The Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ is blessed to be woven from strands of a vast variety of rich traditions that make up the UCC, both those that represent the historical denominational merger of 1957, and many that have added vibrant threads and emerging patterns to who we are, racially, ethnically, socially and liturgically. Formed in 1964, The Illinois Conference came into being through a consolidation of the North Illinois Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Conference of Illinois.
The Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ is comprised of roughly the northern half of the state of Illinois, from the border with Wisconsin on the north to a line slightly south of the state capital of Springfield. The state of Illinois is the fifth largest state in the United States containing Chicago, the third largest US city.
The Illinois Conference, with 81,170 members and 268 churches is the third largest conference in the UCC. (The Ohio and Connecticut conferences being the first and second in membership.) The 268 churches of the Illinois Conference range from the largest UCC congregation in the nation—Trinity UCC in Chicago—to numerous small rural churches far removed from the large urban area of Chicago.
Of these total of 268 churches roughly 30% are in urban settings, 37% suburban and 33% rural. Local churches in the Illinois Conference might be as close to each other as a few blocks away, but there are congregations in the Quincy, Illinois area which are 280 miles away from Chicago.
Illinois Churches listing themselves as ethnic or racial in the most recent yearbook include 16 African-American churches, five Latino churches and six Pacific Islander and Asian American Ministries churches.
The Illinois Conference is Open and Affirming (ONA) - adopted at a conference meeting. Additionally, 42 Congregations, one campus ministry (NIU) and one seminary (CTS) are ONA.
The Illinois Conference is proud of its heritage and its incredible diversity. Our short history of 46 years has given us a strong foundation that sends us forward and a broad sense of ministry to celebrate.
IL Conference Mission Statement
The Illinois Conference is a United Church of Christ covenant community promoting congregational health and vitality and pursuing God's peace and justice. (Adopted at the 2009 annual meeting)
IL Conference Core Processes
Consistent with this mission, the following are the essential core functions of the Illinois Conference:
1. Facilitating communication, participation, reconciliation, justice, and action;
2. Bridging local churches and pastors to concerns and relationships beyond the local church;
3. Training/equipping/supporting leaders and congregations;
4. Identifying and empowering Conference ministries for mission and outreach;
5. Developing and nurturing new churches and churches in transition; and
6. Linking the local churches and members to the national and global ministries of the UCC.
IL Conference Associations
The Illinois Conference is comprised of five associations covering roughly the upper one half of Illinois. In these associations, both our commonality and our diversity are realized. Each association brings a unique flavor to who the conference is, allowing us to celebrate the many ways God calls us to be the church in this world.
The Chicago Metropolitan Association's 104 congregations are spread across the beautiful city and out into its near suburbs. From neighborhood churches to suburban congregations, church families centered on ethnic traditions and those focused on multiracial, multicultural celebrations, sprawling buildings, house churches and the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ, CMA is rich in heritage and worship experiences. Active in one of the most diverse areas of the nation, CMA provides as varied a presence of the UCC and represents the intricate web of our wider church as people struggle together over issues, meet each other in the middle in ministry partnership, and lift one another up in shared hope.
The Fox Valley Association is 48 churches strong. It stretches from the western and northern suburbs of Chicago to the rolling hills of the Fox River Valley and down into the fastest growing communities in Chicago area. Its unique blend of city life, established suburbs, and growing communities bring people of all walks of life to the UCC congregations in its area. The churches in this association extend the invitation of - "no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." In towns so established there is little room for diversity, and in towns so new they have practically sprouted up over night, leaving people searching for places to share and grow their faith.
The Prairie Association is home to one of the industrial hubs of Illinois, Rockford, as well as the Northern Illinois University campus and one of our Illinois Conference Camps. Its people gather in white clapboard buildings with tall steeples in rural communities, and large, echoing stone buildings in bustling urban areas, and everywhere in between. Tradition and innovation are a rich part of the heritage of the 39 congregations that make up this association.
The Western Association is located in the lower portion of the conference, on the western side of the state. Its 36 congregations gather people to worship from the state capital of Springfield to the Quad City town of Moline, from prairie to river, farm to metropolis. With the challenges of the life of rural communities and the struggles of Illinois state government in both its front and back yards, Western Association congregations bring a presence of justice and compassion where it is often needed most.
The Eastern Association is made up of 41 congregations who leave their footprints upon some of the most traveled land in the state. Crossed by Interstate 74 connecting the country from east to west and Interstate 57 keeping the path of commerce open from north to south, Eastern Association reaches out to students of a Big Ten college campus and families along the Illinois Canal. This association is the only one land-connected to all of the other associations in the Conference, as well as two other conferences, giving it the unique opportunity to be point of mutuality and connection for the Illinois Conference.
