WHO ARE WE?

The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster is a worldwide Protestant Reformed denomination consisting of congregations, which accept and uphold the Articles of Faith. It is Protestant in its basis, Presbyterian in its government, Reformed in its doctrine, Evangelistic in its ministry, Fundamentalist in its stand and defence of the Historic Christian Faith and subject only to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Great King and only Head of The Church. The Word of God, as contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, being the only rule of faith and practice. For more information on the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, please visit the website at www.freepresbyterian.org

Privacy Policy
The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster Mission Board (Mission Board) is a Standing Committee of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. The Free Presbyterian Mission Society Africa is a Company Limited by Guarantee, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mission Board.

The Mission Board is the controller and responsible for your personal data (collectively referred to as “Mission Board”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy policy). This includes all subsidiary bodies including the Free Presbyterian Mission Society Africa.

The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster Mission Board
3 Carginagh Road,
Kilkeel, Co. Down.
Northern Ireland
BT34 4NE
office@fpcmission.org
+44 (0)28 4176 5574

We are committed to protecting your personal data. We aim to be clear about how we use personal data and this privacy policy will inform you as to how we look after your personal data, what personal data we process and why. It includes the relevant requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation. It applies both when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) and when you use our services.

What information we collect about you
We collect information about you when you register with us or offer financial support for our work We also collect information when you visit our website. We may need to collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows:

• Identity Data includes first name, last name, username or similar identifier and title.
• Contact Data includes donor address, email address and telephone numbers.
• Transaction Data includes details about payments to and from you and other details of support you have given for our work.
• Technical Data includes internet protocol (IP) address and other technology on the devices you use to access our website.
• Communications Data includes your preferences in receiving emails and correspondence from us.

How we use the information about you
We collect information about you to manage your donations as required by Charity regulations, facilitate Gift Aid requirements and keep you informed of our work at your request.

In order to meet these requirements, we may have to share your personal data with the parties set out below

• Professional advisers acting as processors or joint controllers including lawyers, bankers, auditors and insurers based in the United Kingdom who provide consultancy, banking, legal, insurance and accounting services.
• HM Revenue & Customs, regulators and other authorities acting as processors or joint controllers based in the United Kingdom.
• Service providers acting as processors based in the United Kingdom who provide services including IT and system administration services.

How we store your data securely
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so

Access to your information and correction
You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, please email or write to us at the address above. We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct or remove information you think is inaccurate.

Cookies
Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard internet log information and visitor behaviour information. This information is used to track visitor use of the website and to compile statistical reports on website activity. For further information visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org

Other websites
Our website contains links to other websites. This privacy policy only applies to our website, www.fpcmission.org so when you link to other websites you should read their own privacy policies.

Changes to our privacy policy
We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we will place any updates on this web page. This privacy policy was last updated on 23rd May 2018.

MISSION BOARD

The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster Mission Board was created by Presbytery in March 1974 to oversee the entire process of the selection, commissioning, and support of the denomination’s missionaries. It is made up of Ministers and Elders appointed by Presbytery and three members from the Missionary Council.

This step was taken by the church because of the pressing need to send our missionaries from our own church and not under ecumenical and compromised interdenominational missionary societies. There were clear indications that many of the missionary societies were opening their fellowship to Charismatic influences and practises.

There was another pressing reason for creating such a board. As Bible-believing Presbyterians we believe that the doctrine, government, and the stand of the Free Presbyterian Church-and especially its evangelistic, Christ-centred grasp of the Reformed faith-should be reproduced in the churches our missionaries pioneer. The idea of their going forth to establish interdenominational independent, or congregational churches, whose doctrinal basis is far from the one to which we subscribe in the Westminster Confession of Faith, was not what we stood for at home.

MISSIONARY COUNCIL

The Missionary Council was set up in 1962 when a member of the Ravenhill church, Miss Valerie Shaw, a full-time missionary to the Jews, had the vision to suggest the formation of a council which would represent all congregations and promote missionary awareness across the denomination.

Today, the Missionary Council is subject to Presbytery through the Mission Board and so there are close links between the three bodies. The Chairman of the Missionary Council is appointed by Presbytery and is also granted membership of the Mission Board. In turn, the Missionary Council appoints two of its members to the Mission Board.

The Council consists of two representatives of each affiliated congregation who meet on a regular basis around the local churches. The intention is that the representatives should go back to their local congregations and give an update on the various mission works and needs.

Finances are raised by monthly offerings from the churches; however the purpose of the Missionary Council goes beyond financial support, in creating a vision for missionary work through the organisation of special missionary meetings, prayer meetings and missionary weekends.

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA

In 2005 when the Free Presbyterian Church of North America was formed it was agreed that in the field of missionary endeavour that the two Presbyteries would seek to work in the closest cooperation.

It was envisaged that the two Mission Boards representing the Church in North America and the United Kingdom would examine possible areas of shared fields of labour and the appointment, oversight and governance of personnel.

This vision was soon to be realised when Miss Kathy Walker was recommended by the Mission Board in North America to the Mission Board in N Ireland for the work in Kenya, where for many years we have had missionaries labouring in the Bible Christian Faith Church. Miss Walker was accepted for the work which she felt called to in Kenya by the Mission Board in N Ireland.

A special arrangement was put in place whereby the Church in North America and the Mission Board in N Ireland would share the responsibility to cover her costs and oversight. Thus Kathy was seconded to work under the Mission Board in Kenya from the Mission Board in North America. This unique arrangement has been to the mutual advantage of both Boards and to the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom through Kathy being enabled to fulfil her God given calling in Kenya.

The direction of personal changed when Miss Joanne Greer was recommended by the Mission Board in N Ireland for the work of the new Free Presbyterian Mission Church in Liberia. Both Mission Boards laboured together to see that Miss Greer was settled into the work in Liberia where she has laboured under the direction of the North American Mission Board since 2012.

We hope in the years to come that similar arrangements will facilitate the strengthening of our missionary labours, and that as we continue to work together that the cause of the Gospel will be advanced on the world’s great mission fields.

Further Information is available at the Free Presbyterian Church of North America website