# **BALLYWATT CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND** **Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023** **Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105348)** ## **BALLYWATT CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT** The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** Ballywatt congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Ballywatt Road Coleraine BT52 2LT Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105348) ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Mr J Campbell (Clerk) Mr A Cochrane Mr S Keys Mr R Lyons Mr D McClure Mr T Nevin Mr W Taggart Mr S Sharpe Mr T Beattie Mr David Radcliffe Rev R Collins (Minister) ## **PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS** Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Rev Ross Collins Mr John Campbell Mr David Radcliffe **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Mrs Olive Wallace** **BANKERS Danske Bank The Diamond Coleraine** **SOLICITORS Macauley & Wray 35 New Row Coleraine BT52 1AH** ## **BALLYWATT 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 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 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. Ballywatt congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Limavady and Coleraine 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, minsters 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 minsters and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. **BALLYWATT CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)** ## **DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE** The charitable purpose of the congregation is the advancement of religion. Ballywatt 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 congregations mission purposes 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: - 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 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, small group meetings and has a wide range of organisations including: - Sunday School - Chrildren’s Church - Youth Fellowship - Tea and Tots - Bowling Club - Boys’ Brigade - Girls’ Brigade - Friendship Group - Presbyterian Women ## **BALLYWATT CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)** ## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Worship and prayer** The congregation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 11.30am and 7.00pm on the first Sunday of the Month. During the week the Bible Study provides 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 during the year we acknowledged God’s gift of new life at 4 Sacraments of Baptism, we conducted 1 marriage service and gave thanks for faithful services and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 December 2023 there were 182 communicant members and 106 of families connected with the congregations. The average weekly attendance at morning worship is 112. ## **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 actively reaches out to the local community through the various organisations, children, youth and adult groups. In recent years we have run a children’s Holiday Bible Club and supported members of our church to engage in mission both locally and overseas. We have ongoing partnership during the summer months with the C.S.S.M. team and the New Horizon Livewire Team who use our facilities. We also gave donations to external missions and agencies such as; Christian Aid, Presbyterian Children’s Society, Royal British Legion, Moderators Appeal, Belfast City Mission and PCI Missions Home and Overseas. 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, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregation also contributes to the denominations annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School project and other special appeals. ## **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 congregations and the wider structures of the church. ## **General Assembly** The minister and one of our elders was nominated to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. ## **Property** During the year we continued to maintain the interior and exterior of the property and invested in LED lights. ## **BALLYWATT CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)** ## **Organisations** - Sunday School and Bible Class – runs weekly in our church hall from September through to May and consists of approximately 25 young people. - Youth Fellowship – runs fortnightly from September through to May and consists of approximately 8 young people. - Tea and Tots – runs on Tuesday mornings from September through to June and consists of approximately 25 careers and 30 children. We held a coffee morning to raise funds and our annual outing was to the Jet Centre. - Bowing Club – the club meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings and competes in the Bushmills League. There are approximately 25 members. On a Tuesday afternoon a social group of approximately 14 meets for noncompetitive bowls. - Boys’ Brigade – runs on a Friday evening when three sections meet, consisting of approximately 30 boys and 8 officers and helpers. - Girls’ Brigade - runs on a Friday evening with the company sections (16 Juniors, 6 Seniors and 7 Brigaders) and our 30 Explorers. Week by week each section completes ongoing badge-work presented by dedicated leaders who tailor the programme to suit their girls. Games and food were enjoyed by everyone at the annual Christmas parties. Eight staff members and two Brigaders help out regularly. - Friendship Group – six times a year the group meet on a Wednesday afternoon with a guest speaker followed by tea. They also organise a summer outing and Christmas dinner. - Presbyterian Women – the ladies meet 6 times a year on a Tuesday evening and the meetings consisted of a variety of demonstrations and talks. ## **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 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 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 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 supportfor 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'5 main 50uriE uf iriLuITie is Imenibers. contributlOD5 through the Weekly Freewill Offerin8. There were 113 contributors during the year [134, 20221 donating a total of £60,149 (£60,361, 20221. Total Income of the congregation during the year was £132,49Y, compared to £124,321 the previous year and the total expenditure increased from £113.415 in 2022 to £148,467 in 2023. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBIUTIES The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial 5tatement5 of the congregation in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting practicp_ As the congregation's total income does not exceed £250.OLX), the Trustees have elected under Section 64{31 of the Charities Act (Northern Ire13nd) 208 to preparp. a rpc.p.ipts 2nd payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees are restKbnsible for kpeping 2dp.qu2tp_ accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the congregaiion's iransactions and dlsclose wlth reasonable accuracy at any time it5 financial pu5iLiun. They are also responsible for safeguarding the a55ets of the congrcgation and hen￿ for taking reasonable steps for the preventinn And dptp.ctian nf fraud and other irregularities. Approved by Kirk Scssion at a meeting on 19103/24 and signed on its behalf by: Name: (JSJ Date: Date: