General Information - International Council of Community Churches

THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF COMMUNITY CHURCHES

Experience the “Larger Church” – The Church in Aurora is a member church of the International Council of Community Churches – a Charter Member in fact.  Each summer Community Churches from across the land send delegates to an Annual Conference.  Our congregation hosted the conference in downtown Cleveland in 2003.  This year’s conference will be in Nashville, Tennessee July 29 - August 1.  As always, there will be workshops of many kinds (Toni Harris will be leading one on the Rotational Method of Christian Education), spirited worship services, tours, banquets, Bible studies, exhibits, business sessions and more.  But the very best part will be the fellowship connection with other Community Church members who return year after year.  For more information about the Conference, and how to register, contact Elaine Duncan (330/562-6062) or Bob Harris (330/562-6260).

ICCC Conference – New Orleans – Nov. Spire Understanding the results of Katrina seemed easy from home, but seeing it first hand was different.  Two buses of 72 persons spent 4 hours or more touring the destruction. What we saw looked as if a bomb had been dropped that caused a total  evacuation of homes, stores, schools and some churches.  Some of our youth helped clean at a church/school.  Habitat for Humanity was building new homes 40 miles north of New Orleans.  Some of our people spent a day working there.  In addition, they stayed after the conference closed to work there.  This is the spirit of the International Council of Community Churches.  More to come – Elaine Duncan.

Most Recent News - ICCC Conference – New Orleans, "Bringing Back the Music" – The theme fit the energy at the conference.  Though attendance was down, it was a great one!  The preaching was inspiring and the Bible study was unique.  Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is a Jew and teaches at Vanderbilt University.  Her method of teaching was to parallel the Biblical teaching of Christians with Jewish history.  I’ve ordered the tapes and they will be in our library for everyone’s study.  More to come…..Elaine R. D.

The Church in Aurora is a founding member of the International Council of Community Churches (the ICCC or Council) which is headquartered in Frankfort, Illinois. 

The ICCC was formed in 1950 as the result of a merger of two non-denominational church organizations, the National Council of Community Churches and the Biennial Council of the People’s Church of Christ and Community Centers.  The former was comprised of European-American community churches while the latter consisted of African-American community churches.

Today the ICCC has nearly 200 member churches and centers in the U.S. as well as dozens of non-denominational churches and centers across the globe.  Headed by Executive Director Rev. Michael Livingston, the Council was founded on the basis of inclusiveness theologically, culturally and racially. 

The ICCC is involved in a number of international ecumenical organizations, helps provide guidance to member churches at times of pastoral change and offers a highly regarded pension program for staff at member churches.

The Council’s main event is its three-day annual conference held during the late summer in a different city each year.  Roughly 400 attendees from across the nation and around the world go year after year to hear dynamic, inspirational sermons; energetic, talented church choirs; gain insights in their faith from nationally renowned Bible scholars and to experience an extraordinary abundance of Christian fellowship.

The Church in Aurora is also a founding member of the Ohio Fellowship of Community Churches, the regional affiliate of the ICCC.  

Senior Pastor Bill Schnell is currently one of the ICCC’s delegates to the National Council of Churches.  Church member Bob Harris chairs the Council’s Permanent Endowment Fund.