2023-12-31-annual-report

December 2023.

Reference and Administrative Information

Charity Name: Gafcon Ireland Charity registration number (NI): 106747 Company registration number (NI): 640941 Registered ODice and operational address: 26 Ballyregan Road, Dundonald, Belfast, BT16 1HY Northern Ireland

Gafcon Ireland in 2023 was led by a Council of six men and two women, three Executive Directors (also Council Members), and an Operations Manager.

Council of Members

1. Revd. Timothy Anderson

2. Revd. Trevor Johnston

3. Revd. Canon Bill Press

4. Rt. Revd. David McClay

5. Miss Ruth Bridcut

6. Revd. Canon Bryan Martin

7. Miss Erin Topley

8. Revd. Canon Henry Blair

Directors/Management Team

Revd. Timothy Anderson Director Revd. Trevor Johnston Director Revd. Canon Henry Blair Director (from June 2023) Brian Haugh Operations Manager (up to June 2023) Peter Reid Operations Manager (from June 2023) Financial Advisor – Jack Simpson ACA, 24 Larkfield Gardens, Belfast, BT4 1QR

Bankers – Barclays Bank, 17 Castle Place, Belfast, BT1 1EL

Our Aims and objectives

Purposes and Aims

Our charity’s purposes as set out in the objects contained in the company’s memorandum of association are to:

GUARD THE UNCHANGING, TRANSFORMING GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND TO PROCLAIM HIM TO IRELAND, AND THE NATIONS

A global movement

Gafcon began in 2008 when moral compromise, doctrinal error and the collapse of biblical witness in parts of the Anglican communion had reached such a level that the leaders of the majority of the world’s Anglicans felt it was necessary to take a united stand for truth. A crowd of more than one thousand witnesses, including Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, clergy and lay leaders gathered in Jerusalem for the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon). The outcome of that first conference was the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration - a commitment to authentic Anglican doctrine founded on the clear and present word of God - The Bible. In 2013 in Nairobi, 2018 in Jerusalem and 2023 in Kigali there were also Global Conferences with significantly increased and growing numbers attending. Gafcon aims to help and support Anglican churches around the world remain faithful to the Bible’s teaching as they pursue Christian ministry and mission in this context.

As well as the nine Gafcon Provinces throughout the world, there are seven regional branches: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, Ireland, Tanzania and Ghana. Further branches are planned in Sudan and Pakistan.

Gafcon Ireland launched on 21 April 2018 and is the local expression of the global Gafcon movement. We are a fellowship of Anglican (Church of Ireland) Christians in Ireland who are passionate about the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and join with like-minded people around the world in the Gafcon movement. Gafcon Ireland sees the desperate need on the island of Ireland for the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified–the only way God is reconciled to humanity. Like Thomas Cranmer, the great Anglican reformer, we are proud to be labelled people of this gospel.

Gafcon Ireland shares the passion of the global movement to be a whole-church movement - the leadership and membership joined together in Christ’s mission. Gafcon Ireland is devoted to staying true to the Bible’s teaching and acts for the glory of Jesus the King! Gafcon Ireland is led by a Council of up to twelve men and women, three Executive Directors (also Council Members), and an Operations Manager. It is a Registered Company limited by guarantee and has charitable status

Four ways our work delivers our aims

Gafcon Ireland seeks to ensure our work delivers our aims in the following four ways:

• Partner with others who love the Lord

• Plant new congregations

• Prepare Christian people for ministry

Proclaiming the only name that saves rebels from God’s anger into eternal life reconciled to Him. This message is essential for all people to hear. So we devote ourselves to proclaiming it everywhere - training all Christian people to know and love the Lord and promoting this gospel. So, Gafcon Ireland proclaims the gospel. In June 2018 the branch sent a delegation of 31 men and women to Gafcon in Jerusalem with the theme Proclaiming Christ Faithfully to the Nations. In April 2023 a similar number attended Gafcon IV in Kigali, Rwanda.

Partnering with those who share the Anglican passion for spreading the gospel on this island and around the world. We are particularly interested in supporting those Anglican Christians whose overseers and colleagues step away from the Bible's teaching.

Planting churches . There are many villages, towns and even cities in Ireland where there is potential for new ministries. The Republic of Ireland is a country with the lowest percentage of evangelicals in the Englishspeaking world. Gafcon Ireland is committed to addressing this. We will work with other mission organisations to get people out proclaiming and begin planting new church gatherings. Central to this, Gafcon Ireland is committed to growing a network of at least 50 churches committed to the Jerusalem Declaration in Ireland by 2070. Every year in late November/early December over 60 leaders and ministry trainees attend a 48 hour Residential. This Council see this annual event as a key strategic building block. In 2023 the theme was Making Disciples.

Preparing people. Theological education for all Christian people is essential for the growth and stability of a church and groups of churches. This is so foundational that Gafcon Ireland started this work even before its launch, creating Theology Ireland and launching it in February 2018. Our plan is to grow this into a faithful training initiative that will prepare people for ministry where they find themselves, and also prepare people for full-time Christian service. In January 2023 The Revd. Dr. Mark Earngey from Moore College Sydney was the lecturer at Theology Ireland on “Jesus Christ: The Church’s One Foundation” in – Belfast, Dublin and Kilmore Diocese. So, Gafcon Ireland ‘prepares’ by providing theological education

Theology How our activities deliver public benefit

• 1) Providing support for clergy and churches within the Church of Ireland (Ireland’s second largest church by membership behind the Catholic church) to unite together under a common aim and remain faithful to the Bible’s teaching as they pursue Christian ministry and mission in society generally . In January 2023 Theology Ireland held its annual lectures based in Belfast but with the benefit of livestream, available throughout Ireland and beyond. In December the Annual 2 Day Residential was attended by over 60 people for training and equipping. The theme was Making Disciples.

