Ecology and the Churches Official Statements and Resources for Study June 2015
Pope Francis’ timely encyclical on the environmental crisis, Laudato Si' culminates years of deliberation and study by Christian churches of all traditions about the ecology, theology, and our moral responsibility for the earth as “our home”. The Washington Theological Consortium presents this resource for all persons of faith to engage this challenge with greater ecumenical understanding and depth. The focus is on churches in the United States, and their global communions.
Table of Contents (click on items in blue to go to that section) The Anglican Communion and Episcopal Church in the U.S...... 2 The Anglican Communion ...... 2 The Episcopal Church in the United States of America ...... 5 Baptist Churches ...... 7 American Baptist Churches U.S.A...... 7 Southern Baptist Convention ...... 12 Christian Church, Disciples of Christ ...... 15 Eastern Orthodox Church ...... 20 Messages from the Patriarchate of Constantinople ...... 20 Inter-Orthodox Conferences and Consultations ...... 23 Common Declaration on Environmental Ethics (Orthodox and Catholic)...... 30 Lutheran Churches ...... 33 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ...... 33 Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod ...... 43 Methodist & Wesleyan Churches …………………….…………………...………………. 56 United Methodist Church ……………………………………,………….…………………………. 56 Wesleyan Church ……………………………..………..…………….……..………………………. 66 Peace Churches (Brethren, Mennonite, Quaker) ...... 68 Church of the Brethren ...... 68 Mennonite Church USA ...... 72 Quakers (Society of Friends) ...... 77 Pentecostal Churches ...... 80 Assemblies of God ...... 80 Church of God (Cleveland, TN) ….……….…..………………………………………………. 81 Presbyterian and Reformed Churches ...... 82 Christian Reformed Church ...... 82 Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) ...... 84 Reformed Church in America ...... 90 United Church of Christ (UCC) ...... 92 2 WTC Ecology and the Churches
The Roman Catholic Church ...... 95 Papal Encyclicals and Addresses ...... 95 Pope Francis I ...... 95 Pope Benedict XVI ...... 100 Pope John Paul II ...... 106 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ...... 113 Seventh Day Adventists …..…………………………….…………………………………….…. 123 Related Communities of Faith ...... 125 Unitarian/Universalist (UU) ...... 125 Ecumenical Organizations and Networks ...... 130 National Council of the Churches of Christ (NCC) ...... 130 World Council of Churches (WCC) ...... 137 Other Ecumenical Groups and Resources ...... 139 African American Clergy Open Letter on Climate Change……………………….……….. 139 Creation Justice Ministries ………………..…………………………………………………. 141 Eco-Justice Ministries ………………………………………………………………………... 141 Forum for Religion and Ecology at Yale.………………………………………………....…. 142 The Green Seminary Initiative……………………………………………………………….. 142 Green the Church: for Black Churches…………………………….………………….…… 143 Greenfaith: Interfaith Partners for the Environment……………………………………… 143 Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development ………………………………………...... 143 Interfaith Power and Light ………………………………………………..…………………. 143 Evangelical Organizations and Networks ...... 145 The Blessed Earth……...………………………………..…………………………..……..... 145 The Evangelical Climate Initiative………………………………….……………………………... 145 The Evangelical Environmental Network ...... 151 The Lausanne Global Consultation on Creation Care and the Gospel ...... 154 National Association of Evangelicals ...... 157 The Sandy Cove Covenant and Invitation ...... 158
* * * * * * The Anglican Communion and Episcopal Church in the U.S.
The Anglican Communion Lambeth Declaration 2015 on Climate Change https://pilgrimage2paris.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/lambeth-declaration-on-climate-change.pdf
Note: The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has joined other representatives from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, Methodist and Reformed churches, the Salvation Army, and other denominations, along with leaders in the Muslim, Sikh and Jewish communities to sign this declaration as an urgent call of interfaith leaders.
The original declaration was hosted by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and signed by faith leaders in 2009 ahead of the Climate Summit in Copenhagen. WTC Ecology and the Churches 3
The Declaration
As leaders of the faith communities we recognise the urgent need for action on climate change.
From the perspective of our different faiths we see the earth as a beautiful gift. We are all called to care for the earth and have a responsibility to live creatively and sustainably in a world of finite resources.
Climate change is already disproportionately affecting the poorest in the world. The demands of justice as well as of creation require the nations of the world urgently to limit the global rise in average temperatures to a maximum of 2oC, as agreed by the United Nations in Cancun. We have a responsibility to act now, for ourselves, our neighbours and for future generations.
The scale of change needed to make the transition to a low carbon economy is considerable and the task urgent. We need to apply the best of our intellectual, economic and political resources. Spirituality is a powerful agent of change. Faith has a crucial role to play in resourcing both individual and collective change.
We call on our faith communities to: Recognise the urgency of the tasks involved in making the transition to a low carbon economy.
