Northern Ireland

Doug & Elaine Baker, PCUSA Mission Co-workers

In Northern Ireland, Liberty Corner supports the work of Doug and Elaine Baker. LCPC member John Hunter, a native of Scotland, follows Doug’s work and interprets “The Troubles” (as the situation in Northern Ireland is called) for the Partners in Ministry team. Doug and his family visit the U.S. every two or three years, usually in August.  We have joined with the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church, also supporters of the Bakers, for a program when the Bakers are in town.

Since 1979, Doug Baker's ministry in Northern Ireland has been related to different aspects of peacemaking and reconciliation.  The nature of the ministry has evolved from year to year, and the organizations with which he works most closely have changed from time to time. In 1997 he moved from the staff of the Corrymeela Community to Mediation Northern Ireland. In the fall of 2001 he moved to a ministry called Partners in Transformation, whose aim is to enhance, nurture, and support the capacity of churches and faith communities in their calling to be peace builders and agents of transformation. Doug is a co-leader of this project, which is a joint initiative of the Irish School of Ecumenics and the Mediation Northern Ireland.

In addition, Doug serves as program coordinator for the PCUSA’s Young Adult Volunteer program in Northern Ireland. During its ten year existence, the YAV program in Northern Ireland has had 49 volunteers from the United States who have served in 16 different congregations or projects.

Elaine is a native of Belfast. Doug and Elaine have three children: Niall, Fiona, and Stephen.

This information is taken from the PC(USA) website. To learn more about the Bakers and their work in Northern Ireland, including their letters, see the PC(USA) website.

Statistics: (Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Statistics for Northern Ireland alone are not broken out.)