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2025-12-31-annual-report

THE BALLYMENA PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2025

Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC106461)

THE BALLYMENA 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 2025 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

The Ballymena Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 24 Grasmere, Coleraine BT52 2DJ Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC106461)

CHARITY TRUSTEES

The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were:

William Moody

Philip McCullough

Mark Neilly Rev Jeffrey Thomas Thomas Joseph Andrews Rev Norman Darran McCorriston Russell Birney Rev William Sinclair William Dickey Mr Hugh Dennis Hanna Very Rev Dr John John Rev William Edwin Chestnutt Eddie Kirk Mr Trevor Mcllhagga D. Knowles Rev Norman Cameron Kenneth McConnell Rev Alistair Bates George Preston Rev Daniel John Kane Harry Uprichard Alistair Beattie Ronald Agnew Rev John George Johnston Rev Philip David Rev Brian McManus Stephen Kennedy David Preston Eric McCallum Rev Dr David Alexander Murphy — Alistair McCracken McCracken Derek Patterson Linda Keys Mr Samuel McKee Mr Tommy Tommy Simpson Rev Noel George Mulholland Mr Albert Albert Henry Brian Boyd Dr Paul Hughes Roland Watt Richard Morrison Chairperson Robin Fowler Mr James Alexander Gillan Trevor Kane Albert Baxter Mr Junior Whyte Whyte Rev. James A. Porter Liam McFetridge

Rev Jeffrey Thomas Thomas Blue Rev Norman George McDowell Russell Birney William Dickey Very Rev Dr John John Mateer Finlay Eddie Kirk D. Knowles Kenneth McConnell George Preston

Ronald Agnew Rev Philip David Thompson Stephen Kennedy Eric McCallum Alistair McCracken McCracken Linda Keys Mr Tommy Tommy Simpson Mr Albert Albert Henry Magill Dr Paul Hughes Richard Morrison Robin Fowler Trevor Kane Mr Junior Whyte Whyte Liam McFetridge

Mr David John Galbraith Mr James Houston Harris Emerson McDowell

Rev Joseph David McGaughey Mr Brian Alexander

Mr Alistair Hamill Mr Alexander Rankin Mr Nick Greer Mr David Woodburn

Mr James McWilliams

Anne Dines Mr Colville James George Elliott Mark Rodgers

Adrian Moody Mr Charles McConnell Tony Jackson Ivan Davison Kyle Gilmour Mr Thomas Nigel Moorehead William Richmond lan Small Mr Jonathan Gault Stephen Kerr Rev Andrew James Frazer

PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS

Moderator Clerk of Presbytery Finance Convener / Deputy Clerk

Rev Roland Watt Rev Joseph Andrews Mr David Preston

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Mr John Finnegan 190 Galgorm Road Ballymena BT42 1HL

BANKERS Danske Bank PO Box 183 Donegall Square West Belfast BT1 6JS

THE BALLYMENA 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 and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The following congregations of the Presbyterian Church have been assigned to The Ballymena Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Ahoghill - Brookside Broughshane - First Eskylane Ahoghill - First Broughshane - Second Glenarm Ahoghill - Trinity Buckna Glenwherry Ballee Cairnalbana Grange with Craigmore Ballykeel Carnlough/Cushendall Kells Ballyloughan Churchtown Killymurris First Ballymena Clough Newtowncrommelin Harryville Cloughwater Portglenone - First High Kirk Connor Townhill Wellington Cuningham Memorial Rasharkin West Church Dunloy

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, minsters who have retired from active duty and an

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THE BALLYMENA PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

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 on the first Tuesday of March, May, October, November, December and February and the second Tuesday of September.

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.

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 Ballymena 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 purposes are in line with those 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

THE BALLYMENA PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

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.

GOD CALLS US TO A SHARED LIFE

in which we love, honour and are reconciled to one another whilst respecting our diversity within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. We are called to encourage the exercise ofthe[gifts] of every member of the Body for the work of ministry and, seeking the renewal of the whole Church, to co-operate with other parts of Christ's Church without betrayal of our convictions.

GOD CALLS US TO WORSHIP HIM with our whole lives, meeting together in groups large and small and gathering especially on the Lord's Day for the preaching and study of His Word, the celebration of the sacraments and the offering of prayer and praise with reverence and joy, using language, form and music appropriate both to Scripture and to our time and culture.

GOD CALLS US TO MISSION as witnesses to Christ through both evangelism and social witness challenging the values of the world in which we live with the values of God's kingdom and winning men and women to faith and discipleship. This mission is to be pursued amongst all the people of Ireland and the peoples of the European Community and the whole world: those with whom we feel comfortable, those from whom we feel alienated

and those who are in any way distant from us in culture and faith.

WE OURSELVES ARE CHALLENGED with a biblical discipleship which is radical in its

self denial, simplicity of lifestyle,

THE BALLYMENA PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)

stewardship of money,

faithful relationships,

prayerfulness,

concern for the world which God has created

and love for its people whom he loves and for whose salvation He gave his Son.

ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES

The Presbytery meets on the first Tuesday of March, May, October, November, December and February and the second Tuesday of September and on other occasions as required. All meeting commence with a time of worship and are opened and closed with prayer.

The presbytery carries out the following activities

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

A regular series of stated meetings were held during 2025 carrying out the business of the Presbytery. It was a busy year with considerable work required to deal with matters before it. Much of this work was delegated to various Commissions and Committees.

At the 31 December the following numbers of persons were under the care of Presbytery

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2025 2024
Retired Ministers
Students for the Minist a ee ee
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During the year credentials were received from another Presbytery in respect of 3 Ministers who were installed in congregations assigned to the Presbytery. Credentials were presented to another Presbytery in respect of 1 minister who was called to congregations in another Presbytery.

THE BALLYMENA PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

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 denominations annual World Development Appeal, Sunday School project and any other special appeals.

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

Presbytery neither holds nor has interest in any property.

Volunteers

The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on Presbytery, its commissions and panels.

THE BALLYMENA PRESBYTERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN 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 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 charities 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 BALLYMENA 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 £17,658 was received in the current year (£16,648 in previous year, 2024) Total expenditure increased from £20,962 to £40,153. This expenditure includes payments made to the Clerk of Presbytery, Deputy Clerk and Finance Convener for the responsibilities of their respective positions.

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.

Approved by the presbytery at a meeting on 3™ March 2026 and signed on its behalf by

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bin fds (Clerk)
3" March 2026 3" March 2026
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