Develop the spiritual and theological resources that will strengthen us individually and together in our care of the earth, each other and future generations.
Encourage and pray for those engaged in the intellectual, economic, political and spiritual effort needed to address this crisis.
Work with our communities and partners in the UK and internationally to mitigate the effects of climate change on the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world;
Build on the examples of local and international action to live and to work together sustainably,
Redouble our efforts to reduce emissions that result from our own institutional and individual activities.
As representatives of the vast numbers of people of faith across the globe we urge our Government to use their influence to achieve a legally-binding commitment at the international Climate Change talks in Paris, and with the continuing programme beyond. Through our various traditions we bring our prayers for the success of the negotiations.
We call with humility, with a determination enlivened by our faith and with awareness of the need for courage, justice and hope. We are faced with a huge challenge. But we are hopeful that the necessary changes can be made - for the sake of all who share this world today - and those who will share it tomorrow. 4 WTC Ecology and the Churches
Signatories to the Lambeth Declaration 2015: Title Name Surname Organisation Most Rev & Rt Justin Welby Archbishop of Canterbury Hon Rt Revd Dr Joe Aldred Acting General Secretary, Pentecostal and Multi-cultural Relations, Churches Together in England Revd Brian Anderson President of the Methodist Church in Ireland Rt Revd Bishop Angaelos General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK Rt Revd John Arnold RC Bishop of Salford Rt Revd John Arnold On behalf of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster Rt Rev & Rt Hon Richard Chartres Bishop of London Rt Revd Richard Cheetham Bishop of Kingston Most Revd David Chillingworth Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church Most Revd Richard Clarke Archbishop of Armagh Gauri Das International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Bhaktivedanta Manor Mrs Gill Dascombe Vice President of the Methodist Conference Rt Revd John Davies Church and Society for the Church in Wales Malcolm M Deboo President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe Most Revd Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, Greek Orthodox Church Revd David Grosch-Miller Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church Revd Torbjorn Holt Chairman, on behalf of the Trustees of the Council of Lutheran Churches Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam Bishop of Salisbury and lead bishop for the Environment Revd Kenneth Howcroft President of the Methodist Conference Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism Rt Revd James Jones former Bishop of Liverpool Mr James Laing on behalf of the Trustees of the Council of Lutheran Churches Rt Revd Martin Lind Lutheran Church in Great Britain Rt Revd Dr Geevarghese Mar Theodosius The Mar Thoma Church, New York Mervyn McCullagh Executive Officer, Irish Council of Churches Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra Asst. Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain Most Revd Dr Barry Morgan Archbishop of Wales Revd John Proctor General Secretary, The United Reformed Church Ven B Seelawimala Chief Sangha Nayake of Great Britain Most Revd & Rt John Sentamu Archbishop of York Hon Dr Indarjit Singh Director, Network of Sikh Organisations Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Ahluwalia Rt Revd Graham Usher Bishop of Dudley Revd Dr Donald Watts Irish Council of Churches Vivian Wineman Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg Masorti
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The Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The “Genesis Covenant” (2009) with Study Guide http://www.episcopalchurch.org/files/genesis_convenant_final.pdf
Memorializing the Genesis Covenant (passed by General Convention in 2009)
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church affirms that the Episcopal Church become a signatory to the Genesis Covenant, thereby making a public commitment to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from every facility it maintains by a minimum of 50% within 10 years.
Explanation
Climate change threatens all of God’s creation on earth. Our Christian response to climate change is a deeply spiritual and moral issue. Climate change poses greater threat to poor, marginalized people across the world than to affluent people, and therefore climate change and our Christian call to social justice are inextricably linked. In the words of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, “the crisis of climate change presents to us unprecedented challenge to the goodness, interconnectedness, and sanctity of the world God created and loves... and the church’s commitment to ameliorating it is a part of the ongoing discovery of God’s revelation to humanity and a call to the fuller understanding of the scriptural imperative of loving our neighbor.”*
The Genesis Covenant is a multi-faith effort to engage national faith communities in a single and significant course of action to reduce the damaging effects of climate change. That course of action is to work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of each facility they maintain by 50% in ten years. Although the covenant is without enforcement, it defines a clear goal to which faith communities can aspire. This goal of 50% reduction is challenging and may not be possible for each facility, but as we work toward that goal, God’s grace may help us find a way.
The Genesis Covenant was formally introduced to the national church at the Healing our Planet earth conference (HOPe), sponsored by the Diocese of Olympia and the Episcopal Divinity School in April 2008. Resources are available to assist dioceses and churches implement this resolution. They include the Office for Economic and Environmental Affairs of the Episcopal Church, earth ministry, interfaith Power and light, dioceses that have already begun this work, local utility companies, and others.
Earlier resolutions will be supported through our commitment to the Genesis Covenant. Those resolutions include:
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