Concerted Prayer
Some topics for concerted prayer readily spring to mind such as the Royal Family, the Government and Northern Ireland. So, too, should we remember the young of our day and generation at a Throne of Grace when we consider how active Satan is in seeking their destruction. Let us be concerned also for our own Church in a day of much apostasy and backsliding. Only the Lord can preserve our witness at such a time as this. What need there is not only for importunate but also for believing prayer. However dark the day is — and the day is dark indeed — we are not to forget that the Lord is able to turn the darkness of night into the brightness of noontday in answer to the prayers of His believing people.
List of Communions
The list of Communions on the inside front cover of the Magazine has been corrected for 1975. Would ministers please intimate any further corrections or alterations which may be necessary.
Presbytery Meetings (D.V.)
Northern — At Lairg on 3rd December at 2.30 p.m.
Western — At Sheildaig on 13th December at 6.30 p.m. to moderate in call.
Australia and New Zealand — At Auckland on 24th January 1975 at 2.30 p.m.
Skye — At Portree on 28th January 1975 at 11 a.m.
Church Retirement and Death Benefit Plan
The Church has always been conscious of the importance of providing for the needs of Ministers and others in retirement who have given many years, and indeed in some cases, a lifetime of devoted service to the Church. Our people have always contributed generously to the Aged and Infirm Ministers’ Widows and Orphans’ Fund which was set up for the specific purpose of meeting this need. Until now the Fund has been able to meet its obligations reasonably if not adequately, and bearing in mind that over the years an ever increasing burden could fall on that Fund, the Finance Committee have for some time been giving earnest consideration to the options open to us to meet our future commitments. These options may be simply stated as (1) leaving the matter as at present, or (2) taking positive steps to ensure that a fund is set up which would be adequate to meet our responsibilities to those not able to continue in the full-time employment of the Church.
The second alternative commended itself to the Committee and after consultation with experts in the field of Pensions and Retirement Benefits, a Scheme was proposed which was put to the Synod in May, 1974, when it was unanimously agreed that the Church should set up the Scheme. This has now been done and detailed particulars have been sent to all persons known to be qualifying. The Retirement Benefits to be obtained from the new Scheme are broadly equivalent to the Pensions payable to retired Ministers at present, and I would like to emphasise that Ministers not now eligible for the new Scheme on account of their being over the age of sixty years at the date of inception of the Scheme, will receive pensions under the existing Church fund set up for this purpose.
The new Scheme has been set up with the Standard Life Assurance Company which will be responsible for its administration on behalf of the Church, and in due course also for the actual payment of pensions, etc.
It will be appreciated that the new Scheme will involve the Church in a considerable annual outlay, particularly in the early years when the fund is being built up as it is anticipated that the first payments out of the fund in the form of benefits to qualifying persons will not be made until at least five years from now.
The first payment by the Church will have been made into the Fund before 31st December, 1974 and I would therefore ask all Deacons’ Courts, to allocate a substantial sum to be sent to the General Treasurer for this purpose. I would hope also that the people of the Church individually will endeavour to raise their contributions to the Sustentation Fund, out of which Fund the annual outlay for the Scheme will be paid. The first annual payment will amount to £6,000 approx.
Donald MacLean, Convener.
Finance Committee.
End of Financial Year
Deacons’ Courts and Congregational Treasurers are reminded that the current Financial year ends on 31st December, 1974. All congregational contributions to the Funds in respect of 1974 should be sent to the General Treasurer to arrive not later than 8th January, 1975, D.V., after which date any contributions received will be credited to 1975.
INGWENYA, MBUMA & ZENKA MISSIONS’ ACCOUNT
The Jewish and Foreign Missions Committee regret that the Mission Accounts for 1973 came too late for inclusion in the Synod Proceedings and authorised the following synopsis to be placed in the Free Presbyterian Magazine for the information of our people.
BALANCE SHEET
| | | |
|—|—|—|
| Fixed Assets (including Buildings, Furniture & Fittings, Motor Vehicles etc.) … | | £90701 |
| Special Fund Investments ….. | | 4717 |
| Current Assets: | | |
| Stock on hand ….. | £4214 | |
| Loans and Debtors ….. | 6661 | |
| Deposits ….. | 123 | |
| Cash: | | |
| At Bank — Current Account ….. | £17703 | |
| Savings Account ….. | 272 | |
| On hand ….. | 405 | |
| | 18380 | |
| Less: Proportion attributable to special funds ….. | 195 | |
| | 18185 | 29183 |
| | | 124601 |
| Deduct: Creditors ….. | | 2324 |
| | | £122277 |
| Income & Expenditure Account | | |
| Income: | | |
| Government Grants — salaries ….. | | £77863 |
| Boarding Receipts ….. | | 8512 |
| Home Grants ….. | | 5250 |
| Donations: Holland ….. | | |
| Donations: Holland ….. | £34329 | |
| U.S.A. & Canada ….. | 2145 | |
| Other ….. | 167 | |
| | 36641 | |
| Interest on Savings Account ….. | | 240 |
| Other Income ….. | | 446 |
| | | 128952 |
| Deduct Expenditure: | | |
| Salaries and Allowances ….. | £77199 | |
| Boarding expenses ….. | 7425 | |
| Motor Vehicle expenses ….. | 8036 | |
| Wages ….. | 7736 | |
| Electricity ….. | 328 | |
| Repairs and Maintenance ….. | 2034 | |
| Travelling expenses ….. | 1540 | |
| Other expenses ….. | 2122 | |
| Depreciation and loss on sales ….. | 7177 | |
| | 113597 | |
| Excess of Income over Expenditure for the year ….. | | £15355 |
MBUMA MISSION HOSPITAL ACCOUNTS
BALANCE SHEET
Fixed Assets (including Buildings, Furniture, & Fittings, Motor Vehicles etc.)… £70334
Current Assets:
Stock ….. £2189
Debtors and Expenses prepaid ….. 3115
Cash:
At Bank — Current Account ….. £ 287
Savings Account ….. 2441
On hand ….. 207 2935
— — 8239
Deduct: Current Liabilities — Creditors ….. 2305 5934
— — — — — —
£76268
Income & Expenditure Account
Income:
Donations: Holland ….. £22777
Other ….. 453 — — — — — — £23230
Government Grants ….. 5213
Receipts from Patients ….. 1823
Interest ….. 83 — — — — — —
£30349
Expenditure:
Running Expenses: Salaries ….. £5367
Wages ….. 5108
Medicines, etc. ….. 1948
X-ray supplies ….. 43
Food for staff and patients ….. 2091
General Hospital supplies ….. 2940
Repairs and Maintenance: Buildings ….. 3133
do. do. Furniture, etc. …. 1193
Motor Vehicle expenses ….. 6882
— — — — — —
£28705
Administration expenses ….. 946
£29651
Excess of Income over Expenditure for the year ….. £698
Note:
Dutch Donations for 1973: Ingwenya Missions, etc. …. £34329
Mbuma Hospital ….. 22777
— — — — — —
£57106