Illinois Conference United Church of Christ

What Illinois Conference United Church of Christ does

The Illinois Conference United Church of Christ is a regional administrative body of the United Church of Christ denomination, formed in 1964 through the consolidation of the North Illinois Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Conference of Illinois. It governs approximately 252 affiliated member churches organized into five regional associations covering Illinois: Chicago Metropolitan (92 churches), Fox Valley (44 churches), Eastern (39 churches), Western (27 churches), and Prairie. The conference provides ministerial credentialing through Committee on Ministry processes, stewardship and compensation resources, disaster relief coordination, justice and witness initiatives, and outdoor ministry programming delivered via two wholly owned camp operations: Pilgrim Park Camp in Princeton, Illinois, and Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer, Michigan. Its primary constituent segments are member congregations, credentialed clergy, and camp participants.

The organization employs 11-50 staff based in Westchester, Illinois, and operates with standard nonprofit technology infrastructure. Its technology stack consists of a WordPress-based website (ilucc.org) running on shared hosting, Constant Contact for email newsletter distribution, Zoom for committee meetings, Campbrain for online camp registration, and Vanco for payment processing on donations. The conference does not develop proprietary software, products, or technology services, and it has no APIs, integrations, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

Revenue is generated through two principal streams: recurring voluntary contributions from member churches via the Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) denominational giving program, used to fund staff and programs; and transactional camp registration fees at the two outdoor ministry sites. The only publicly disclosed pricing item is a $30 per-person fee for the CMA Spring Meeting. The go-to-market motion is community-led, with member churches reached through regional associations, annual celebrations, committee meetings, and camp programming. Marketing and member communication are conducted through association-level Facebook pages, Instagram, a YouTube channel, Constant Contact email newsletters, the conference website, and in-person events.

Name

Illinois Conference United Church of Christ

Legal name

Illinois Conference United Church of Christ

Website

https://ilucc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Illinois Conference United Church of Christ is a regional nonprofit governing body that provides administrative, ministerial credentialing, stewardship, and outdoor ministry support to approximately 252 affiliated UCC churches across five regional associations in Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Denominational Administration

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Religious conference services
• Church governance support
• Ministerial credentialing
• Outdoor ministry programs
• Disaster relief coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Westchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM): The primary funding mechanism for the Illinois Conference is Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM), a denominational giving program where member churches contribute financially to support conference operations, staff, and programs. The website features online donation capabilities and remittance forms for sending donations.
2. Camp and Outdoor Ministry Fees: Revenue generated from camp registrations at Pilgrim Park Camp (Princeton, IL) and Tower Hill Camp (Sawyer, MI) through online registration systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Illinois Conference United Church of Christ is a regional ecclesiastical body that provides administrative, pastoral, and ministry support services to approximately 252 member churches across five geographic associations in Illinois. Its core offerings include ministerial credentialing and ordination support, stewardship resources, disaster relief coordination, justice and witness initiatives, the Thriving Pastors in Revitalizing Congregations (TPIRC) program, and outdoor ministry programming through Pilgrim Park Camp and Tower Hill Camp.

Product overview

The Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ is a regional ecclesiastical organization that provides administrative, pastoral, and ministry support services to affiliated churches across Illinois. The organization operates through five regional associations (Chicago Metropolitan, Eastern, Fox Valley, Prairie, and Western) and offers outdoor ministry programs through Pilgrim Park Camp and Tower Hill Camp. Services include committee operations, ordination and installation ceremonies, clergy support, stewardship resources, and disaster relief coordination. The organization does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pilgrim Park Camp Outdoor ministry camp located in Princeton, Illinois that offers faith-based summer camp programs and outdoor ministry experiences for individuals and families affiliated with UCC congregations.
• Tower Hill Camp Outdoor ministry camp located in Sawyer, Michigan that offers faith-based summer camp programs and outdoor ministry experiences for individuals and families affiliated with UCC congregations.
• Thriving Pastors in Revitalizing Congregations (TPIRC) A program providing professional development and vitalization resources for pastors serving in Illinois Conference UCC churches, designed to support thriving ministry and congregational revitalization.
• Ministerial Credentialing and Ordination Services Credentialing and ordination support for ministers in UCC churches, administered through Committee on Ministry processes across the five regional associations.
• Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) Denominational giving program where member churches contribute financially to support the Illinois Conference's operations, staff, and ministry programs. Online donations are accepted through the conference website.
• Disaster Relief Coordination Regional coordination of disaster relief efforts in partnership with the United Church of Christ's national disaster ministry, providing resources and response coordination for affected member churches and communities.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United Church of Christ (UCC)coreOthersThe Illinois Conference is a regional body of the United Church of Christ denomination. The conference was formed in 1964 through consolidation of the North Illinois Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Conference of Illinois, and connects member churches to the wider UCC national denomination. The conference website links to ucc.org for Find a UCC Church functionality and disaster ministry information.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ: A regional UCC conference serving Wisconsin congregations with analogous structure: member church OCWM contributions, regional associations, clergy support, and outdoor ministry programming. Most direct comparable given overlapping Midwest geography and denomination.
• Michigan Conference United Church of Christ: Adjacent Midwest UCC regional conference with similar member church structure, OCWM revenue model, and clergy credentialing responsibilities. Direct peer serving overlapping geographic region.
• Indiana-Kentucky Conference United Church of Christ: UCC regional conference covering Indiana and Kentucky with the same denominational governance model, member church support programs, and OCWM-based funding. Highly comparable structure and scale.
• Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ: UCC regional conference serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island congregations with parallel committee, credentialing, and camp programming responsibilities.
• Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Church of Christ: UCC regional body covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska with the same five-function structure (governance, credentialing, camps, justice work, stewardship). Direct peer.
• Heartland Conference United Church of Christ: UCC conference serving Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and surrounding states; another direct regional peer with similar member church structure and program offerings.
• Florida Conference United Church of Christ: UCC regional conference for Florida congregations with parallel association structure, OCWM revenue, and clergy development programs.

Broad incumbents

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Metropolitan Chicago Synod: Mainline Protestant regional body with structurally similar governance, member congregation support, and stewardship functions operating in overlapping Illinois geography; broader denomination but comparable regional ministry role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/IllinoisConferenceUnitedChurchofChrist
• Facebookfacebook.com/IllinoisConferenceUCC
• Instagraminstagram.com/illinoisconferenceucc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Conference United Church of Christ