The Illinois Conference of Churches was founded (as the Illinois Council of Churches) at an assembly of Protestant religious leaders held at First Christian Church, Springfield, in 1930. Catholic dioceses became part of the ICC in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Eastern Orthodox participation began in the 1990s. Currently, members of the ICC come from 29 judicatories (the administrative equivalent of Catholic dioceses) representing 15 "communions" or denominations. Complete information on membership is at ilconfchurches.org.

Among the activities of the ICC are the efforts of various teams, including public policy and anti-racism. The public policy team was active in campaigning for abolition of the death penalty in Illinois — a goal which was attained in 2011. The anti-racism team, about which I've written before, is dedicated to offering processes by which God's people can identify attitudes of racism within themselves and thus seek recovery from such poisonous attitudes. I have been pleased to be active in ICC on behalf of our diocese for the past 13 years.

Shortly after I began to work in the Springfield area, nearly 30 years ago, I learned of the existence of the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association, which had been founded in the late 1970s. When it began, GSIA was envisioned as an organization for "professionals in ministry." Very often, its programs focused on the development of pastoral skills, with the implication that all religious leaders, regardless of faith-orientation, need to develop the same set of skills.

Over the decades, GSIA, which started as an essentially Jewish-Christian organization, developed in accord with the "interfaith" part of its name. Recognizing the developing diversity of our local community, and responding to the fact that not all religious groups have "clergy" in the strict sense, the membership of GSIA has welcomed people of all faiths who have an interest in sharing their faith-perspective in the midst of a very diverse group. These days, the GSIA membership includes representatives of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Baha'i faith.

One thing about GSIA has not changed over the decades. Our meetings still take place on the first Tuesday of the month, over a sack lunch, as we welcome speakers on community concerns and take time to educate one another on how we interpret societal issues from our various faith perspectives.

The various ecumenical and interreligious organizations are structures by which you and I can enter into deep and respectful conversation about the things which matter most in life. Even outside of a formal structure, any of us can commit to a process of getting to know and appreciate the mind and heart of another person. Of course, that other person must be committed to listening with respect, as we must be. The result of such conversation is a growing sense of wonder at the human capacity to seek ultimate truth and an awareness of the many companions God has given us.