BUCKNA PRESBYTERIAN Buckna Presbyterian Church A congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC105403
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees of Buckna Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 and a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Buckna Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Buckna Road, Broughshane, Ballymena, BT42 4NR Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105403) CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Rev Stephen Kennedy Mr James Ballentine Mr James Currie Mr David Bradley Mr Grahame Davison Mr David Woodburn Mr Ian Craig Mr George Hamilton Mr Andrew Mccurdy Mr Norman Kennedy Mr David Hanna Mr Alan Montgomery Mr Gavin Pyper Mr Wilnor Reid Mr Grahame Robinson Deceased 17/212023 Mr William Smyth PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Rev Stephen Kennedy Mr Wilnor Reid Mrs Maureen Currie INDEPENDENT EXAMINER D T Carson & Co, Chartered Accountants, 51-53 Thomas Street, Ballymena, BT43 6AZ
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRE5BERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D BANKERS Danske Bank, 1-2 Broadway Avenue, Ballymena, BT43 7AA SOLICITORS McKervill Neilly,l Broadway Avenue, Ballymena, BT43 7AA 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 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 congregation. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator, the minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote. Stated meetings 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. Members are elected if they obtain the votes of 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. Buckna congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned 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, ministers who have retired from attive duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation..
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D 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, 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 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 Buckna 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 its members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world. The congregation mission purposes are as follows: 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: 15 increasingly charatterised 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 believed 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.
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES Sunday Worship The congregation meets for worship every Sunday morning and evening and visitors are welcome to join. The sacrament of the Lord's 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 and has a wide range of organisations including: Sunday school SNAC (Sunday Night at Church) Children's Church Praise Group Bowling Club Vibe (Youth Fellowship) Youth Club Boys, Brigade Girls, Brigade Presbyterian Women Sunshine Club Treasure Chest (Mothers and Toddlers Group) Salt and Light (18 to 40 year olds) ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worship and prayer The congregation meets for worship each Sunday at 12pm and 7pm. Children's church runs each Sunday morning. SNAC (Sunday Night at Church) runs on alternate Sunday evenings. Our singing is lead by a praise group. During the week the Bible study provides an opportunity for members to meet together for fellowship, further study of 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 6 sacraments of baptism, we condutted 2 marriage services and gave thanks for faithful service and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 December 2023 there were 160 communicant members and 241 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance at morning worship is 200 and the average weekly attendance at evening worship is 100.
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYFERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D 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 and/or elder. Mission and outreach At a local level, the congregation attempts to reach out to those who haven t yet trusted in Jesus by inviting them along to services or special events. The Kirk Session and congregation believe that preaching and prayer are central to the work of the church. 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 the elders were nominated to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. Property There were no major repairs to the property of the congregation. A new meeting house is being built and financial documents relating to this can be found along with this report. Organisations Each Monday our hall is used by our BB which has three main sections. On average BB has an attendance of 60. Leaders organise various artivities for the boys who come along and there is also some Scripture teaching included as well. On Tuesday morning our mothers and toddlers group, Treasure Chest, meet between 9.30am and 11.30am in the church hall. Approximately 35-40 mothers and their children attend. There is play time and also a time of singing. Treasure Chest is an excellent outreach and witness into the community as mothers that are not connected to our church family attend. On Tuesday evening our GB meet in the church hall. On average GB has an attendance of 90. Leaders organise various activities for the girls who come along and there is also some Scripture teaching included as well. Our midweek Bible study is held on alternate Wednesday evenings in the hall and numbers vary from between 20-50. Junior CE meets on alternate Wednesday evenings as well with around 25-30 children attending in the church hall
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELqND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D Our PW group meet monthly on Thursday evenings with roughly 35-45 women attending each month. The central church PW committee sets the theme for each year and our own committee like to tie in with it. Once a month on Thursday afternoons our Sunshine Club meets in the church hall. This is an organisation for older people within the church family to gather together for some fellowship, fun and food. Speakers come to each meeting and share from the Bible. Our Bowling Club meets on Thursday evenings in the hall with around 10-15 members attending practices. The club plays in competitive matches throughout the church year and travel to different church halls to play opponents. On Saturday evening our youth club meets in the church hall with around 80 young people attending. There is a variety of games played - including football and indoor hockey. On alternate Sunday evenings Vibe, our youth fellowship group, meets in the church hall. Vibe draws in around 25-30 young people and a there is a variety in terms of the programme. 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.
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D 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, are facilitsted 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 notice boards, 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 indirert 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.
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT- CONT'D FINANCIAL REVIEW There were 218 contributors during the year, 211 in the previous year, donating a total of £ 90,505 in 2023, £84,715 in the previous year, Total income of the congregation during the year was £375,802 compared to £304,663 in the previous year. Total expenditure was £179,894 for 2023, the previous year being £183,369. RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the congregations and the financial activities for that year. In preparing the financial statements the Trustees are required to: Select suitsble accounting policies and then apply them consistently Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the funds will continue in operation. 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 responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. GOING CONCERN The activities of the congregation are dependent on ongoing contributions 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 arise in the year from the date of signing this report and subject to the continuing support from members to fund, on an ongoing basis, the congregation's current activities and other financial commitments. RESERVES POLICY The Trustees have considered the level of unrestricted reserves that it is appropriate to hold taking account of current and ongoing commitments. It is the policy of the Trustees to hold at least 25 % of normal expenditure. At the year end, unrestricted net current assets were £63,646 which represented a higher level of reserves. The Trustees consider it prudent to hold reserves at this level as the funding of its present activities is dependent of the ongoing financial support of members.
BUCKNA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES 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 to the likelihood of reputational damage and financial risks associated with the expectation of ongoing financial support from members. These risks are mitigated by the Trustees, and the Congregational Committee, regularly monitoring the various activitie5 of the congregation at stated meetings and by encouraging members in their regular giving. Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on and signed on its behalf by: Mr Wilnor Reid (Clerk of Session) Mrs Maureen Currie (Treasurer) Dated.. Dated: 2DZÈ 10