EARLSTON PARISH CHURCH RECEIPTS and PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For Year ended 31st December 2025 Congregation No: 040257 Scottish Charity No: SC003895 TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT Year ended 31" December 2025 The trustees present the annual report and accounts for Earlston Parish Church for the year ended 31" December 2025 REFERENCE & ADMINISTrATIVE INFORMATION Charity Name: EARLSTON PARISH CHURCH Charity Registration Number: SC003895 Congregation Reference Number: 040257 Contact Address: The Treasurer Earlston Parish Church 8 Leaderdale Crescent EARLSTON Berwickshire TD4 6BJ TRUSTEES The trustees who served during the year were as follows: Kirk Session: Mrs R Armstrong Mr T Burnham (until 31/03/2025) DrJ M Bums Mr G Cowe Mrs L Cowe Mrs E Forster (until 09/0912025) Rev G Glover {Interim Moderator from 27110120251 Mrs K Grieve Rev V knnford Ilnterim Moderator until 27110120251 Mr D Lothian Mrs L McGillivray Mrj McLean Mrsj McLean Mr N Milne Mr RobertTurnbull Mr Markwands Dr G Yellowlees Mr Dyoung TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT 2025 cont Refe￿nce & Administrative Inforniation - Continued Principal Office-Bearers Interim Moderator Minister= Session Clerk: Churcn Treasurer: Rev G Glover Vacant Mr R G Tumbull Mr G Cowe Independent Examiner Mrs E Forbes Binscarth 4 )tation Brae EARLSTON Berwickshire TD4 6BP Bankers The Royal Bank of Scotland 35 Bank Street GAWHIEL5 Selkirkshire TDI IEP TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT Year Ended 31" Decernber 2025 STRucfuRE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing DO￿rnent The Church is administered in accordan￿ with the temis of the Unitary Deed of Constitution. Recruitment and Appointment of T￿￿teeS Members of the Kirk Session are the Chartty Trustees. The Kirk Session members are the Elders of the Church and are chosen from those members of the congregation who are considered to posse55 the appropriate gifts and skills. The Interim Moderator is appointed by Presbytery. Organisation and Structure The Kirk Session is chaired by the Interim Moderator. It meets approxirnately six times a year, and when required. It is responsible for all matters relating to the Church. Sub-committees are set up to advise on specific matters- membership need not be confined to Elders, but the sub-committees are responsible to the Kirk Sess10n. Objectives and Activiknes The Church of Scotland is Trinitarian in doctrine. Refonned in tr3dTtion and Presbyterian in polity. It exists to glorify God and to work forthe advancement of Chrisys Kingdom throughout the world. As a national church it acknowledges a distincttve call and duty to bring the ordinance of religion to the people in every parish of Scotland through a territorial ministry. It Co-operates wrih other churches in various ecumenical bodies in Scotland and beyond. The parish of Earlston is rurdl with most of rts members INing in the village and surrounding area. The Church attempts to maintain a healthy relationship wtth local organisations and groups. and many church members are attively involved in them. Being the only church in the parish, some residents coming from a different denominational background have thosen to worship with us, and they feel welcomed. Attendance at worship on a Sunday has remained fairly constant. but since many people do not attend every Sunday the actual numberwho do is considerably higher than the average figure suggests. although it is a predominantly ageing congregation. Achievements and Perforn)ance The year 2025 has seen a few changes take place. Sadly. a higher number than usual of deaths has occurred among the members of the congregation. We are also saddened that two of our Elders have moved away from the area, leavin8 two Districts without an Elder, and we still have to provide cover for a new housing development. During the year Rev. Victoria Linford had to relinquish her role as Interim Moderator when her husband was called to be minister in a parish in Dumfriesshire. We are pleased to welcome Rev. Graeme Glover as her repla￿ment and Billy Anderson as Assistant Interim Moderator. We look forward to them Su￿sSfv1IY guiding u5 through the remainder of our time in vacancy. We have made some progress with the vacancy. We decided to explore the possibility of forming a linkage with three congregations in the fomier Duns Presbytery who were Tru5teeg Annual Report (cont} Year ended 31 December 2025 Achievements and Perf0M￿nce (cont) quite close neighbours to ourselves. Our first step was to agree to become part of the Berwick and Berwickshire churches Area Grouping which was the fomer Duns Presbytery. The churches in the grouping are arranged into 5 charges each with a minister who will have a specialist interest in a specific facet of ministry. Each minister will spend 20% of their time working in their own charge and 80% of their time helping the other charges to become more self sufficient in a particular specialism. ach of the four Kirk Session5 and congregations have voted to accept this arrangement as a way forward to fill the vacancy. A service OT Linking was held in