• 2) of Church of Ireland church members located in the Northern Ireland, compared to the Presbyterian church with 96% of its members in Northern Ireland and Ireland’s largest church, the Catholic church, with under 25% of its members from Northern Ireland, the Church of Ireland can be said to be the most Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland balanced church in Ireland. We believe a church unified across Ireland is in for the public benefit of society in Ireland as a whole.

• 3) Providing stability: by providing a safe harbour for certain clergy and congregations, we believe our aims will retain (and grow) the Church of Ireland clergy and congregations in Ireland and accordingly support very many of its causes and purposes at the same time.

4) Leading on from (3):

• a. As the secular media often observes, Anglican churches that uphold orthodox biblical teaching are in general growing congregations at a faster rate that churches that do not. As such, our churches provide something that society is in demand for;

• b. The Christian faith we profess is for the common good of every member of society, and the benefits we work for are not exclusive to our members or to orthodox Anglicans alone. As we uphold biblical teaching, we release people to be a society who have been truly transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, which we believe makes them care passionately for the good of those around them in society. As the secular media has often observed, compared to churches who do not seek to uphold such teaching, and also flowing from (a) above, there is often a commensurately greater resource available to support activities for children and youth, infants/toddlers and their mothers, those undergoing trauma, loneliness or a cycle of or poverty and providing a network of groups for informal Bible study and socializing.

There was enthusiastic involvement and expressions of support from parishes that included Waringstown, Knockbreda, Coleraine, Dublin, Belfast, Carrickfergus , Dundonald, Drung,

Derrylin, Swanlinbar as well as Anglican mission societies such as Crosslinks and Irish Church Missions.

• Theology Ireland met in January 2023 with the Revd Dr. Mark Earngey to support mostly church leaders and ministry trainees

• In April 2023 over 30 leaders from within the Church of Ireland attended a 5 day international conference (Gafcon IV) in Kigali, Rwanda to equip and encourage. The theme was “To Whom Shall We Go” (Gospel of John 6.68). Over 1300 attended from 52 countries.

• Gafcon Ireland was represented in person and online at the Gafcon Primates' Meetings

• A total of three Council Meetings in 2023 and a support base of over 200 that is slowly growing.

Financial Review

members and other volunteers, generated a very positive programme outcome for the period with funds generated of £14,559 (income). This enabled the Council to commit to activities amounting to £18,383 for the period. This compares to income (£10,753) and expenditure (£13,645) in the previous year.

Principal Funding Sources

The principal funding sources for the charity are currently by way of (1) donations from individuals and churches and (2) income generated by fees for those attending our Theology Ireland seminars, conferences and residentials. We are grateful to those individuals and churches that have faithfully supported the activities of Gafcon Ireland.

Investment Policy

Aside from seeking to retain a prudent amount in reserves each year (something that the Council is actively planning) most of the charity’s funds are to be spent in the short term so there are few funds for long term investment. When reserves become available for investment the Council will consider the most prudent investment vehicle that meets the ethical investment policy that the charity is committed to as a Christian charity.

Reserves Policy

The Council has examined the charity’s requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation. It has established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charity should be between 3 and 6 months of the expenditure.

October 2024 to be Budgeted expenditure for 2025 was confirmed in the Council meeting of 2[nd] £10,000 and so the target reserve is £2,500 to £5,000 in general funds. The reserves are needed to meet the working capital requirements of the charity and the Council are confident that at this level they would be able to continue the current activities of the charity in the event of a significant drop in funding.

The present level of reserves available to the charity of exceeds the range of this projected target level.

Plans for Current/Future Periods

In May 2024 Theology Ireland ran in-person lectures across several weeks with the Revd. Dr. Ray Ortlund (USA)

A Residential is being planned for December 2024.

Into 2025 we are planning Theology Ireland lectures, God willing a Residential in late in 2025, and working towards the March 2026 Gafcon Conference.

Regular ongoing ministries will continue to oDer and provide support to faithful Anglicans and members of the Church of Ireland in isolated and diDicult contexts.

Structure, Governance and Management Governing Document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 20 September 2016 and registered as a charity on 24 July 2017. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.00.

Recruitment and Appointment of the Council of Members

The members of the Council are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be re-elected at its next General Meeting.

Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in a note to the accounts.

diversity of the council body. It aims for a mix of clergy and laity (at least three of each) as well as representation from each of Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connaught provinces. The process is that individuals are invited by the Council (taking into account its diversity aspirations above) to apply for membership, they commit to adhere in word and deed to the Jerusalem Declaration and are then approved by a majority of the Council.

understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the purposes of Gafcon Ireland set out above.

Recruitment and Appointment of the Executive

Either two or three directors of the Executive may be appointed by the Council, each for a period of two years. Such directors are also required to be members of the Council. The directors are named as the Trustees for Charity Commission purposes.

Their role is to manage the day to day business of the charity, subject to any delegation to the Operations Manager.

Trustee Induction and Training

The directors of the Executive are the Trustees of the charity. They are already familiar with the practical work of the charity having been involved in such work over many years as both clergy and lay members of the Anglican church. It is what brings them to Gafcon and what enables the Council to select them for the Trustee role.

Current directors are also Trustees of other charities and so are kept appraised of any changes in Trustee responsibilities under general law, and reminded of the Trustee role, through those various contexts.

At meetings of the Executive and at Council meetings (also led by the Directors) matters that are covered (among other things) are:

• the obligations of Council members

• making judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and

• appropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis

Approved by the Council on 2 October 2024 and signed on its behalf by Revd Timothy Anderson, Director.