# **THE DROMORE PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND**
**Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023**
**Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC106391)**
## **THE DROMORE PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 DETAILS**
The Dromore Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 47 Kesh Road, Lisburn BT27 5RR
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC106391)
## **CHARITY TRUSTEES**
The Charity Trustees who were trustees at the date of this report or who resigned during the year were:
Very Rev Dr WJ Henry Very Rev Dr DJ Bruce Rev Dr RS Tosh Rev JI Davey Rev J Brackenridge Rev RA Liddle Rev JG Trueman Rev RA McLernon Rev RD Cameron Rev AJ Thompson Rev P Jamieson Rev LA Patterson Rev AA McCullough Rev A Faulkner Rev MN Davidson Rev Dr WJA Sleith Mr SR Johnston Mr A Peoples Mr L Carson Mr R Crawford Mr R Mcauley Ms C Patton Mr P Kennedy
Rev L Orban Rev GR Stockdale Rev DH Gilpin Mr SA Poots Rev SW Moore Rev FMA Forbes Rev AS Thompson Rev Dr M Cowan Rev Dr K McIlroy Mr A Robinson Mr DG Wallace Dr B Craig Mr A Martin Mr M Potter Mr W Jordan Miss M Thompson Mr J Moore Mr D Hunter Mr W Dunlop Ms M Pattison Mr A Strain Mr B McKinstry Mr M Francey Mr R Nesbitt
## **PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS**
Moderator Clerk of Presbytery Finance Convener
Rev G Stockdale Very Rev Dr WJ Henry Mr SR Johnston
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER**
Mr Andrew Greer 65b Drumneath Rd Banbridge BT32 4HD
## **BANKERS**
Santander UK plc 2 Triton Square Regent’s Place LONDON NW1 3AN
## **SOLICITORS**
WG Maginess & Son 68 Bow Street LISBURN BT28 1AL
## **THE DROMORE PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)**
## **STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **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 _t_ he and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The following congregations of the Presbyterian Church have been assigned to The Dromore Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland: Anahilt; Ballinderry; Cargycreevy; First Dromara; Second Dromara; Banbridge Road, Dromore; First Dromore; Drumbo; Drumlough; Elmwood; Hillhall; Hillsborough; Harmony Hill, Lambeg; Legacurry; First Lisburn; Railway Street, Lisburn; Sloan Street, Lisburn; St Columba’s, Lisburn; Loughaghery; Magheragall; Maze; Moira.
A Presbytery makes arrangements for the election of ministers in congregation, ordains licentiates and installs or inducts and appoints ministers in the congregations assigned to it. They also ordain or install and appoint elders, commission and appoint deaconesses, senior lecturers, auxiliary ministers, lay agents and missionaries who have been called by an authorised body in the Church. A Presbytery has a role in seeing that ministers preach the Word faithfully to their congregations, regularly visit the families under their charge, visit the sick, promote peace and temperance and see that the duties of the eldership are property discharged. Presbyteries oversee the resignation and retirements of ministers and elders.
Presbyteries provide advice to Kirk Sessions and Congregational Committees when required and have a role in approving matters in relation to congregational property. They report annually to the General Assembly and have the right to make a nomination for the office of Moderator of the General Assembly.
The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly 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. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church
Stated meetings of Presbytery are held the first Tuesday of February, March, May, September, October, November and December
All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator has no deliberative but only a casting vote.
## **THE DROMORE PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 Presbytery is the advancement of religion.
The Dromore Presbytery is a Presbytery 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 Presbytery’s mission purpose is to support each of its congregations in their worship, discipleship, mission and service initiatives.
## **ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES**
The Presbytery meets on the first Tuesday of every month apart from January, April, June, July and August and on other occasions as required. All meetings commence with a time of worship and are opened and closed with prayer.
The Presbytery carries out the following activities
- Supports candidates for the Ministry
- Installs Ordained ministers
- Provides Credentials to ministers transferring to other Presbyteries
- Provides pastoral support for ministers and their families
- Encourages ministers to avail of In Service Training opportunities and Sabbatical Leave
- Conducts consultations with constituent congregations on a rotational basis
- Receives Reports from the various General Assembly Councils
- Deals with remits from the General Assembly
- Trains, ordains and installs newly-elected elders
- Considers applications for the appointment of Additional Pastoral Personnel
## **THE DROMORE PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)**
- Holds a number of events such as taking a stand at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society’s Balmoral Show, Ruling Elders’ Fellowship meetings, Accredited Preacher course, Handling the Word course
- PW Link is an initiative of Presbyterian Women intended to improve communications and build relationships between Presbyterian Women. PW Links include a representative from each congregation and run events to support the mission and outreach of Presbytery and the wider Church. The Link Secretary reports annually to Presbytery on the activities of the past year.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
At the 31 December the following numbers of personnel were under the care of Presbytery
||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
|Minister in actve service in congregatons
|18|21|
|Retred Ministers
|13|13|
|Licentates|0|0|
|Students for the Ministry|3|4|
During the year credentials were provided to one other Presbytery in respect to one minister and also received from one other Presbytery in respect of one minister.
The Presbytery encourages the congregations assigned to it to 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 Presbytery also encourages congregations to contribute to the denomination’s annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School project and any other special appeals.
## **THE DROMORE PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)**
## **General Assembly**
Presbyteries are represented on the various Councils of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and report on an annual basis to the General Assembly
## **Property**
The Presbytery does not hold any property of its own but gives architectural advice and guidance to congregations undertaking major projects.
## **Volunteers**
The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on Presbytery, it commissions and panels.
## **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 congregational churches and 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 charity’s beneficiaries are its 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 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 Presbytery has had regard to the Charity Commissions Public benefit requirement statutory guidance.
## **THE DROMORE PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)**
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
The Presbytery’s main source of income is an assessment that is levied on the congregations assigned to it and £22,392 was received in the current year (£21,584 in previous year, 2022).
Total expenditure increased from £17,803 to £24,492. This includes a payment made to the Clerk of Presbytery for the responsibilities of that position.
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES**
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements of the Presbytery in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting practice.
As the Presbytery’s 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 Presbytery’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its financial position. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Presbytery and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
June Approved by the Business Committee of Presbytery at its meeting on 7[th] 2024 and signed on its behalf by
Rev F Forbes
Very Rev Dr W J Henry
7[th] June 2024
7[th] June 2024