First Moneymore Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 3 1 st December 2023. Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105635) First Moneymore Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Trustees Annual Report. The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 3 1st December 2023 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date. Reference and Administrative Details First Moneymore Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, stOnd Street, Moneymore, Magherafelt. BT45 7PN. Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 105635}. Charity Trustees The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were Doreen Brown, Kenneth Brown, James Davison, John Hunter, Eric McKee, Jonathan Sloan, Eric McKee, Margaret Quinn. Principle Office Bearers Minister: Rev. J Sloan Clerk of Session: Kenneth Brown Treasurer.. Greer Hunter Independent Examiner: Weir & Co 25 High Street, Moneymore, Moneymore, BT45 7PA Bankers - Ulster Bank, 20 William Street, Cookstown. BT80 8ND Solicitors - None 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 administrating 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 Kirk session are held: On the frst Tuesday of January, March, May and November. The second Tuesday of September, and the First Sunday morning of October and the Second Sunday morning of May before communion Service. Ad hoc meetings, to deal with important business that can't wait until the next stated meeting, can take place providing all Kirk Session members are given notice. To be chosen for the office of 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 Kirk Session. Members are elected rf they obtain two-thirds of those who vote. Presbytery Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland forni of governance the corporate oversight of a congregation is the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends generally the spiritual 8nd temporal affS of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyteri8 Church in Ireland. First Moneymore Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has been assigned to the Tyrone Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists
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 congregation. 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 nornially 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. First Moneymore Congregation of the Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Presbyteriaji Church in Ireland, as a Refornied 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 fuIrlng God's mission to our world. The Congregation's Mission purposes are: 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 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 toWd 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 blessing of God that belongs 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 LL)rd's Supper is observed on three occasions during the year, in January, May and October. 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 and Bible Class -Children's Church -Boys Brigade {3 sections) -Mother's and Toddlers group -Girl Guides (4 sections) -youth Fellowship -Afternoon Fellowship (Senior citizen's group) -Presbyterian Women -Badminton (2 sections) -Bowling Club Achievements and Perfonnance Worship and Prayer. The Congregation nonnally meets for worship each Sunday at I1.30am (all year) and at 7pm from October to June. During the week the Bible Study
(Wednesday nights from October to May) 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 2 Sacraments of Baptism, gave thanks for faithful service of 2 members and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 st December 2023 there were 109 communicant members and 107 families connected with the congregation. The average attendance at morning worship is 120 people. 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. Over the past year the congregation has been involved in different outreaches. The BB, Girl Guides. Mother and Toddler group and Bowling Club consist of people drawn from the local community who belong to other churches and none. We also have hosted some of the local primary schools to a tour of the church building. 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 fmancial support for mission personnel at home and overseas, assists congregations with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church planting, provides gTant 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 fanCiallY supports congregations in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregation also contributed to the denominational World Development Appeal, Sunday School project, Presbyterian Children's Society, Presbyterian
Woman's Mission Fund, Moderator's Appeal and other charities not directly associated with PCI. Presbytery The Congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our Minister and one of our elders. This provides an important link between the congregation and the wider structure 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 Building, Belfast in June. Property No work was carried out to 1st Moneymore Meeting House. Org8nisations Every Sunday morning from September to June, Sunday school and Bible Class meet in the Church hall. There are around 40 children and young people aged 5 - 15 attending each week. Youth Fellowship meets twice a month with around 7 young people attending. On Monday night, the bowling Club meets with around 30 members. The club participated in several competitive matches through the year. On Tuesday night Badniinton club meets in two sections, with around 20 people aged from 8 upwards. Wednesday morning is the mothers and Toddlers group. with around 30 babies, toddlers and their carers. They went on trips in the local area having a Teddy Bear's Picnic. Once a month on a Wednesday afternoon from October to April, the Afternoon Christian Fellowship meets with around 20 attending. Wednesday night is BB night when all three sections of the BB meet from September to April. There are around 100 boys in attendance each night. Midweek meeting for Prayer and Bible study meets on Wednesday night with around 16 people attending from October to May.
Thursday morning during September to April, the Ladies. bible study meets in the church, with around 20 ladies attending. On Thursday night Rainbows and Brownies meet from September to May with around 40 girls in attendance. Then on Friday night the Men's bible study meets with around 10 men in attendance. And on Saturday night Guides and Rangers meet from September to June with around 30 girls in attendance. Volunteers The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on committees aJ]d helping with organisations and other church activities. Public Benefit Statement The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the public benefit requirement by providing benefits to its members and 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 IArger 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 through the use of notice boards, printed material, press advertisements, websites and social media or in other ways. The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the services and infornial and ad-hoc feedback from members, their families and members of the public.
The purpose does not lead to harni. 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 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 organisations, charities and individual members of the public. The Kirk Session has had regd to the Chlty commission Public benefit requirement statutory guidance. Financial review The congregation's main source of income is member's contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were I I I contributors during the year in 2023 {1 I l in 2022) donating a total of £50,892 (£46,804 in 2022). Total income of the congregation during the year was £108,696, compared to £1 11,411 in the previous year. Total expenditure decreased to £95,406 from £104,33 1. a decrease of £8,925. Statement of Trustees responsibilities The trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statement 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 64(3) of the charities act (Northern Ireland) 208 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 transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its fmancial position. They e 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 on 25th August 2024 and signed on its behalf by Rev. J Sloan & Kenneth Brown. nL- Ig/8/14.