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Wellington Church of Scotland Wellington Church of Scotland Annual Accounts and Report 2008 Wellington Church of Scotland Trustees’ Annual Report Year ended 31 August 2008 The Trustees present the annual report and accounts for Wellington Church of Scotland for the year ended 31 August 2008. Reference and Administrative Information Charity Name: Wellington Church of Scotland Charity Registration Number: SC000289 Congregation Reference No: 161044 Contact Address: Arthur Allison 18 Athole Gardens Glasgow G12 9BA Trustees Kenneth W. Fyfe (Preses) Appointed 2007 Robin Green (Vice-Preses) Appointed 2007 Arthur Allison (Treasurer) Appointed 2007 Olivia Scott (Clerk) Appointed 2007 Joyce Allison Appointed 2006 Niall Hardie Appointed 2007 Ruth Beattie Appointed 2005 Jim Michael Appointed 2006 John Bradley Appointed 2006 Dorothy Moodie Appointed 2007 Judith Fisher Resigned April 2008 Sandy Small Appointed 2006 John Guerrier Appointed 2007 John Thomson Appointed 2006 Sandy Weatherhead Appointed 2007 Independent Examiner Robin C. Hutchison : A Non-practising member of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Scotland. 23 Fifth Avenue, Glasgow G12 0AR Bankers Bank of Scotland, 701 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 8RB -2- Wellington Church of Scotland Trustees’ Annual Report Year ended 31 August 2008 Structure, Governance and Management Governing Document The Church is administered in accordance with the terms of the Constitution of the Wellington United Presbyterian Congregation, registered in Sheriff Court Books of Lanarkshire on 12 October 1885, as amended from time to time. Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees Members of the Board of Trustees and Managers are the charity trustees. They are elected by the congregation at the Annual Meeting held on the third Tuesday in November. The positions of Preses, Vice-Preses, Treasurer and Clerk retire each year but are eligible for immediate re-election. Of the twelve ordinary Managers, one third will retire by rotation and their places filled by election of an equal number. Ordinary members so retiring are not eligible for re-election until they have been at least one year out of office. Organisational Structure The Board of Trustees and Managers is chaired by the Preses and meets eight times in the year. The Minister is in attendance. Certain responsibilities are delegated to the Finance Sub-committee, the Building Sub-committee, the Premises Sub-committee and the Communications Sub-Committee. The Kirk Session, which meets six times a year, has a constitutional right to watch over the whole interests of the Congregation, and to interpose whenever, in its opinion, the welfare of the Congregation calls upon it to do so by convening meetings of the congregation or in any other competent way. Objectives and Activities The Church of Scotland is Trinitarian in doctrine, Reformed in tradition and Presbyterian in polity. It exists to glorify God and to work for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom throughout the world. As a national Church, it acknowledges a distinctive call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish of Scotland through a territorial ministry. It co-operates with other Churches in various ecumenical bodies in Scotland and beyond. -3- Wellington Church of Scotland Trustees’ Annual Report (cont) Year ended 31 August 2008 Achievements and Performance Looking back, this past year has been bitter-sweet, with highs and lows. We have enjoyed the happiness of the start of a new ministry at Wellington and we have also lost two dearly loved elders. Our Christian faith is one of hope – hope in the new life to come, and it is this hope which has run like a thread through everything we have done and experienced over the last twelve months. Induction of Rev Dr David Sinclair After everyone’s summer holiday last year, the Nominating Committee got to work and by January had interviewed the short-listed candidates for our call. By February the committee had agreed on a sole nominee, the Rev Dr David Sinclair, and David preached as sole nominee in Wellington on 9th March. The ensuing vote fully endorsed the Committee’s choice and David’s call to Wellington was sustained by the Presbytery on 11th March. At a joyful service in the evening of Thursday 29th May, David was inducted to Wellington. David came to Wellington from the post of Secretary to the Church and Society Council, and the tribute paid to him at May’s General Assembly spoke of his wise leadership, abundant tact and patience, calm good sense and sound judgement. The Convener of the Church and Society Council said that his passion for the gospel and for social justice had shone throughout his nine years working for the national church. In the three months since his induction, David and Mary have endeared themselves to the congregation and we look forward to working