an BALLYGONEY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105682) Presbyter an BALLYGONEY 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 DEfAILS Ballygoney Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Ballygoney Road East, Moneymore, Magherafelt, BT45 7XZ Registered Charity in Northern Ireland {NIC105682) CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were Rev. David Leach Rev. Michael Currie Rev. Stewart Glendinning Rev. Thomas Greer Mr Jeffrey Gilmour Dr Alastair Brown Mr Shaw Campbell PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Treasurer Rev. Stewart Glendinning Mrs Anne McGuckin INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Randal McKinney, McKinney Dawson Accountants 28 Union St, Cookstown BANKERS Ulster Bank Ltd 20 William St, Cookstown SOLICITORS Millar, Shearer & Black 40 Molesworth 5t, Cookstown an BALLYGONEY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'dj STRucfuRE 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 Sessions has delegated to its Congregational Committee the temporal affair5 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 appropriate and necessary. 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. Ballygoney congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Tyrone 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. an BALLYGONEY 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. 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 minsters 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. Ballygoney 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 membersto play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world. The congregations 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 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 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. an BALLYGONEY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) AcfiviTIES AND OBJECTIVES The congregation normally meets for worship every Sunday with visitors welcome to join and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is normally observed on 3 occasions during the year with everyone who had been baptised and who had made a profession of faith being admitted to the Lord's Table. Joint bible study meetings with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's Congregations of Coagh & Saltersland were held. The congregation has the following organisation: Presbyierian Women: Joint with Coagh Congregation ACHIEVEMENT5 AND PERFORMANCE Worship and prayer The congregation met for worship on the first Sunday in January 2023 at 10.45 am and then each following Sunday. During July & August, Ballygoney Congregation met with Coagh's Congregation for joint Sunday Services. The joint Bible Study group met on Wednesday evenings from January until April and from September until December for bible study, worship and prayer. During the year there was O Sacraments of Baptism and O marriage service. We gave thanks for the services which we had been permitted to hold and we sought to comfort those who had been bereaved. At 31 December 2023 there were 38 communicant members and 27 of families connected with the congregations. The average week attendance at morning worship is 10. Pastoral care Members of the congregation who were unable to attend church due to sickness or age were visited by the Minister. Mission and outreach During the year the congregation supported the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal Fund and the Turkey/Syria Earthquake Appeal. an BALLYGONEY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) 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 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 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. The congregation also contributes to the denominations annual World Development Appeal and any other special appeals. Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by the Minister. These meetings provide an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. General Assembly The Minister attended the meetings of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast in June. Property There were no major repairs or refurbishment projects during the year. Organisations Ballygoney & Coagh have a joint Presbyterian Women's Group meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month from September to March, WTth I member from Ballygoney attending. 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. an BALLYGONEY 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 lincludingthe 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 noticeboards, 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 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. an BALLYGONEY CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is member5. contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 47 contributors during the year [45 contributor5 in previous year, 20221 donating a total of £11,790 (£11,485 in previous year, 2022). Total Income of the congregation during the year was £19,824, compared to £19,712 in the previous year. There was no significant change in income in 2023. Total expenditure decreased from £20.727 to £18,438. There was no Significant change in expenditure. 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) 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 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.