Interlink is a Scottish Missionary Service Group, located in Challenge House, Glasgow, who seek to act, among other things, as a link between local Christian Brethren churches/assemblies in Scotland and their missionaries located in 23 countries overseas. The phrase on our logo 'Serving missionaries world-wide' sums up our work.
Our predecessor, Home & Foreign Mission Funds, was formed over 100 years ago. However, for various good reasons its name, but not its aims or principles, was changed in 1994 to Interlink.
We take no executive authority upon ourselves but seek only to give help and guidance if sought by local church elders and the 82 missionaries currently serving abroad.
The following questions and answers further explain our function.
A. By providing a channel through which the missionaries can convey prayer information to local churches which is published in our free monthly Newsletter distributed throughout Scotland.
We also have modern communication facilities whereby financial gifts from churches, groups and individuals can be processed quickly to missionaries according to the wishes of the donors.
Being a Scottish Registered Charity (No.SC008063) Interlink can handle the various tax efficient schemes approved by the Government such as ‘Gift Aid’. and ‘Give As You Earn’.
The ‘Gift Aid’ scheme is particularly helpful in that, provided the donor is a taxpayer, Interlink can claim from the Inland Revenue the income tax the donor has paid on the amount of the gift. The donor can then decide which missionary or project should benefit from the additional amount (28p for every £1 donated) made available by the Inland Revenue.
This is an excellent method of giving for taxpayers, and especially so since April 2000, when the Chancellor reduced to nil the previous minimum amount (£250) that must be donated to qualify for the income tax benefit.
The ‘Payroll Giving Scheme’ (also called ‘Give as you earn’) allows employees to authorise their employer (provided the employer agrees) to deduct charitable donations from their pay before calculating ‘Pay As You Earn’ tax. This way, the employee automatically gets tax relief at their top rate of tax.
There is now no ceiling (previously £1200) on the amount that an employee can give under this scheme.
Full details are available from our Office Staff.
A. Yes in many other ways. For example :-
By providing practical advice to local church elders when faced with the responsibility of commending a new missionary to the Lord's work abroad.
By helping and encouraging both short and long term workers, and linking them with those they would hope to join abroad.
By arranging medical consultations for missionaries before they leave for overseas service and also when they come home on furlough.
By building and maintaining a meaningful relationship with churches in order to encourage and develop missionary interest and involvement, and to provide any help, information and advice they may request.
By arranging special missionary meetings on the second weekends of March and September each year. On the Friday evenings there are meetings in various areas and, on the Saturdays there is a programme of events at Hamilton College starting at 2pm.
In addition there is an annual weekend -'Wider Horizons' - for young Christians in their late teens to late 20's and addressed by a well known Bible teacher. A missionary couple also attend to give the young people the benefit of their first hand experience.
The Council comprises Trustees and Council members located from the south-west to the north-east of Scotland.
The Trustees meet at least once a week and are joined by Council Members from time to time particularly when a church commends a new missionary.
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J.M.Hopewell,Glasgow A.J. Gamble, Glasgow J.L. MacLellan, Peebles G.R. Dunbar, Ayr R.D. Gordon, Falkirk R. Muir, Cowdenbeath Office Secretaries Jane Campbell Ruth Blair |
J. Gamble, Hamilton Dr W.F. Hannay, Gourock A.T. Jones, Dundee I. L. MacDonald, Glasgow C.W. McNeish, Motherwell A. Paterson, Dunfermline H. Reid, Motherwell C. Restall, Inverurie T.A. Roy, Cambuslang G. Smith, Newmilns I. Wallace, Kilbirnie W.O. Wood, Inverness
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