Mark Templeton Ministries Trust

Public benefits

Public Benefit Statement What benefit flows from this purpose? Those coming under the preaching and teaching of work of the Trust receive encouragement for their approach to life and assistance in how to set their spiritual and moral compass and values. Those attending meetings benefit from the friendship and fellowship with others and often

this networking provides a base for contacts in other parts of daily living. The public benefit of this overall purpose is threefold: 1. promote cross-community friendships & fellowship 2. encourage various missionary endeavours throughout Ireland and overseas 3. Pastoral Care Can you demonstrate this? 1. We endeavour to promote cross-community friendships & fellowship by organising: • Senior citizens dinners. • Day trips. • Holidays. • Men’s breakfasts. • Ladies Fellowship Meetings. • Gospel Meetings. • We encourage fund raising events including Gospel music events. 2. We encourage various missionary endeavours throughout Ireland and overseas: • We seek to pioneer and establish interdenominational evangelical churches both at home abroad. • We seek to forge friendships between folks at home and overseas (multi/cross-cultural). • We seek to cover the financial costs of travel so that Mark can visit churches in poor parts of the world. • We arrange missionary trips to Zimbabwe & Kenya to preach the Gospel, encourage and, whenever possible, financially assist missionaries, pastors and their various churches, schools and orphanages. • We produce Christian radio programmes that included Gospel music and radio Bible studies. 3. Pastoral Care: • We seek to befriend and comfort those who are lonely, isolated or bereaved. • We visit hospitals, elderly care residential homes and prisons. • We conduct prayer meetings for the sick and those who are hurting in our communities. • We conduct Bible studies which are open to all members of the public. • We offer counselling for bereavement, marriage/relationships and addictions. • We offer baptisms, weddings and funerals in keeping with Evangelical Christian doctrine. • Through our Potter’s House Ministry we offer friendship and support to foreign nationals living in Northern Ireland, in particular the Romanian community. Is any harm or possibility of harm outweighed by the benefit? The Trust has been in operation for almost 15 years and no evidence of harm has arisen at any time. Who is the benefit for? The charity’s beneficiaries are those who choose to attend meeting in connection with the Trust and in particular the weekly meeting of the Potter’s House Fellowship wherein the Bible is expounded to those in attendance. The meetings are open to all. Opportunities are also taken when invitations are extended to the Minister (Rev Mark Templeton) to hold special weeks of mission where folk can attend and receive teaching and encouragement in relation to living out their daily lives. Is there any private benefit: Is it incidental or necessary? There is no private benefit to those attending meetings other than perhaps a cup of tea and some eats which are provided by members and not from the Trust funds. The Rev Templeton receives a modest Stipend each month and assistance with his travel expenses – when funds are available. Although Rev Templeton is one of the three Trustees – he is excluded from decisions in relation to his Stipend.

What your organisation does

Since 2012 the core preaching and teaching has been under the title The Potter’s House Fellowship, meeting in the Townhall in Portadown. In addition Rev Templeton has taken up invitations to conduct mission outreaches in various parts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Africa.