Earlston Church on 28th August between arlston. Gordon St Michael's. Greenlaw and Legerwood, to be known as Earlston and Di5trirt. Since then. the 4 Kirk Sessions have met with the Presbytery Vacancy Advisory Panel to discu55 the type of ini5try we are looking for, and under Presbytery supervision held the mandatory vote on whether to oepart from the historical position of the church regarding ministers who are in a same Sex relotionsnip. All 4 Kirk Sessions voted to depart but that does not mean that the persor¢ who is chosen will be in a same sex relationship. The next step is to prepare a Parish Profile which sets out information about the congregations in the hope that it will attrdrt someone who wants to be our next minister. We also need to elect a Nominating Commlttee which will carry out the search for the ew minister. Plans for a new manse have been submitted to Scottish Borders Council Planning Department and if approval is given work will begin as soon as possible on tts construction. A lot of energy has been expended thi5 year on wacancy matters, bLrt the rest of our tasks have not been neglected. We have maintained our weekly worship, conducted mostly by our own Elders wrth assistance from other members of the congregation. One of our Elders regularly conducts funerals. We have maintained regular service5 at Grange Hall Nursing Home and Hanover Close. A retired minister living not too far away has helped us by conducting Communion Services there twice a year. We continue to enjoy good relations wtth the tsvo schools and members are involved in pastoral work at the High School. Messy Church continues to be well supported and attracts several frdmilies ho don't come to church. It meetsfourtimesa yearand during Civic Week. Thisyear we held an extra Sose) Church of S¢otland Deposit Fund: (Designat&A Mission Purpose) The Guild: This fund eomprises the transactions undertaken by The Guild. ated Funds Restricted Funds None Unrestriettd liesttfcted Ettdowmellt Funds nds FI￿d$ Totsl 2025 2025 Totsl 2024 3. Anatysi% of Offerings & l)onatioDS WFO schert￿ (Non Gift Aidl Gift Aid Donations T&x R￿0Vered on Gift Aid DonatioL% Orw Plate 364.00 14310.IX) 364.00 14310.IK) 429.00 14382.00 4410.07 2729.49 4410.07 2729.49 4364.51 2681.28 Church & Cojnrn Cafe) Total 50.18 7687. 28 2896J.74 29544.61 4. Analysis of Payments Costs of Generating Funds Offering Envelop&s 86.12 82.47 2.47 Charitable Activrtses Giving To Grow INotr8) 18163.00 479.00 260.80 6802.04 18163. 479.1)0 ?60.80 6802.04 6830.00 698.96 1648.05 6477.00 Pulpit Supply Other Staffing C4sts Fabri¢ RepaiE5 & 31422￿4 7123.12 386126 570.00 Heat & Light 31422.54 7123.12 386126 570.00 10394.56 7698.48 3453.10 540.00 Organ & Music Printsn& St*l￿ery & Postage Messy Church 1061.56 19928 106156 19928 948.17 26.04 Telepbon&Broadband 78237 7¥237 713.77 Pa￿ents Spe¢ial Colle&#ions Intetim ModeratorExp Mis¢ellanwus Totsl 144.00 2413.14 41625 956.76 74655.12 144.00 220.00 2413.14 2117.14 41625 170.10 956.76 ￿2 74655. 2 42709.2 S. Minister's Stipend All Church of Scotland Con￿egatIOnS contribute to the National Stipend Fund which bears the costs of all minister's stipends and employer's contributions for national insurance, pension and housing and loan fund. ￿lSter'S stipends are paid in accordance with the natio[￿ stipend scale. which is related to years of service. For the year under review the Minimu￿ StI￿nd w&$ £32,433 and the maximum stipend in the fifth and subsequent years of Servi￿ £39.856. 6. Colleetions for Third Parti08 2025 2024 Christian Aid * see below Tommv's TOMo￿oW- Advent 2024 Bethany Christian T￿￿-Advent 2025 Tripoli Evangelical Church 1150.IK) 739.80 2413.14 1770.00 765.00 3917.94 2920.00 *£850 was raised duritEg Christiall Aid Week £300 for the Christian Aid Myanmar Appeal 7. Monies held on Deposit within the Consolidated Fabric Fund on behalf of Earlston Parisb Church as at 31112r25 Revenue Account £34,882.45 Tempow Funds £489,538.86 8. OUT GivÈng to Grow Contribution in 2025 to￿led £23.300. Stipend Endowment Income of £5,137 is deducted resulting JD aNett Cash Contribution of £18,163. GENERAL FUND BUDGET 2026 COME Offerin Bud t 2026 Actual 2025 WFO Scheme (Non Gift Aid) Gift Aid Donations Tax recovered on Gift Aid Donations Open Plate Other Offerings, Donations, etc. 364.00 14310.00 4410.00 2729.00 7150.00 15000.00 4200.00 2800.00 7000.00 Other Ordin General Income Weddings & Funerals Investments & Deposits Use of Premises & Misc. Total Ordinary General Income iooo.00 12000.00 4500.00 46800.00 620.00 12495.00 4322.00 46100.00 E￿ENDITUR National Mini & Mission & Wider Work Giving to Grow Contribution PreSbY￿ry Dues 29720.00 773.00 18163.00 479.IM) Local Stsir Costs Interim Moderator's Expenses Plllpit Supply Salaries 500.00 500.00 7140.00 416.00 261.00 6802.00 Buildin Costs Fabric Repairs & Maintenance Heating & Lighting lusurance 40000.00 8000.00 4300.00 31423.00 7123.00 3861.00 Other Local Costs Printing Stationery. Photocopying & Phone Organ Maintenallce & Music Miscellaneous Total Ordinary General Expenditure CENE114L FUND SURPLUS (DEFICIT) 2500.00 600.00 1200.00 95233.00 (48433.00) 1930.00 570.00 957.00 71985.00 (2558i.00)