The spacious sanctuary of the modern New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Peoria, Illinois, is filled with the sound of an inspirational duet, accompanied by the church's organist. The pastor of New Morning Star, the Reverend Cleveland Thomas, has already welcomed the group assembled, who occupy nearly two-thirds of the pews. The presence of Bishop Harold Dawson, pastor of nearby New Hope Church of Deliverance, suggests this is not just a routine event. Later, Peoria Mayor James Maloof will sing the Lord's Prayer in a voice rich in tonal quality. Visibly moved by the music, the listeners will heartily applaud both the duet and the solo.

A casual observer might conclude that this is a cooperative worship service sponsored by a group of Peoria churches. A battery of cameras in front of the chancel provides the only clue to what it actually is–a press conference. It was organized by the Illinois board of directors of One Church–One Child, a unique organization with a name that defines its mission: to encourage every black church in Illinois to find one family willing to adopt a black child. The press conference is a regular feature of the board's bimonthly meetings. There have been scores of such meetings, held in about a dozen cities throughout Illinois, over the past decade.

NEW DIRECTOR SEEKS A LONG–DEFERRED SOLUTION

One Church–One Child came into existence as a result of a crisis in the Illinois adoption system in the 1970s. In 1979 in Cook County, of which Chicago is a part, 702 of the 1,000 children eligible for adoption were black—70 percent of the waiting list out of a general population that was 26 percent black. Throughout the state there were waiting lists of white