The Inclusive Collective (IC), a vibrant, growing, and diverse Northern Illinois Conference and Presbytery of Chicago campus ministry in Chicagoland, is welcoming a new Pastor and Executive Director. 

After a national search, the IC Board of Directors named Rev. Larry J. Morris III to lead the campus ministry, succeeding Rev. Rich Havard.

Larry is a self-described personality junkie, Apple loyalist, and plant parent. Larry is from Indianapolis, Ind., but has spent the last ten years on the west coast in California and Nevada. He is the co-founder of Communion Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Henderson, Nev., and owner of Larry J. Morris III, LLC, which helps people and organizations “realize their extraordinary purpose .”

Larry is a Ph.D. student in the African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric program at ChristianTheological Seminary (Indianapolis, IN). Their research interests focuses on the intersections of Blackness, queerness, and sacred rhetoric. Larry comes to the Inclusive Collective with a variety of unique experiences, including community organizing, diversity, equity and inclusion consulting, and program development and management.

In its seventh year, the IC is a relaunch of a ministry known as Agape House. In 2015, Agape House was on the verge of dying: it had zero student involvement, a declining reputation, and was hemorrhaging partners and funds. Believing that God wanted to do a new thing among university students in Chicago, the ministry intentionally restarted in August 2015 as the Inclusive Collective with Rev. Havard as Pastor and Executive Director.

Over the past seven years, the ministry has experienced a renaissance. Here are some glimpses of what God has done since 2015:

• The IC has gone from 0 people in 2015 to over 115 young adults involved in spiritual formation in 2021 through small groups, worship gatherings, and retreats.
• Over 40% of IC members are new to faith or returning to faith, meaning almost half had no connection to a faith community before the IC.
• IC members are diverse: 40% BIPOC, 50% LGBTQ, and 80% Gen Z.
• Hosted annual Justice Retreats with over 100 young adults to learn how following Jesus invites us to seek justice.
• Launched South Loop Community Table, a weekly dinner party with young adults and people experiencing homelessness.
• Increased the budget by 140% while diversifying revenue streams and decreasing dependence on denominational giving. Denomination funding was 72% of the budget in 2015 and 33% of the 2021 total budget.

Havard left the IC in December 2021 to become the Program Officer at the Wayfarer Foundation, a grant-making organization that funds and supports spiritually-rooted and justice-oriented non-profits. During his ministry, Havard helped grow the Inclusive Collection and expand its mission “to fuel young adults through Jesusrooted soul work.”

“In other words, we strive to create experiences where our people encounter God in such powerful ways that they become deeply aware of who they are, feeling inspired and energized for courageous, faithful living,” said Havard. “Experiences that stir them up to follow Jesus disrupt the status quo and co-create God’s Beloved Community.”

Rev. Morris has hit the ground running to get ready for a new school year. Under their leadership, the IC is looking forward to the future, believing that university campuses are prime places to engage emerging leaders who can pave the way toward a bold, faithful, and hopeful future across the country and the world.

Visit LetsGetInclusiveChi.org or Instagram (@LetsGetInclusiveChi) for more information.