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International Council of Community Churches

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The International Council of Community Churches (ICCC) is a Christian religious association of ecumenically co-operating Protestants and Independent Catholics.[1] Based in Longmont, Colorado,[2] in the United States, it is the main organization of the Community Church movement. The ICCC is a member of Churches Uniting in Christ, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and the World Council of Churches. In 2010, the ICCC had 148 congregations with 68,300 members.[3] Membership is concentrated primarily in the Midwest.[4] However, there are several congregations in California, New York, and Florida.[4] According to the World Council of Churches, the council has 108,806 members worldwide.[5]

History

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In 1950, the biennial council of the Peoples Church of Christ and Community Centers led by Joseph M. Evans (until then all Afro-American) and the National Council of Community Churches led by the Rev. Roy A. Burkhardt (until then all Caucasian) joined in a historic merger. At the time, their joining represented the largest interracial merger of religious bodies in America. The new creation was the International Council of Community Churches. Member churches united to be a fellowship of ecumenically minded, freedom-loving congregations cooperating in fulfilling the mission of the church in the world. As a post-denominational movement, the council has witnessed and worked for Christian unity, justice and reconciliation in human society.

Polity

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Local congregations own the council and determine its emphases and operation. They do so by sending delegates to an annual conference. Each local church is entitled to two voting delegates, of which both may be laity or one each lay and clergy (but not two clergy.) Decisions about council policy are made by the local church delegates voting at the Annual Conference. Delegates elect a volunteer board. The board hires and supervises staff and oversees everyday operations. The Rev. Phil Tom is the current Executive Director. The President is Abraham Wright.

Constitution and Bylaws

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The ICCC use a Constitution and Bylaws to help govern the operation of the Annual Conference. These were last amended in 2019.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Current Members". Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  2. ^ "Contact Us". International Council of Community Churches. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  3. ^ "2012 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches". The National Council of Churches. Archived from the original on 2012-11-15. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  4. ^ a b "2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study". Glenmary Research Center. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
  5. ^ "International Council of Community Churches". oikoumene.org. World Council of Churches. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  6. ^ "Constitution & Bylaws". International Council of Community Churches. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
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