Formally organized in the 1970s as the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Association of Churches and Congregations, it changed its name to the Interfaith Association of Harrisonburg/Rockingham County in 1997, welcoming participation by Jews and Muslims as well as Christians.
From the start, the group sponsored weekly Lenten services and helped with food drives and the support of causes like the Salvation Army and the Patchwork Pantry. More recently, it has helped launch and support the HARTS program, one that provides for shelter and food in area churches on a rotating basis during the coldest months of the year. In 1998 it coordinated the signing of a Community Marriage Policy which committed congregations to providing more extensive premarital preparation and stronger support for existing marriages. The association has sponsored numerous part-time chaplains at Harrisonburg-Rockingham Regional Jail over the years.
The association's statement of purpose says, "By their common origin in God, all peoples are one. Seeking to better understand our interrelatedness and to manifest love and justice, we covenant together to embody in our community God's peace through our faith traditions." Congregations are considered members by their making a contribution of $25 or more each year, and individuals join by giving an annual gift of $10 or more.
