Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago

Stanley L. Davis, Jr.

Rev. Stanley L. Davis, Jr. is the co-Executive Director of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago (CRLMC), as well as Executive Director Emeritus of the Chicago and Northern Illinois Region of The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)now named the Chicago Center for Cultural Connections.

Rev. Davis was the Executive Director of the Chicago and Northern Illinois Region of The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) from February 1984 through December 2003. NCCJ, founded in 1927 as The National Conference of Christians and Jews, is a civic non-profit human relation’s organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry, and racism in America.

During his tenure at NCCJ, Rev. Davis has set the stage for creating opportunities for people to realize the advantages and importance of accepting diversity. The many educational and training programs and projects instituted have helped thousands of people understand and address the issues they face as individuals and members of the community. Rev. Davis also expanded and redefined interfaith work in the Chicago area through the many interfaith programs of NCCJ. In addition, the award winning NCCJ InterFaith Calendar, produced in cooperation with 14 faith communities, was developed under his leadership. The calendar promotes and fosters understanding and appreciation of the many faith traditions in our nation and has been recognized nationally and internationally.

Throughout his career, Rev. Davis has participated in the struggle for civil and human rights. In the 1960's, Rev. Davis was involved in the many activities that revolved around the formation of the Chicago Freedom Movement and the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including participating in the 1963 March on Washington. Rev. Davis played a key role in easing tensions between civil rights activists and residents of the Northwest Side during the open housing marches in the summer of 1966. Rev. Davis also was instrumental in the struggle to make Oak Park the racially integrated community it is today.

For 25 years, Rev. Davis worked on behalf of young people. He pioneered services for troubled adolescents at local, state, and national levels as an executive of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. He is the founder of Youth Outreach Services of Chicago, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2010 and is now one of the largest youth serving agencies in Illinois.

Rev. Davis has lectured extensively on human relations and interfaith relations to religious institutions, civic organizations and city, state, and federal agencies in the Chicago area, State of Illinois, as well as throughout the country. He has also been interviewed internationally by the Central and South American television Univision Network, the Turkish newspaper Vaman, nationally by Fox Television Network, and the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune. In May 2004 he presented a paper at the Turkish Journalists and Writers Association, International Symposium: Religion and Peace: In light of Forefather Abraham, in Istanbul, Turkey.

A native of Pennsylvania, Rev. Davis received his B.A. degree from Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and his Master of Divinity Degree from Bethany Theological Seminary, now in Richmond, Indiana. Rev. Davis is an ordained minister of The United Church of Christ.

Rev. Davis is a long time resident of Oak Park. His wife Christine is currently a consultant in curriculum development to educational institutions, after a distinguished 25-year career as an elementary educator. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Rev. Davis has received a number of distinguished awards including:

• The 2006 NCCJ Founders Award: Honoring the Religious Leaders of Chicago’s Civil Rights Movement. Received as one of twenty-two Religious Leaders able to attend this reunion of those who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was active in Chicago in the mid-1960’s.


• The 2006 Concordia University Philanthropy Award, given to Rev. & Mrs. Davis for their community work in the not-for-profit arena.


• The 2004 Distinguished Interfaith Cooperation Award from the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), presented by The Chicago Police Department, Philip J. Cline, Superintendent, and The City of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, Mayor, later recognized at a full Chicago City Council Meeting.


• The 2004 Community Service Award from The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.


• The 2004 Swigart, Jr. Humanitarian Award from Juniata College’s Alumni Council.


• The 2004 Founders Award, from the Chicago and Northern Illinois Region, The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), where Rev. Davis was named Executive Director Emeritus of the Chicago and Northern Illinois Region. Only one other of the previous eleven Directors was so named.


• 1996:  The Order of Merit from the Roman Catholic Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. This international award, given in recognition of his interfaith work, was jointly presented by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin and Carlo Cardinal Furno from the Vatican.


• The 2001 Distinguished InterFaith Leadership Award from Northeastern Illinois University.


• The 2000 Interreligious Leadership Award from the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.


• The Amanda Dukes Award from Firman Community Services, Chicago, for his work with youth.


• The Village of Oak Park in recognition of his service as Chairman and member of The Community Relations Commission during the time of racial integration of the Village.


• The Baha'i Community of Chicago Interfaith Award in recognition of his interreligious efforts.


• The 1992 Interfaith Religion Award from the Muhammad Ali Community & Economic Development Corporation, with Mr. Ali personally presenting the award.


• The 1998 Thomas and Eleanor Wright Award for outstanding contributions to the improvement of human relations from the City of Chicago, Commission on Human Relations.


• The Bishop Louis Henry Ford Annual Humanitarian Award in recognition of an individual who exemplifies the spirit of community awareness and concern that was a lifelong trait of the late Bishop Louis Henry Ford.

Honorary Degrees:

• Lewis University, May, 2003, Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa for his exemplary work in bringing Christians and non-Christians together in order to promote equal opportunity.


• Elmhurst College, June 2003, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa for his contributions to building stronger communities.