Castlederg Baptist Church . a member of the
Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland.
Trustees Annual Report and Financial
st
Statements for the year ended 31 December
2022.
Registered with the Charity Commission Northern Ireland NIC 107670
Page I

Trustees Annual Report
The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year
st
ended 31 December 2022.
Reference and Administrative Details
Castlederg Baptist Church,
10 Upper Strabane Road,
Castlederg,
Co.Tyrone,
BT817BG
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 107670)
The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the
time of this report were:
Mr.Stanley Baxter (Chairperson)
Pastor Jude Colhoun
Mr. Ivan Gowdy
Mr. Norman Irwin
Mr. David Nesbitt
Mr. David Porter
Auditor
Mr. Thomas Oliver and Associates Limited, l Moygashel Row, Dungannon,
BT717DH
Bankers
Danske Bank, 5-7 Market Street. Omagh, BT78 IBN
Page 2

Trustees Annual Report
The office bearers of the church consist of the Pastor, elders and deacons and
they act as trustees of the congregation. The elders deal with all matters of
spiritual importance and the deacons take responsibility for all practical and
temporal affairs. As a leadership they endeavour to promote the spiritual
interest of the congregation and to encourage the members to witness and
serve in the local community.
Male members of the church who have been in membership for at least two
years can be recommended for the office of an elder by existing elders, or by
three members. The appointment of an elder takes place at a Church meeting
called for that purpose. Deacons, either male or female, must be members of
the church. They are to be chosen by the membership of the church and
appointed at the annual A.G.M. Elders require a seventy five per cent majority
and deacons require a majority vote of at least two-thirds of the members
present at the meeting.
The leadership meet together at least six times a year.
Association of Baptist Churches
Castlederg Baptist Church 15 a member of the Association of Baptist Churches
in Ireland. Although all churches in the Association are autonomous, the
church benefits from support, guidance and encouragement provided by the
Association Director and members of staff. The Castlederg church values its
links with other churches in the Association.
Page 3

Trustees, annual report (continued)
Description and Purpose
Ca5tlederg Baptist Church was established in 1987 and at first rented the
premises at 10 Upper Strabane Road, Castlederg. Eventually the church
purchased the building and in 2010 erected a new building to meet the
requirements of the congregation.
The church acknowledges the headship of Jesus Christ over his Church and
exists to glorify the triune God by maintaining and promoting his worship both
individually and corporately. Its members devote themselves to the teaching of
scripture, to fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer and evangelism. They
commit, with the help of God, to witness to the saving and sustaining power of
the Lord Jesus Christ and to work for the extension of his kingdom. The
principal charitable purpose of the church is the advancement of the Christian
faith according to the teachings of Scripture, the Doctrinal Statement and
Baptist principles.
ACTIVITIES and OBJECTIVES
The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visitors are welcome to
join us. Normally Breaking of Bread (communion) follows the sermon every
Sunday. A regular bible study and prayer meeting is held once a week. Services
are open to anyone regardless of whether or not they are church members.
Sunday School is arranged for the teaching of young children. Youth night5 are
held for primary aged young people. An annual holiday Bible Club is held for a
week during the summer months. Ladies events, visits to residential care
homes and organised walks allow us to participate in the life of the
community. Prayer is offered on behalf of our members and their families, the
community and for those in government. We support, both financially and
through prayer, local and international Christian organisations.
Page 4

Trustees, Annual Report (continued)
Achievement and Performance
Church services were held each Sunday to enable members and adherents to
gather together for worship and Bible teaching. On Tuesday evenings Bible
Studies were held, providing the opportunity for teaching and discussion on
Bible passages. Su nday school was provided for the young people during the
morning service. Sunday School numbers are small but all attend well. In the
Autumn our J4U club started up once again. Almost all of the children
attending J4U are from outside the church family and from different
backgrounds and experiences. The Ladies, Friendship evenings a nd our 'Walk
and Talk, events saw people from the community joining together with church
folk to enjoy these events. One of the highlights of the year was our summer
Holiday Bible Club when very good numbers of children and teenagers
attended the events of the week.
Mission and Outreach
The church was able to financially support Baptist Missions and the Baptist
College. The fellowship contributed to the financial support of a Scripture
Union E3 project making Good News known in local schools, an Irish University
Christian Unions, worker and an O.M. worker in Germany, The Sunday School
helped raise some funds to provide piglets for poor families in South-East Asia.
The church supported the 'Kids For School, organisation f unding education for
some children in Tanzania.
Page 5

Trustees, Annual Report (continued)
Property
The new building of 2010 had been completed in such a way that when
finances permitted the development of the First Floor could be facilitated. This
work continued throughout 2022 with electrical, plumbing and painting work
being completed or almost finished.
Public Benefit Statement
The church meets the public benefit requirement by providing benefit to its
members and the general public by making the Christian gospel known
through the advancement of religion. The teaching provided by the church
leads to spiritual and moral development for those who are affiliated. In turn
this leads to practical expression of Christian beliefs and standards in the
community. Public activitie5 are made known via social media and printed
materials.
The purposes do not lead to harm. Trustees have taken steps to mitigate harm
and AccessNI are required f rom those involved with youth activities.The only
private benefit arising from our purpose is related to our pastor, who receives
benefits as a result of holding office, and a Christian Unions Ireland worker and
the O.M. staff member. These are necessary in order to further our charitable
purpose. There are no other private benefits.
The beneficiaries of this purpose are members, their families, and other
individuals with whom they have direct and indirect contact; other
communities throughout Ireland and worldwide.
Page 6

Finance
The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions. An
annual report detailing income and expenditure was presented at the church's
A.G,M. The accounts for the financial report were prepared by the accountant
Mr.Thomas Oliver and Associates Ltd. Moygashel.
The church recorded a net deficit for the year 2022 of £25,669
St
Closing unrestricted reserves at 31 December 2022 were £28,556
(2021 £54225)
st
Closing restricted reserves at 31 December 2022 were £0
(2021 £0)
Assets and Liabilities
The church owns its own building. The totsl funds at the end of 2022 amount
to £41,246.73.
The only liability the church has is its obligation to repay a Northern Baptist
Loan of £12,691.10
Page 7

This concludes Castlederg Baptist Church Trustees, Report for the year ending
31" December 2022.
Signed
z/
LIL (p.," .
1027
2oLS
loql
PLO LS
15ai- I
Page 8