GENERAL BOARD 1 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND ACCOUNTS 2001 — PREFACE A preface to the Accounts is submitted herewith. This takes the form of a memorandum Central Income and Expenditure Account and a graphical illustration in relation to this Income and Expenditure. This Income and Expenditure does not form part of the Audited Accounts of the Church. 2000 Column is period to 31 December 2000. 2001 Column is year to 31 December 2001. 2 ANNUAL REPORTS, BELFAST, 2002 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND AND EXPENDITURE INCOME Contribu- Grand tions from Congregational United Total Congregations Assessments Appeal 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 General Board 61 80 4 4——2222 Business Board 11 13 —————— Communications Board 386 457 ————150170 Inter-Church Relations 448 434 439 421———— Overseas Board — Designated 482 655 —————— Overseas Board — Others 1,465 1,272 16 16 — — 900 820 Home Board 849 725 30 43 8 8 200 475 Social Witness Board 4,829 4,856 11 12 — — 300 192 Evangelism & Christian Training 668 545 7 14 — — 369 295 Youth Board 592 562 ————241223 Education Board 357 323 ————235190 Board of Studies 855 836 68 73 — — 275 279 Finance & Administration 1,066 989 — — 502 439 — — United Appeal 442 337 107————— Ministry & Pensions 4,621 4,388 — — 3,204 3,153 — — Presbyterian Women’s Association 1,087 1,050 —————— Sundry Other 806 331 725 272———— ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– Grand Total 19,025 17,853 1,407 855 3,714 3,600 2,692 2,666 ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– EXPENDITURE Grand Employee Total and Ministry Printing Administration Costs Stationery, etc 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 General Board 60 75 52 70 — — 2 2 Business Board 12 13 — — 11 12 1 1 Communications Board 435 409 108 108 286 257 40 43 Inter-Church Relations 461 430 — —9911 Overseas Board — Designated 361 693 —————— Overseas Board — Others 1,737 1,594 167 143 81 49 77 84 Home Board 726 486 81 88 5 11 91 94 Social Witness Board 5,159 4,438 2,862 2,725 607 492 44 46 Evangelism & Christian Training 726 680 319 321 77 82 20 23 Youth Board 590 509 179 151 94 87 32 38 Education Board 370 311 162 158 33 30 14 16 Board of Studies 1,011 857 408 393 148 194 10 14 Finance & Administration 763 845 130 132 135 186 139 140 United Appeal 29 33 — — 29 33 — — Ministry & Pensions 3,794 3,852 3,339 3,349 107 25 179 201 Presbyterian Women’s Association 714 678 498 505 58 59 45 48 Sundry Other 143 319 ———— 1 1 ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– Grand Total 17,091 16,222 8,305 8,143 1,680 1,526 696 752 ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– GENERAL BOARD 3 — MEMORANDUM CENTRAL INCOME 2001 Per Board £000’s Trust, Investment Sales: Income and Rental Donations Loan Periodicals Grants Bank Interest Income (net) and Bequests Repayments & Property and Fees 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 1 1————————3453 ——————————1113 –6–12——————2412991— 7 9—— 2 4—————— 1620——466635—————— 189166——360270—————— 134 133 3 12 351 41 21 13 102 — — — 127 133 3,194 3,106 754 197 — — 90 847 353 369 16 12 4 — 174 125 — — 98 99 — — 5 56174195202————9058 9 8——8794——–9–23533 2862841962035————187159 31 17 369 376 62 50 — — 13 13 89 94 331326——411—————— 1.071 930 16 17 66 88 163 183 101 17 — — 9798——943889——4763—— 4015————3134——1010 ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– 2,354 2,145 3,666 3,591 3,484 2,641 215 230 683 1,336 810 789 ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– Travel Home and Over- Missionaries Expenses Building Upkeep of Loans seas Projects Field etc Costs Property Issued and Grants Costs 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 2001 2000 ———————— 6 3—— ———————————— ———————— 1 1—— 1———————450420—— ————————361693—— 9 10 31 25 — — — — 285 254 1,087 1,029 ——191864168012386247—— 22 28 753 764 850 367 — — 21 16 — — 82 69 15 14 146 102 — — 16 15 51 54 ——52462710——206177—— 7101628————13869—— 1 2 121 111 138 — — — 185 143 — — 23 27 217 227 — — — — 119 133 — — ———————————— 49 56 24 23 — 76 95 120 1 2 — — 21245 6————8736—— ——————2728115290—— ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– 215 226 1,253 1,262 1,225 571 202 160 2,377 2,499 1,138 1,083 ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– ——– 4 ANNUAL REPORTS, BELFAST, 2002 GENERAL BOARD 5 REPORTS: JUNE, 2002 BELFAST GENERAL BOARD Convener: THE CLERK 1. Since it was established in 1966 the General Board has gradually been developing an important role in co-ordinating the central work of the Church. While the annual General Assembly exercises final authority on all matters within its jurisdiction, it is neither necessary nor advisable for all discussion and decision making to be postponed to one week in June. 2. Specialist Boards and Commissions, such as those concerned with Education, Youth or Social Witness, deal during the year with matters within their particular remit, but it falls to the General Board, not only to supervise the seven Assembly Committees under its care, but to take a general overview of the Church’s centrally organised activities. 