Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland

Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland (or VCUKI) is the national body for the Association of Vineyard Churches in the UK and Republic of Ireland. There are currently over 100 churches under its direction.^[1] The organisation is both a registered charity (number 1099748)^[2] and a registered company (number 04839046).^[3]

The Vineyard church was established in the UK by John and Eleanor Mumford. After visiting John Wimber in the USA, John and Eleanor returned to the UK to plant the first British Vineyard church, South West London Vineyard in 1987. VCUKI became its own national organisation in 1996, when it was released by the international body.

Leadership and Structure

The Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland is headed by its national directors, John and Eleanor Mumford.^[4] There is then a Leadership Council, with members responsible for different specialisms within the church (church planting, church development, and financial and legal issues). In addition to the central leadership, the UK and Ireland are divided into 10 areas.^[5] Each area is run by Area Leaders, who are responsible for that area of the country. Areas tend to hold their own training and events for the people, leaders and churches in that area.

John and Eleanor Mumford are the parents of Marcus Mumford of the English folk pop band, Mumford & Sons.^[6]

Outreach

Outreach is important in the Vineyard. Outreach is a concept by which churches attempt to help others in the community.

• Many Vineyard churches have a form of ministry for the poor, where free food and toiletries are given to those in need. In Southend, this began as a service for homeless people, and expanded to help others in need.^[7] Local congregations support this work by personal donations.^[8]
• Some Vineyard churches run advice services to help people with financial difficulties.^[9]
• Causeway Coast Vineyard church in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, began a ministry called "Healing on the Streets" in 2005. This has been taken up by some Vineyard and other local churches across the UK. On occasions, this has caused controversy; an Anglican church in Nottingham withdrew a leaflet in 2011 after being challenged by the local Secular Society.^[10]

National Events

VCUKI hold a number of national events.

National Leaders Conference

Every year, a National Leaders Conference is held. This is for anyone who holds any kind of leadership role in the Vineyard. There is live worship, teaching and opportunities for prayer.

National Vineyard Celebration

On Saturday 14 May 2011, the first Vineyard National Celebration was held.^[11] The event was held simultaneously at a number of different locations across the country. Each event had its own live worship; some teaching and videos were streamed live from Trent Vineyard to each venue. The vision of the day was to seek, pray for and give to the vision for the church.

Evaluation

One of the first academic studies of a Vineyard church in the United Kingdom was Cory E. Labanow's Evangelicalism and the Emerging Church: A Congregational Study of a Vineyard Church.^[12] Within the congregation studied ("Jacobsfield Vineyard"), there was a common identity as an "emerging church". However, Labanow reports that the meaning of this common identity was contested within the congregation. Even more significantly, the decentralized, non-creedal of the Vineyard churches in the UK/Eire makes it such that one church cannot be seen to be representative of the whole of the Vineyard movement in the UK.

References

1. ^ Vineyard Churches, accessed 27 July 2011
2. ^ VINEYARD CHURCHES UK AND IRELAND, Open Charities, accessed 27 July 2011
3. ^ VINEYARD CHURCHES UK AND IRELAND, established 2003-07-21, Company Check, accessed 27 July 2011
4. ^ The Mystery Worshipper, Ship of Fools, 2004, accessed July 2011
5. ^ Vineyard Churches - Churches, accessed July 2011
6. ^ Mumford & Sons: sound of the summer - The Observer, Alice Fisher, 30 May 2010
7. ^ West Suffolk food project Storehouse 'busier than ever', BBC News, 22 February 2010.
8. ^ Demand doubles for homeless meals service in Southend, BBC News, 22 December 2010.
9. ^ West Wilts Vineyard Church launches finance helpline, BBC News, 26 June 2011
10. ^ Nottingham church changes healing claim after complaint, BBC News, 28 June 2011
11. ^ VCUKI - News Detail, Vineyard National Celebration: Bookings Closed, May 13 2011
12. ^ Cory E. Labanow, Evangelicalism and the Emerging Church: A Congregational Study of a Vineyard Church, Ashgate Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978 0754664505