Churches Council Nov 2017

The Churchers Council held on Saturday 26 November 2016 met at the Riasc Centre, the home of Swords Baptist Church.

The various items of business were conducted with a spirit of gratitude to God and unity for the desire to see His Kingdom extended and could be summarised under three headings.

Praise

 - An application for membership in our Association of Churches was received from Furbo Baptist Church, which in a Gaeltacht district in Co Galway. The application was approved with gratitude to God.

- Reports were received on the work of the Baptist College (Edwin Ewart), Baptist Youth (Matthew Campbell), Baptist Missions (Mervyn Scott) and Baptist Women, via video link,  (Gail Curry). The vision of the leaders and the new initiatives in the various departments gave the council great encouragement and great cause to give thanks to God.

- Encouraging reports were received on a number of Churches working together to serve the Lord. Around the Armagh area five Churches unite for prayer and for evangelistic work; similarly in the Cork area eight Churches work together and Churches were asked to consider how we might be able to support and encourag one another in our own particular areas.

Prayer

 - Clifton Park Avenue Baptist Church, which had been established in 1903, was dissolved on 30 June 2016. Tribute was paid to the many men and women who had laboured faithfully for 113 years and prayer requested for the remaining members and friends and for the area where the Clifton Park Church had worked.

 - The deaths of two former Prseidents, Mr Sam Hamilton, July 2016, and Mr James Greenwood, October 2016, were noted and thanks expressed for their faithful work for our Association.

 - Thanks was expressed to Dessie and Mavis Creelman for leading the Trailer Ministry for 21 years. On account of Dessie's retirement and the dramatic drop in interest in literature the Trailer Ministry is no longer practical but prayer was asked for Colin Cooper as he seeks to lead a ministry of helping Churches to develop their own evangelistic efforts.

Participation

 - All Churches represented were encouraged to continue to support the work of our Association as we seek to exalt the Name and extend the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.