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Faith Caucus Steering Committee Members
Claudia Austin, NP, President
Church Women United of Illinois
The Illinois Chapter of a national movement of Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and other Christian Women. Church Women United is a racially, culturally, theologically inclusive Christian women’s movement, celebrating unity in diversity and working for a world of peace and justice.
Jennifer DeLeon, Assistant Regional Director
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), LutheranAdvocacy.org & Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) is a not-for-profit social services agency of the three Illinois synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It serves people of all faiths and all walks of life, including children, families and adults of all ages. Responding to the Gospel, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois brings healing, justice and wholeness to people and communities.
Reverend Dr. Richard Ellerbrake, Member
United Congregations of Metro East
Twenty-six congregations share a strong desire for lasting social change that benefits all citizens, and share a duty as citizens and people of faith to protect the well being of our families, neighborhoods and communities. We believe that healthy communities are necessary to develop and nurture healthy citizens.
Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ
The Conference is a community of faith comprised of eighty-five congregations in 33 counties, engaged in the nurture of churches and their leaders, serving in the name of Jesus Christ. It is to be the expression of the United Church of Christ in southern Illinois, and is to reflect and relate the nature and character of the local church to the denomination, and to relate the church's denominational and national character to the local church.
Tom Garlitz
Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Peace & Justice Ministry
The Peace and Social Justice Ministry seeks to promote the gospel of peace and social justice through its programs and ministries, locally, nationally, and globally.
Reverend Dr. Larry Greenfield
American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago
A multi racial/ethnic and theologically diverse association of 65 American Baptist congregations committed to being evangels of the Evangel of Good News about God’s Beloved community — a Community of all embracing love that finds expression in reconciliation, compassion, justice, and peace.
Debbie Griffith
Evangelical Covenant Church, IL/WI Region
The ECC values the Bible as the Word of God, the gift of God’s grace and ever-deepening spiritual life that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the importance of extending God’s love and compassion to a hurting world, and the strength that comes from unity within diversity.
Dr. Laura Horn
Union for Reform Judaism, Great Lakes Council
The Union for Reform Judaism provides vision and leadership to Reform Jews and congregations on spiritual, ethical, social justice and management issues. As the congregational arm of the Reform Movement, the Union for Reform Judaism strives to create and sustain vibrant Jewish congregations wherever Reform Jews live in North America.
Ella Austin, President
AME Church, Women’s Missionary Society of Chicago
We are committed to Christ with a membership of over 800,000 worldwide. It is our charge and duty to serve the Lord in all we do and to assist in the progression of serving God's people.
Reverend Al Sharp, Executive Director Protestants for the Common Good
Protestants for the Common Good educates and mobilizes people of faith to participate in political democracy for the sake of social justice and the beloved community.
Reverend Gary McCants, Chairman, Public Policy Team
Illinois Conference of Churches
The ICC is a state-wide ecumenical organization of 28 member Judicatories of 14 denominations representing the Protestant, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions, which seek to be an inclusive community that celebrates and makes visible our sacred bonds of unity in Christ. The Public Policy Team assists the ICC in “making public, prophetic witness to Christ’s love for all people,” by discussing and determining specific ways the ICC can vocalize and become visible on matters of concern that impact the lives of those it represents.
South District, Illinois Conference, African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Mission of the South District, Illinois Conference, African Methodist Episcopal Church, is to minister to the spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and environmental needs of all people by spreading Christ's liberating gospel through word and deed. Every one of the twenty-five congregations in the South District shall engage in carrying out the spirit of the original Free African Society, out of which the AME Church evolved: that is, to seek out and save the lost, and serve the needy.
Imam Kifah Mustapha, Imam & Associate Director
Mosque Foundation of Bridgeview
The Mosque Foundation serves the spiritual, religious and communal needs of area Muslims by means of nurturing their faith, upholding their values, and fostering the wellbeing of the community around it through worship, charity, education, outreach, and civic engagement.
Reverend Dr. Thomas Parrott-Sheffer
Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ
Our mission is to strengthen local churches in the worship of God, in the ministry of Christ, and to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. We covenant to celebrate and respect one another and to discover our common identity in the richness of our diversity, to confront injustice and to promote justice, to invite all people to become disciples of Jesus the Christ, to engage in mission as partners with the whole church and by example of Jesus the Christ.
Reverend Larry Ulrich, Former President
Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago
Church of the Brethren, Illinois & Wisconsin District
Reverend Walter Wilkins, Member, Board of Church in Society
United Methodist Church Board of Church and Society
The message of salvation brought by Jesus Christ binds us together as a people and sends us forth to bring healing in the midst of strife, justice in the midst of brokenness, and love in the midst of hate. As United Methodists, we are called to invite people to enter into a community of faith responsive to a vision of justice ministries that is biblically and theologically grounded, and to invite United Methodist congregations to play a prophetic role in bringing God’s vision to reality. Our mission is to advocate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the church and society.
Bathsheba Wyatt-Draper
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
The RainbowPUSH Coalition is a progressive organization fighting for social change. As a mighty coalition of conscience; workers, women and people of color have the power to make the American Dream a Reality!
Rev. James Polk
Baptist General Convention
Rabbi Brant Rosen
Reconstructionist Judaism
A progressive, contemporary approach to Jewish life which integrates a deep respect for traditional Judaism with the insights and ideas of contemporary social, intellectual and spiritual life.
Naim Monsour
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
A federation of Islamic Centers, mosques, and social service groups in the Greater Chicago area representing the cross-section of over 400,000 Muslims, with the goal to provide effective advocacy on critical civil liberties and social justice issues impacting American-Muslims; and educate fellow Americans about Islam as a religion and a way of life.
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