2023 we were we51
through the process of calling a minister and hoped to have completed the process by
January/February 2024.
Pastoral care
Members of the congregation who a￿ unable to attend church due to sickness or age are
normally visited on a regular basis by the minister or district elder.

Mlssion and outreach
At a local level the congregation supports financially, practically and prayerfully the work
of Castlerock C.S.S.M.
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 congregation in
the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, oUt￿aCh, leadership and pastoral care.
The congregation also contributes to the denominations annual World Development
Appeal, Sunday School project and any other special appeals.
Presbytery
The congregation was represented at 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.
Property
Buildings maintenance:
Weather-proofing the tower and associated work, renewing the protective glazing on the
stain-glass windows and repairing the water-damaged plaster in the church are matters we
need to address.
We are proceeding with the purchase of an extension to our Burial Ground at Downhill
although this is still not completed. This will involve considerable cost in securing the site and
creating an entrance, as well as purchasing the land from the National Trust, and paying the
a550ciated technical and legal fees.
Organisatlons
A Group of 'Presbyterian Women, met monthly from October to when the church building
was open and a range of activities and speakers.
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 artlvities.

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 Jesu5 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 Confe55ion
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 practica
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 deliVe￿d 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. 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 Offerin8. There weTe 116 contributing families during the year {108 contributors in
2022) donating a totsl of £50841 (£43561 in previous year, 2022)
Total Income of the congregation during the year was £127906 compared to £89585 in
2022. Total expenditure amounted to E82028 in 2023 compared to £52721 in 2022. Free
Will Offering contributions increased by £7280 in 2023 compared to 2022. Our Free Will
offering was augmented by Gift Aid amounting to £8435. In 2023 we received a bequest
of £4(M))O from the estate of the late Mrs E. Henderson. These funds are to be used at the
discretion of the Church Committee.

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBIUTIES
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
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'5 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.
2¢1-1
Miss Heather Mcsparran
Clerk of Session
MrG. Munce
Treasurer
Date:
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