an Terrace Row Presbyterian Church (a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland) Trustees Annual Report (for the year ended 31 December 2023) Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland Registration Number NIC105552
an TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023, including a Balance Sheet as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEfAILS Terrace Row Presbyterian, Terrace Row, Coleraine, County Londonderry, BT52 IHF Registered Charity in Northern Ireland, Registration Number NIC105552 CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who senied during the year of this report were: Patricia Ballentine Robert Campbell Robert Ferguson Dr lan Hadden John Hempsey Donald Kenny Dr lan Mcmaster Tom Moore George Scott Trevor Shiels Douglas Thompson Rev Dr Andrew Brown Dr David Brownlee Noel Dunlop Tom Gilliland Marion Hadden Jack Hutchinson Pamela Mark Andrew Millen Richard Pollock Peter Semple George Templeton Eileen Wallace PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS MINISTER Rev Dr Andrew Brown PASTORAL ASSISTANT Rev lan Mcclean FAMILY AND YOUTH MINISTRY Mrs Marion Hadden CO-ORDINATOR CLERK OF SESSION Dr David Brownlee TREASURER Tom Moore INDEPENDENT EXAMINER John Mcmullan. SC Hlgh Street. Ballymoney. BT53 6AH BANKERS: Danske Bank, 22 The Diamond, Coleralne. BT52 IDE SOLICITORS: Croasdaile5 LLP. 23 New Row. Coleraine, BT52 IAD 21Page Terrace Row Presbyterlan Church
an STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT The Klrk 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 sepiice 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 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. To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the congrega.ion a person must be a voting member and a regular attendant on its ordinances. The se,ection of those proposed to be called to the office can be either by the conoregation, or by the Kirk Session. Presbytery Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate oversight of a congregation is the responsibility of a Presbytery which SUPLirintends generally the spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregations tissigned to it by t.ln General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Terrace Row Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Coleraine and Limavady Presbytery of the Presbyterian cliui.ch in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the actiiie 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 each congregation. This provides an important link between the congregation and the wider structures of the church. 31Page Terrace Row Presbyterian Church
an 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 ministers and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE Terrace Row 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 congregation's mission purpose is by the grace of God, to help people of all ages become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Our aim as a congregation is to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all associated with the church and to the wider community. We seek to do this in an atmosphere of prayer, through public worship, communal and private Bible study, fellowship through various activities, practical witness in the community and support of the church world-wide. The congregation aims to live out its MiJSion and Vicion as a family of God's people by bein8: A Covenant Community: where our r¢!-tionsFiiPS are rooted in the promises of God by living faithfully toward him 3nd toivard one another. An Intergenerational CommJnity: IAihere adults iiitentiKnyD.ally take the lead to enga8e with, eii courage and nurture younger rr.embers to matL'rity 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; and 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 Catechisrils, set out what ¥ve understaryd the Bible teaches on key matters of Christian faith and practice. 41Page Terrace Row Presbyterian Church
an ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visitors are always welcome to join. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is observed on five 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 activities, organisations and connections with other ministries in the local community and at a global level. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worship and prayer The congregation meet for worship each Sunday morning and evening. Morning services are also steamed live on the internet. 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 the congregation's pastoral assistant. Mission and outreach The congregation places great importance on local mission and outreach. The Church is a member of the Coleraine Gospel Partnership, a group of Coleraine churches working together to promote the Christian Gospel. The Church is also represented and actively involved in local school assemblies. The congregation supports the United Appeal for Mlssion 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 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, assists 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, In addition to our support for PCI mission initiatives, we prayerfully and financially support a range of other mission groups. The church also runs a weekly Foodbank in association with the Trussell Trust. Presbytery 51Page Terrace Row Presbyterlan Church
Presbyter an The congregation is represented at meetings of Presbytery by the minister and a representative elder. General Assembly The minister and a nominated elder normally attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast. Organisations Provision is made for a wide range of activities and organisations. Volunteers The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serling 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 purpose5 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). The above benefits are delivered locally by the congregation and its 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 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 member5 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 61Page Terrace Row Presbyterian Church
an 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 unrestricted income is regular contributions from member families. In 2023 this amounted to £126,861 compared to £119,042 in 2022. Total income from all sources amounted to £260,009 (£262,335 in 2022) while expenditure was £259,999 (£267,370 in 2022) 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 each financlal year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the congregations and the financial artivities for that year. In preparing the financial statements the Trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and 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 congregation and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Statement of Recommended Prartice ' 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 71Page Terrace Row Presbyterlan Church
an The activities of the congregation are dependent on continuing and faithful 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. subject to the continuing support from member5 to fund the congregation's current activities and other financial commitments. RESERVES POLICY The trustees have considered the level of unrestricted reserves (currently £283,835) and consider this to be prudent given future uncertainties regarding both income and expenditures. 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 activities of the congregation at stated meetings and by encouraging members in their regular giving. Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on 12 March 2024 and signed on its behalf by: David Brownlee Tom Moore Clerk of Session Church Treasurer 81 Page Terrace Row Presbyterlan Church