Armagh Baptist Church Trustees, report for the year ended 31 December 2023 The Elders of Aagh Baptist Church, as Charity Trustees, present the following report on the work of the church for the year ended 31 December 2023. The financial statements have bn prepared in accordance with the accounting policies and comply with the trust deed and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Ststement of Recommended PraCts. applicable to charities preparing their financial statements with Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 20151. Structure, govemance and management The charity has Trustees as detsiled out in the charity consthution. The church is ognISed as a charity under the Charity Commission for Northem Ireland as at the date of registration being the 8 July 2020. Where appropriate, Trustees are appointed following a selection prccess undertaken by the members of the church. The Trust$ will hold their positions on a 5-year cycle until such b'mes as they resign. retire or are removed. Trustee's records are uwlated on the charity commission Vbsite to represent these changes. Organisation The Trust$ who have served during the year are detailed on page 3. The Trustees are expected to play several key roles in the wnning of the charity- The principal function ofthe Church is to support the advanment ofthe Christian religion by promoting through the work of the Church the mission of the Gospel, pastoral. social and evangelistic. All the functions of the Church relate to the advancement of religion through holding regular worship and communicating and caring for worshippers of all ages especially the sick, elderly and others in our ILKal communty. Public Benefit The charity trustees have complied with their duties in line wrth the Commission's Public Benefit ststutory guidance. Regular worship and reaching out into the community as well as other activities both social and fundraising have been carried out throughout the year to fuffil our statement of public benefit. The premises are regularly used by various organisations within the church. Statement of Public Benefit The direct benefits which flow from our PUTPO include attendan at meetings convened for the teaching of Scripture, for fellowship, for the breaking of bread, as well as involvement in prayer meetings and evangelism. This is evidenced in personal groth in faith of those who attend the church, comfort to the bereaved and to the sick and eldedy members of the church who receive encouragement through Msitation and prayer. The provision of religious education for children and young people. Financial support for the departments of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland and for missionaries sent out from our church Ictally and to other parts of the world through lik minded organisations. These knefits are demonstrated through feedback from regular attendees at the various church services, interest in missions shown by prayer and financial SUPFX)rt given. and the ongoing regular attendance of members at worship seNices. The number of DVDS issued on a wkly basis to those unable to attend a Servi and statistical reports of the number of downloads of services via the Intemet.
Armagh Baptist Church The TrUStS are satisfied that carying out the purpose of our charity wll not cause ham to any individual attending the church, or to any other members of the wider communty. The charitys beneficiaries are church members and adherents, and anyone who chooses to attend the church ServIS which are open to the general public. Any trustee who is a pastor, is an employee of Anagh Baptist Church. Their salary and any incurred expenses are incidental and neSSary to enable Amiagh Baptist Church to provide the pastoral support required to fulfil our stated purpose. Aims and Objectives Armagh Baptist Church conducts regular serwces for public worship, prayer, Bible study, preaching and teaching for all age groups, and provides pastoral care to the sick and elderty of the church through visitation and prayer. Other activities of the church include Sunday School, Parent & Toddler Groups, Children's Meetings, Youth Meetings, Women's Meetings, Men's Events & Friendship Hour, together with regular outreach events to the wider community, in schools and residential care homes. 31 December 2023 Report The Elders of Amiagh Baptist Church, as Charity Trustees, present the following report on the work of the church for the year 2023. We had the joy of baptising 7 believers in Aprtl, and we added 10 new members following our May Members, Forum, bringing our membership back to the level it was at before COVID. and before we sent out eleven of our members to fom Keady Baptist Church. We reached 138 members before sending out Mark & Emma Rooney to Canada, and we lost one member through death, when Rae Gordon passed away in DeMber. So, we ended the year with 135 members. The funeral of Elsie Turbitt was held in Armagh Bapts"st Church on Friday 20th January 2023. Elsie had been attending for about six years, since her mother Edith mahon passed away. We had the joy of conducting three weddings in our church this year. Leah Knox to Adam Nesbitt on Wednesday 7th June, Abigail Reaney to David George on Friday 9th June, and Cherith Watson to David Beck on Thursday 20th July. Again, we neady lost count of the number of babies that were bjm to young married couples in our congregationl lan Grant completed his 14th year as pastor of the church on 1st May 2023, before taking up the role of President of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland on Sunday 7th May at a handover Servi from Pastor Mark PatteOn held in Moira Baptist Church. He has been kept busy throughout the year sin. He will hand over the role to Edwin Ewart on 11th May 2024. With Mart Rooney emigrating to Canada on 14th August 2023. it was important that a new Assistsnt was appointed as quickly as possible. The church met and agreed to appoint one of their own deacons, Graham Dougan, as Pastoral Assistant for one year from 1st August 2023. We also agreed to ask Andrew Mcorcroft (IBC student assistant) to continue to preach monthly, and to help yth the youth work on a Friday night weekly also. This arrangement has been working well throughout the year. We also record thanks to the men of the ABC Preaching Group who have preached at various times throughout the year. Mark Rooney is starting a one-year Interim Pastorate in Hawkwood Baptist Church, Calgary, Canada on 1st January 2024. We continue to pray for Mark, Emma, and their daughter Willow. As well as ministry and visitats'on, lan and Graham have continued to speak at assemblies in three primary schools, and at meetings in Faidawns, Hockley, and Lisanally Day Care Centre, along with others. We also brought the Amazing Joumey into several schools in the area.
Amiagh Baptist Church Our missionary interest continued1hroughout the year, gumjed by the nllssKS (xxnmittee. ajain enatrAing us to give £27,567 to the work of vaious missDn agencEs at and a)ro. Cr church EbsIte, F¥£book p4e and YouTube chanrEls conlinue to host vth of ow church seryw, a vder aLHJierKe to get a taste of what goes on Mqthin th8 walls of our church twikliNJ. Our Towards 2030 vision has gubjed our outre&h efft)rts in bca, fSed and vrf)rkl mission throLNJh the year. Perhaps the biggest effort in temis of outre&h this year coukl be sUmff up in I) ways: Follow the Star, vthen 100 volunteers tumed our Iik11ng into a Bethlehem village experience for Iwy) nights a week or so before Christmas, and over 700 people cTh throwJh our d(MYS aNJ reminded in WdriOUS ays of an1 of the Christrnas story. Our outreth to Crossmn was a new nbj[e this , whh resulted in ten meetiThJs beiThJ hekl in the Communty Centre in Square, arKI every IK)me in ts town tkiNJ vited tsyice with Gos1 literature. A new 'Crossm4len Baptlsl Cxthath, F&bcok p&Je enalkn us to re&h wle knith of F#)w Amwh, Keay, Newry Baptist Churches are tying k) tL in Althrt a dozen from a fjvewmile r&Jius of Crossmaglen have been atterIng the meetings. We hope to buikl on this in 2024. We record thanks to Gcd for his faifhfidness throughout thr yearof ministy. Pastor lan Grant (On behalf of ABC Trnstees) Flnanclal Revlew and Reserves The princiFA& sources of iome are ninty from gifts ar donatN)ns. The annual nts stTh a surt4us for th8 year of £17,428. The trustees have reviewed ts financial FotiOn of t Church arrfj are satiSfd that there are adequate funds in Pla to ensure that ts Chutch can Contin ts acti¥eS ar ts financial statements forthe year ended 31 Dernber 2023 C be signed off as a goiThJ c{errL By order of the Board A 2oZ Mr Allster Knlpe Trustee Charfty Commlsslon Number. NIC107549