a press conference. He explains the concept of One Church–One Child, noting that the partnership between the State of Illinois and black churches has made it possible for more than 3,000 children to be adopted since the program was created in 1981. He outlines the non-salaried services of the board members in promoting the program's objectives in all regions of the state and describes the legislative and administrative steps the state has taken to simplify and shorten the adoption process. Then, after he has presented awards to a Peoria television producer for a series of shows on adoption and accepted the keys to the city from Mayor James Maloof, he fields a series of polite questions from the reporters.

It is apparent that the relationship between Johnson and the board of clergymen, who have been sitting behind him throughout the press conference, is based on genuine mutual regard; their rapport is evident. He respects the ministers for the influence they have in their churches and communities. They respect him for his ability to communicate the One Church–One Child message to wider audiences.

When the clergymen excuse themselves to reconvene the board meeting in the adjoining banquet hall, the tone of the reporters' questions to Johnson shifts. They are interested in hard news—recent DCFS cases that have attracted media attention. Johnson responds with the same ease he demonstrated before.

As is apparent when the 30-second sound bite of his press conference appears that night, the television cameras like him. Marshall McLuhan, the late media analyst, would have said he was a "cool" man. Schooled in eastern colleges and universities and possessed of a world view formed in part by graduate study and research in the social sciences, Johnson appears to be as comfortable in the New Morning Star pulpit as he is in the office of Governor James Thompson.

The press conference in the New Morning Star Church is only one aspect of this two-day meeting. The evening program includes a community forum, a standard event of these bimonthly meetings, usually preceded or followed by a dinner. The forum conveys the One Church–One Child message not just to the congregation, but to the entire host community.