Rules

Irish Mission Agencies Partnership

(Irish Mission Agencies Partnership CLG, CRO 604140, RCN 20204995, CHY 18021)

Rules:

Irish Mission Agencies Partnership (iMap) has five aims:

• To operate a centre for the promotion of mission at home and overseas.

• To maintain a website advertising service opportunities, prayer points, regional events and mission resources.

• To act as a clearing house for mission agencies who send personnel overseas.

• To assist our partners in mission to network effectively.

• To provide biblical and practical resources to engage Irish churches in mission.

iMAP Structure:

A. iMap

iMap shall be a partnership of mission agencies (Partners in Mission, PiM) and church representatives who subscribe to the iMap Statement of Faith and, in the case of mission agencies, pay an annual subscription.

iMap may offer a range of services to the Partners in Mission. Where this occurs, PiMs shall be able to ‘buy in’ to whichever services they require. This shall be reflected in their annual subscription.

B. iMap Partner Group

The iMap Partnership shall be made up of one member from each Partner in Mission and one church representative from each church grouping linked with iMap.

It will be at the discretion of the iMap Executive Committee to invite key individuals from a spectrum of church groupings to become iMap church representatives, to sit on the iMap Partnership and, if subsequently elected, to serve on the iMap Executive.

Church representatives shall be representative of, but not necessarily appointed by, their church body or denomination. The spectrum of churches may include but not be restricted to the following:

Assemblies of God Churches (AoG)

Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland (ABCinI)

Church of Ireland (CofI)

Elim Pentecostal Churches (Elim)

Immigrant Churches (e.g. Redeemed Church of God, Nigeria)

Methodist Church in Ireland (MCI)

Plumbline Ministries (PMI)

Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI)

Aontas (AIEC) and Evangelical Alliance Ireland (EAI), although not church bodies, are representative of groups of evangelicals in the Republic of Ireland, and shall therefore each be invited to nominate one of their members to the iMap Partner Group. These shall be regarded as iMap church representatives.

The iMap Partnership shall meet twice each year in April and October to receive reports on the operations of iMap, financial statements, and to agree the way ahead.

The members of the Committee shall become the Members of the iMap Company and at its AGM shall elect the Directors of the Company and the Company Secretary.

The level of subscriptions shall be reviewed annually by the Executive Committee and shall be determined by the Partnership.

A two-thirds majority of those present and voting (or voting electronically) shall be required to carry any motion. For a meeting of the Partner Group to be quorate, at least half of all members should be present, in person or by electronic link.

C. iMap Executive Committee

The iMap Executive Committee shall be elected by the iMap Partnership.

The Committee shall meet four times each year in addition to any meetings of the iMap Partnership.

The Committee shall consist of eight members (ideally, at least two of whom shall be mission representatives and at least two of whom shall be church representatives).

The members of the Committee shall become the Members of the iMap Company and at its AGM shall elect the Directors of the Company. (In line with the Company Constitution.)

Employees of iMap shall be non-executive members of the Committee, having a voice but no vote.

If there are eight members on the Executive Committee, two members (ideally one church representative and one mission representative) shall stand down at the end of each year but shall be eligible for re-election.

New iMap Executive Committee members shall be elected from within the iMap Partnership. This election shall take place at the October meeting each year.

Nominations from Partners for the iMap Executive shall be received by the Secretary in writing at least 2 weeks prior to the October meeting of the iMap Partnership.

Those wishing to nominate must ask their candidate’s permission to submit their name prior to doing so.

All nominations shall be placed on the ballot paper, and voting shall be by secret ballot. A candidate must receive the votes of at least two-thirds of those present and voting (or voting electronically) to be deemed elected.

If there are insufficient volunteers to join the IMAP Exec, then starting alphabetically from A the new members of Exec will come from the next agency alphabetically in line from a list of all IMAP partners. Normally organisations would be members for at least a year before having to serve on Exec.

Exemptions will be given to agencies who have had members who have served on Exec in the previous 5 years. Members will normally be expected to serve on Exec for 2 years.