with them both to live out and share the gospel of Jesus here in this part of Glasgow. Vacancy We owe a great debt to both Rev Dr Norman Shanks and Rev Blair Robertson who acted as our Interim Moderators during the vacancy. We are very glad that they both remain in our midst as members of the congregation. During the vacancy, morning worship was varied, challenging and inspiring with the team of six ministers/preachers from our congregation – Alastair Moodie, Marjory Macaskill, Mark Godin, Doug Gay, Blair Robertson and Heather Walton. We are so grateful to them all for leading us in worship over the nineteen months, and also to the ministers of our neighbouring churches for providing pastoral care. Nexus and National Gathering At both of these events Wellington had a presence. At Nexus, a three day event in the SECC, we were asked to provide a stall to showcase our work as an Eco-Congregation and as a Fairtrade Church. The National Gathering at Ingliston was a two day event and we took a story-telling tent there to share our experience of running the Crypt Cafe. At both events we talked to many, many people with connections to Wellington, both in the past and through our current membership. It is good to know how many people are aware of us and what we continue to do in the West End and further afield. -4- Wellington Church of Scotland Trustees’ Annual Report (cont) Year ended 31 August 2008 Community of Mission The Community of Mission continues to head up our outreach and mission work. During the year it has raised significant amounts for Christian Aid and the money raised through the Lenten Appeal this year broke records with £900 going to each of three projects at home and abroad. The Crypt Cafe had an exceptionally busy and financially successful year, so much so that the Community of Mission was able to give £1,000 to Christian Aid and Macmillan Cancer Care. Many thanks are due to Kate Fyfe, Alison Ainslie and all the volunteer day managers who have ably taken the place of a paid manager. Young People Our own young people have benefitted from the introduction of the Roots course which ties their Sunday activities to the themes of the lectionary readings. Some of the mothers of the children have also started to help with the young people’s groups. We continue to run the Cosy Coffeehouse on Fridays at lunchtime in Hillhead High School with the help of Kathryn Campbell of the Wheel Trust. This initiative which promotes the ideas of fair- trade and trade justice, has been heartily welcomed by the school. During August a very successful Holiday Club for teenagers took place – it was themed loosely around the Olympics and judging by the worship on the last Sunday morning of the Club it was thought-provoking and great fun. Church Life Lunches after the morning service continue to be provided by the Congregational Life Group once a month, and the Group have also arranged various events such as ceilidhs, and a Burns Supper. After the service of David’s induction, the Group provided a good spread of food and drinks for everyone there. Many thanks to all the Group for their catering and organisation. Each Friday evening Grace Franklin and Heather Macmillan provide a friendly welcome to international students in the Church Library. Word obviously spreads about this weekly event and large numbers attended last year, especially of students from the Far East. Grace and Heather would very much welcome help from other members of the congregation, just to chat and get to know the students who come. West End Churches We continue in dialogue and joint initiatives with the other Churches of Scotland in our parish grouping and with Hillhead Baptist Church. The joint morning service in June took place in Wellington with David Sinclair preaching. Our relationship with Lansdowne continued with joint morning worship during July and August in Wellington, and our working together with Hillhead Baptist Church to plan and conduct evening worship is creating a strong liaison. -5- Wellington Church of Scotland Trustees’ Annual Report (cont) Year ended 31 August 2008 L’Arche During the course of the year we were approached by L’Arche, a Christian organisation committed to creating communities around people with learning disabilities, to consider a partnership focusing on the Crypt Cafe. L’Arche Glasgow’s proposal is to run the Crypt as a social enterprise which provides training for around 10 core members who are at the stage between school and employment. This enterprise would run with the help of local authority funding for salaries etc. Our Kirk Session agreed in principle that L’Arche should take this idea forward by making an application for the funding, and we await the outcome of this application before taking our next steps in partnership with L’Arche. Thanksgiving In October Douglas McKerrell sadly died of liver cancer after a very short illness.
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