ARMOY CONGREGATION OF THE pRE5BERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 and Statement of Assets and Liabilitie5 as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Armoy Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. 14 Church Road, Armoy, Ballymoney, BT53 8XQ. Registered Cha rity in Northern Ireland INIC1053801 CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were.. Rev Gary Glasgow Mrs A Campbell Mrs H Morri50n Mr D Huey Mr G Huey Mr D Cusick PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Rev Gary Glasgow Mrs H Morri50n Mrsv Huey INDEPENDENT EXAMINER James Wallace, D T Carson & Co., 51-53 Thomas Street, Ballymena, BT43 6AZ BANKERS Danske Bank, High Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6AH SOLICITORS Thomas Taggart & Sons, 27 Church Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6HS
ARMOY CONGREGATION OF THE PREsBERIAN 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 Eoverning 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 seek5 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 as and when necessary but at least twice in the 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 spiritua l and temporal affa irs of the congregations assigned to it by the General A55embly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Armoy congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Route Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consist5 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 Assemblv The General A55embly is the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and acting as Its supreme legislative, ad ministration and jud icial 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 minster5 and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation.
ARMOY 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. Armoy 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 ourworld. The congregation5 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 comm itted to the historic Christian gospel as revea led 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 Jesu5 Christ are admitted to the Lord's Supper. The congregation holds regular prayer meetings and has a wide range of organi53tions including.. Sunday School; Girls, Brigade; Bowing Club; Presbyterian Women. Children's Church Walking Group
ARMOY CONGREGATSON 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 10.30am. As well as our regular services during the year we acknowledged God's gift of new life at I Sacrament of Baptism and gave thanks for faithful service5 and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 December 2022 there were 124 communicant members on the roll and 91 familie5 connected with the congregation. Average attendance during 2022 was 45. 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 or elders. Mission and outreach At a local level we seek to be a positive influence in ourvillage and surrounding community and our church to be a place where all people feel welcome and are shown unconditional love. We seek to share God's love by word and action. We aim to achieve this mainly through our organisations and special Outreach Events. l. Girls Brigade Company- providing opportunities to connect with local families and encouraging young girls from our community to'seek, Serve and Follow Christ" 2. Sunday School - providing Christian teaching to 15 regular children. We were able to provide catering and car parking for visitors to the Armoy Road Races on the 30, July 2022. 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 mi55ion 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 Wlth 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 Theologica I College, the Church's training college for ministry students, and financially supports congregation in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mi55ion, outreach. leadership and pastoral care. The congregation also contributes to the denominations annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School project and any other special appeals.
ARMOY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular 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. General Assembly The ministerand one of our elders were nominated to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in I rela nd held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. Property No major work required on church property. Organisations Sunday School-The Sunday School meets every Sunday morning in the hall from September to June prior to the morning service. There would be 15 children on the roll book . Presbyterian Women- PW meets in the church hall on the third Monday of the month from September to March. There would be 21 members on roll and we have a varied programme. We hold a PW Service every year and throughout the year would be invited to other local PW groups. The meetings had to be cancelled due to COVID 19 restrictions and only started to meet again in October 2022. For this reason we have not been able to cater for those suffering bereavement. Bowling Club-The bowling club meets in the church hall on a Tuesday and Saturday night for practice from Septemberto April. Membership includes members of the local Church of Ireland. The club plays in league and friendly matches. Bowling Club had to be cancelled due to COVID 19 restrictions and only reopened in September 2022. Girls, Brigade-The GB meets in the church hall every Thursday night from September to March. There is a membership of 50 girls with a group of leaders under direction of the captain. The girls take part in a varied programme of badgework and take part in local district competitions and services. The Enrolment Service held th in October 2022 also acknowledged the 50 Anniversary of the Company. Children's Church- 12 children up to age 8 leave church after Children's Talk and are taught Bible stories etc by volunteer leaders from ourchurch family. Walking Group-The group meet during May and June.
ARMOY CONGREGATION OF THE PREsBERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Volunteer 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 Christia n 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. I n 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 congregation5 and their members, or are facilitated through presbyteries or are organised a nd 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, website5, and social media or in other ways. The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the service5 and informal and ad-hoc feedback from members, theirfamilies, and members of the public. The purpose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowing from our purpose is related to Ministers. Missiona ries, Deaconesses, Irish M ission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits a5 a result of their holding office or employment. However, this is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purpose. There a re 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 ind irect 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.
ARMOY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 86 contributing families during the year 2022 {80 in previous year 20211 donating a total of £32,184 (£27,281 in previous year 20211. Total Income for 2022 was £64,097, compared to £49,941 in the previous year 2021. Total expenditure for 2022 was £56,141, compared to £40,761 in the previous year 2021. 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 generally accepted accounting practice. As the congregations total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 64131 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 tra nsactions a nd disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its financia I position. They are a Iso responsible for safeguarding the a55ets 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 on 1610512023 and signed on its behalf by.. Rev G Glasgow Mr D Huey ,3a UK3Qy Date: ,)() . Date..