If there are extenuating circumstances, a bye will be issued, but the next time round, the agency will be expected to nominate someone to serve on Exec.

Once elected, the Committee shall appoint, from within their own number, a chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer and assistant treasurer to serve for the incoming year. These positions shall be filled annually and all office holders shall be eligible for re-appointment.

Employees of iMap are not permitted to be Members of the iMap Company.

The secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer and finance person shall be authorised as signatories for all banking matters – the signatures of any two of them will be required to authorise any financial transaction.

The iMap Executive Committee may ask members of the Partnership to form Action Groups to look after various areas of responsibility on an ad hoc basis.

If a person resigns from the Executive, the Executive will be able to co-opt a member of the Partnership to serve the remainder of the term of office of the person who resigned. At the next Partners election to the Executive this person will be eligible to stand for election in the usual way.

D. iMap Partnership

When a mission agency desires to join the iMap Partnership, the iMap Statement of Faith and Rules shall first of all be forwarded to the mission and a meeting arranged to discuss with iMap representatives the aims and objectives of iMap. The Board or Council of the mission agency shall then put in writing their acceptance of the iMap Statement of Faith and Rules, and their request to join the iMap Partnership. The next meeting of the iMap Executive Committee shall discuss the application and decide whether or not to accept the new Partner in Mission. If accepted, this shall be communicated to the mission agency, requesting their first iMap subscription. Upon receipt of this payment the mission shall become an iMap Partner in Mission (PiM).

F. iMap as a Charitable Body

Irish Mission Agencies Partnership (iMap)is registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority and is regarded as a charitable body by the Republic of Ireland Revenue Commissioners, having been granted CHY18021 on 10th April 2008. iMap is authorised by the Revenue Commissioners to claim tax relief on all eligible donations. iMap shall keep proper financial records, and submit annual accounts when requested, to the CRA Revenue Commissioners, and to the Company to submit as the company accounts. As well as receiving annual subscriptions from its Partners in Mission, the iMap Executive Committee shall make arrangements for an annual appeal letter to go out to churches via the church representatives. The proceeds from annual subscriptions, church appeals and agreed administration charges on donations processed by iMap for its Partners in Mission, shall be used to cover the running costs of iMap.

G. Alterations to the iMap Statement of Faith and Constitution

Any changes to these Rules, proposed by Partners must be put in writing at least 2 weeks prior to the next meeting of the iMap Executive Committee. Having discussed the issue (or raised an issue itself), the Executive Committee shall then formulate a proposal to change the Rules, which shall be brought to the next meeting of the iMap Partnership. The proposed change(s) shall be presented by the Committee to the Partnership, and shall be put to a ballot vote. A two-thirds majority of the full Partnership (voting in person or electronically) shall be required to alter the Statement of Faith or Rules.

H. Winding-up iMap

If a proposal is brought to the Partners to wind up the organisation it must be passed by two thirds of the total membership of the Partnership (present at a Partners' meeting or voting online).

Any funds left after all debts and monies owed are paid, is to be divided amongst the Partner agencies.

The iMap Company Members and Directors shall dissolve the Company, following the rules of the Company Constitution and any other legal and administrative requirements.

They shall also take the necessary steps to cancel CRA and CHY status.

It is recognised this winding-up process could take two years, as standing orders etc. will have to be stopped and contributions already made processed through the Charitable Donation Scheme.

The following is the requirement of the CRA if this occurs.

‘If upon the winding-up or dissolution of the Company there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, it shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Company. Instead, such property shall be given or transferred to some other company or companies (being a charitable institution or institutions) having main objects similar to the main objects of the Company. The company or companies (being a charitable institution or institutions) to which the property is to be given or transferred shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its or their members to an extent at least as great as is imposed on the Company under or by virtue of Clause - 6. Members of the Company shall select the company or companies (being a charitable institution or institutions) at or before the time of dissolution. Final accounts will be prepared and submitted that will include a section that identifies and values any assets transferred along with the details of the recipients and the terms of the transfer.'