3. As the largest of the Boards, including in its membership conveners and full-time secretaries of all Boards and Commissions, as well as Clerks of all Presbyteries and Synods, and being the body next in status to the Assembly, the General Board is well placed to undertake this task. 4. The recent innovation by which ad hoc committees of the Assembly make interim reports to the Board is proving to be a helpful way of disseminating information, and obtaining an initial reaction to proposals before resolutions are prepared for the General Assembly. 5. During the year some ad hoc committees have been considering the way ahead for our Church. The reports on Priorities and on the 2003 Assembly Conference (now likely to be deferred to 2004) are printed later in this Blue Book, as is the report of the committee that dealt with the Tyrone Memorial, which met to deal with some residual matters. 6. Panels appointed by the Board, such as those on the Overview of Funding, Visitations of Presbytery and the Review of Boards and Committees have also been helping the work of co-ordinating and planning. 7. It is inevitable that some matters will arise unexpectedly between meetings of the Assembly that need prompt attention, and it falls to the General Board to speak or act. In many instances it is the Church and Government Committee which drafts the statements that are ultimately issued in the name of the Board. We are deeply indebted to that Committee for the enormous amount of work that it does on behalf of the Church. 8. In February Mr Norman Chambers, Secretary of the Board of Social Witness, announced his intention to retire. The Board, on behalf of the Assembly, accepted his notice of retirement with effect from 31 August and 6 ANNUAL REPORTS, BELFAST, 2002 instructed the Nomination Board to commence the procedures for finding a successor. A tribute to the outstanding contribution that Mr Chambers has made to the Social Witness of the Church appears elsewhere in this Blue Book, but the General Board would wish to record its own good wishes to him and his wife for the years to come, which we hope will be long and happy. 9. The Moderator, on behalf of the Church, sent messages of sympathy to the Royal family on the deaths of Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. 10. As authorised by the General Assembly in 2001, the General Board, at its meeting on 11 October, 2001, approved the following proposed increases in assessments and contributions to the Ministers’ Pension Scheme (1978) from 1 January, 2002: Congregational Assessment – from 16.25p in £ of stipend to 18.75p Minister’s Contribution – from 4.4% of Scheme Salary to 5.0% Barrier Act The overtures anent elders as Clerks of Presbytery, which were sent down to Presbyteries under the Barrier Act, were approved. The voting was as follows: Overture anent Par 65(2) For: 20 Presbyteries 540 votes Against: 1 Presbytery 49 votes Overture anent Par 97(h) For: 20 Presbyteries 555 votes Against: 1 Presbytery 36 votes Nomination Board The General Board decided to add specialists to the Nomination Board for forthcoming appointments as follows: SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF SOCIAL WITNESS: Board of Social Witness 3 persons Board of Finance & Administration 1 person DEPUTY CLERK Board of Mission in Ireland 2 persons Board of Finance & Administration 1 person General Board 1 person The General Board further decided that in the case of the Social Witness appointment the Alternative procedure should be used, ie interview by a ten member Panel appointed by the Nomination Board to submit one agreed name. (See Reports 2001 p 115; Mins 2001 p 30). Rev Dr R F S Poots 1. It falls to the General Board to submit to the General Assembly a suitable appreciation of the services of Rev Dr R F S Poots as Deputy Clerk of GENERAL BOARD 7 Assembly and Assistant General Secretary 1990 – 2002, and that the Board does with pleasure. 2. Mr Poots was born in Lurgan in 1937 and grew up in connection with First Lurgan congregation. He studied at Queen’s University, where he obtained his BA degree, and went on to the Presbyterian College, Belfast, obtaining the degrees of BD and MA from Trinity College, Dublin. 3. After assistantships in West Church, Ballymena and Trinity, Bangor, he was installed in Trinity, Ballymoney in 1964, where he exercised a most fruitful ministry at a time of steady growth in that town. His passion for evangelism was reflected in a number of imaginative and effective evangelistic efforts, which drew people to Christ and built up a strong and enthusiastic congregation.