an MAGHERAMASON CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report and Financlal Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023 Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105376}
an MAGHERAMASON 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 2023, including a statement of Assets and Liabilities, as at that date.. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Magheramason Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 137 Victoria Road Magheramason Londonderry BT47 2RS Registered Charity in Northern Ireland {NIC105376) CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who sended during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were; Rev Graeme Orr Mr Patrick Crumley Mr Joseph Davis Mr Walter Hoy Mr Leslie Hamilton Mr Colin Kennedy Mrs Catherine Kincaid Mr Gareth Kirk Miss Elma Mitchell Mrs Reta Olphert Mr David Thompson VRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Rev. Graeme Orr Mr Colin Kennedy Mr Leslie Hamilton INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Derry Burgess S.A. Tax Consultant (B2602R) Burgess Consultancy, 52 Dunnalong Road, Bready, Strabane, BT82 0 DW. BANKERS Ulster Bank Culmore Road Londonderry BT48 8JB SOLICITORS A D Mcclay l Limavady Road Londonderry BT47 6JU
an MAGHERAMASON CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) 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 Presbycerian 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 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 four times in each 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 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. Magheramason congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Derry and Donegal 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, ministers who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of the congregatioh. 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 matter5 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 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. Magheramason 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 th_e power of his Spirit and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world.
an MAGHERAMASON CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) The Congregation's mission purpose is- "For God's Glory Magheramason Presbyterian Church is committed to equipping Christians to Worship God, reach out into the local area and the wider world for Chrisf Our vision is, by the Grace of God, to be an inclusive, welcoming community of Christ's followers 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 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 It was good to start a new year Covid free. Our church and organisations were able to meet together and enjoy church life as 'normal'. The Congregation meets for worship every Sunday morning and every Sunday evening, with the exception of July and August and visitors are most welcome to join. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is observed on at least three occasions during the year and all those who have been baptised and made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are admitted to the Lords Table. The congregation holds Bible study and Prayer meetings every week and has a wide range of organisations, these Include:_ Sunday School / Bible Class Girls Brigade / Boys Brigade, Bowling Club / Walking group Presbyterian Women's group. Christian Youth Fellowship group We have an Afternoon Club which is not only for members of the Church but also for other members of the Community. Also a Parent and Toddler group which people from the whole community attend and benefit from. The Holiday Bible Club meets annually during June in the church halls and grounds for 5 to 12 year olds. On average 40 to 70 children attend each evening from both the church family and from the local community. The children take part in games and physical activities, bible stories and quizzes, crafts, memory verses arid singing.
an MAGHERAMASON CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worship and Prayer The Congregation meets for worship each Sunday morning at 11.00am and in the evening time at 6.30pm (except July and August). During the months of May & June our evening services are held as a drive in at the local Cricket grounds where we have different speakers each evening. During the week we have a midweek service which provides an opportunity for members to meet for a time of Bible Study and Prayer. Further to this we have a time of Prayer on a Friday morning when we meet in the church hall at 7.30am. Once a month, on the last Thursday of the month at loam, we have a time of Prayer for the Community and from time to time we have organised special weeks of Prayer. During the year we acknowledged God's gift of new life at two Sacraments of Baptism and we conducted no marriage service. We gave thanks for faithful service and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31, December 2023 there were 392 communicant members and 255 families connected to this Church. The average weekly attendance at morning worship is 155. Pastoral Care Our Minister and/or elders regularly visit members of the Congregation who are unable to attend Church due to age, illness or infirmity. The bereaved are also visited as well as normal visits to members of the congregation. Mi55ion and Outreach The congregation supports the United Appeal for mission. This 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 of Union Theological College, the Church's training college for ministry students and financially supports congregation in the area of worship, discipleship, global rnission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregation also contributed to the denominations annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School Project and any other special appeals. At a local level our congregation has supported financially many different causes and charities including C.E.F. the Bible Society, Children's Society, Belfast City Mission. In total £1,200.00 was donated to local mission. Externally and globally we have donated £16,591.00 to various causes including CEF, Frontiers (Ireland),Turkey/Syria Appeal, European Mission Fellowship, Exodus, Help Children Europe, shine His Light and United Appeal. Church members also support the annual Samaritan's Purse Appeal by filling shoeboxes with appropriate small gifts suitable for play and educating young disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. We have a Mission Fund which receives funds through donations at our weekly midweek Bible study and prayer meetings. This enabled the Fund to make donations to various other mission and outreach projects throughout the year. We are currently supporting a Pastor on the South coast of Spain through European Missionary Fellowship.
an MAGHERAMASQN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular meetings by our Minister and one of our 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 were nominated to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast in June 2023. Property During the year normal remedial work, including plumbing maintenance was carried out to our property to keep these properties maintained to a satisfactory standard. Organisations The congregation of Magheramason have a wide range of organisation5 which meet at designated times during the week. The Boys Brigade normally meet weekly between September and March with a good number of boys of all ages coming along to get involved in various activities and a well rounded programme to learn more of the Gospel of Christ. During the year they would normally have attended many Battalion competitions and travelled on outings. The Girls Brigade also has a large number of girls of all ages who enjoy the activities on offer and would travel on occasional outings throughout the year. The girls have the opportunity to learn about Christ in an interactive and fun environment through a programme of games, craft, scripture and much more. Bowling Club meets each Monday evening from Sept. to March and have a team entered in the local Churches League. As well as this it holds a very successful Annual open tournament each year when entries are received from far and wide and cross-community. On a Friday morning our hall is normally used by the Parent and toddler group which is open to the whole community. Young children attend accompanied by their careers. The group organise an outing each spring to a local kids activity centre which is normally attended by the children and their carers. The Presbyterian Women's group meet once a month in our halls and have a wide range of activities and guest speakers. They normally organise an annual outing each year with in the region of twenty Members attending. They also have a collection throughout the year for Home and Overseas Mission which realised £1,350 this year. A crèche is provided for babies aged below three years of age during the morning worship service each Sunday. This gives the children a safe environment while the parents or carers are in church. Primary school children leave church mid way through the morning service to attend children's church where they will take part in song, bible stories craft and talks. Secondary school age children meet prior to morning worship in Sunday school groups for bible study and prayer.
an MAGHERAMASON CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) Volunteers The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on the various committees and helping with the leadership of the organisations and other church artivities. 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 case5. Public access is made known through the use of notice boards, printed material, press advertisement, websites and social media or in other ways. The benefit5 are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the sepdices 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 organisation5, charities and individual members of the public. The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charity Commissions Public Benefit Statement statutory guidance.
an MAGHERAMASON CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) FINANCIAL REVIEW The Congregation's main source of income is members. contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 160 contributors during the year (170 the previous year) donating a total of £93,162 {£82,800 the previous yearl Total income for the congregation during the year was £130.501 compared with £119,345 in the previous year. Total expenditure increased on the previous year from £128,720 to £131,596. This was mainly down to an increase in running costs within the church. STAEMENT 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(31 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2018 to prepare a Receipts and Payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records th3t 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 held on 16 April 2024 and signed on its behalf by Graeme Orr Leslie Hamilton Date 16