Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland
Encyclopedia
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 church
es under its direction. The organisation is both a registered charity (number 1099748) and a registered company (number 04839046).
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.
. 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
.
, teaching and opportunities for prayer
.
". 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.
Association of Vineyard Churches
The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination with over 1,500 affiliated churches worldwide....
in the UK and Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. There are currently over 100 church
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
es under its direction. The organisation is both a registered charity (number 1099748) and a registered company (number 04839046).
The Vineyard church was established in the UK by John and Eleanor Mumford. After visiting John Wimber
John Wimber
John Richard Wimber was a musician, charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian denomination which began in the USA and has now spread to many countries world-wide.-Life and ministry:John Richard Wimber was the son of Basil...
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. 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. Each area is run by Area Leaders, who are responsible for that area of the countryCountry
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
. 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
Marcus Mumford
Marcus Oliver Johnston Mumford is an English lead singer of the Mercury Prize- and Grammy-nominated band Mumford & Sons. He plays many instruments with the band, including guitar, drums, and mandolin. He is recently engaged to Academy Award nominated actress Carey Mulligan.-Background:Mumford was...
of the English folk pop band, Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons are a British folk rock band. The band consists of Marcus Mumford , Ben Lovett , Country Winston Marshall , and Ted Dwane...
.
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. Local congregations support this work by personal donations.
- Some Vineyard churches run advice services to help people with financial difficulties.
- Causeway Coast Vineyard church in ColeraineColeraineColeraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
, Northern Ireland, began a ministry called "Healing on the Streets" in 2005. This has been taken up by some Vineyard and other local churchLocal churchA local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
es 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.
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 worshipWorship Music
Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature original singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time...
, teaching and opportunities for prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
.
National Vineyard Celebration
On Saturday 14 May 2011, the first Vineyard National Celebration was held. 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. Within the congregation studied ("Jacobsfield Vineyard"), there was a common identity as an "emerging churchEmerging Church
The emerging church is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century that crosses a number of theological boundaries: participants can be described as evangelical, Protestant, Catholic, post-evangelical, anabaptist, adventist, liberal, post-liberal, reformed, charismatic,...
". 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.