by Reverend Jack Cramer-Heuerman, CIOP Founding Board Member

To some, "faith-based community organizing" may seem like a non-existent term. In their thinking, faith and community organizing have nothing in common and should not be connected in the same sentence. Yet, I think that "faith-based community organizing" is a definable term, has its roots in the scriptures, and is an essential piece of living out our faith.

What is a fundamental definition of faith-based community organizing? I would offer that it is: "an effort to shape people's community based on God's vision of Shalom." (From the Hebrew, "Shalom" is often defined as 'to be complete or whole.' Editor) In a community where Shalom is vital and active, injustices are challenged, truth is spoken to power, powers and principalities are confronted, and the powerless and poor are listened to and taken care of. The goal of faith-based community organizing is to change and transform relations and persons so that the collective life of the community serves everyone in the best way possible.

The prophets in the Hebrew scriptures offer us some insights about faith-based community organizing. The prophets were critics and challengers. They had a demand from God to confront their society's sins, to call for repentance and to seek renewed relationships with their God. They confronted the injustices; they spoke out against the worship of false gods; they proclaimed that the poor and neglected had status in God's vision and could not be ignored or cast out. They challenged people to see themselves as servants of God. They told of a covenant with God to create the community of Shalom.

The words of Amos, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Micah and others show us real persons who struggled with the issues of their day. People and nations and cities and towns wrestled with the problems of politics, invasions, injustices, neglect, poverty and worship of false gods. They interacted with community and national leaders who lived out their faith in dynamic and creative ways. They confronted leaders who offered a fake faith and who perpetrated injustices, neglect and the dismantling of community.

In my faith tradition of Christianity, Jesus rooted his public ministry and witness in the tradition of the prophets. At his coming out party in Nazareth, Jesus read the words of the prophet Isaiah. The carpenter proclaimed, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to preach Good News to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to set free the oppressed and announce the year when God will save God's people." (Luke 4:18, 19, Good News Bible). What got Jesus into trouble was that he had the audacity to say that the prophetic vision and challenge had come true in the people's hearing as it was read.

Jesus placed himself in the ongoing line of the prophets. He confronted false religion, took on the injustices, spoke truth to power, broke down divisions and walls and provided a vision of community where people would love God with all they are and where they would love their neighbors as they love themselves. Jesus organized a community of believers who let their faith be the primary influence and guiding force in their lives.

In my denomination, the United Methodist Church, circuit riders helped make the Methodist Church a noticeable presence in the country. Circuit Riders were a kind of faith-based community organizers. They were charged with the responsibility "to reform this nation and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land." In their saddlebags, they carried a gavel and a Bible. They shared their faith and they helped with the organization of community life in new settlements and towns.

Persons of faith are part of a long tradition that encourages us to be involved in faith-based community organizing. We are called to implement God's vision of Shalom. We are to be God's servants who challenge injustices, who speak truth to power, who confront powers and principalities, who listen to and take care of the powerless and the poor. Faith-based community organizing brings change and transformation to people and societies so that God's shalom becomes more viable and visible. Faith-based community organizing increases our opportunities to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are invited to be faith-based community organizers joining the prophets, witnesses and believers who have built, are now building and will continue to build.

The award is presented annually to the CIOP member who has demonstrated extraordinary and exceptional leadership. It takes its name from Phyllis K. Washington, a founding member of CIOP representing the NAACP Decatur branch and chair of the state chapters housing committee. Award winners include:

• 2006 - Kathi Eads (First Presbyterian Church, Springfield)
• 2006 - Jane Ford (Little Flower Catholic Church, Springfield)
• 2005 - Rev. Eugene Barnes (Metanoia Centers, Champaign, IL)
• 2004 - Jack Porter, Bloomington (First Presbyterian Church, Normal, IL)

This award is presented annually to the person who greatly helps CIOP, though they themselves are not a member. It takes its name from Rev. Jack Cramer-Heuerman, another founding member of CIOP who, among other other accomplishments, help secure the first religious funding grant for the organizing effort.

• 2006 - Pete Roberts, Springfield SCIL (Council for Independent Living)
• 2005 - Kathy Leary, Central IL Consumer Debt Counseling
• 2004 - David Daberko, CEO National City Corporation