25 Yancey Church Leaders Reflect on Stewardship

25 Yancey Church Leaders Reflect On Stewardship, Faith, Culture and Children

“The Bible says that God created the earth and it was good. So if He hadn’t cared about it, He wouldn’t have created it. Then Satan comes in and he says, ‘Well the only way to hurt God is to hurt what he cares about.’ So he’s going to hurt God’s creation, whether it be you and I, whether it be the animal kingdom or this earth. I believe it’s a carefully orchestrated plan that he works both through the minds of people and through anything he can use…” Pastor David Gillespie, Faith Fellowship.

This is part 2 of a three-part and this has given us a special carefully, as it can cause erosion and summary of the Christian appreciation for our mountains. other problems. Stewardship Listening Project's in- depth interviews with 25 Yancey Church leaders also spoke about how Church leaders who have moved to County church leaders. Of those families used to depend more on what Yancey County say that they were they used from the land for their drawn to the beauty of the land and the interviewed, there were 13 sustenance: goodness of the people. They too have Baptists, Southern Baptists or Free a great love of these mountains, and Will Baptists; 4 United Methodists; When we cut the timber, we were they point out that regardless of where 3 Non-Denominational Churches, careful about the way we cut. We you are born or choose to live – every 3 Presbyterians, 1 Episcopalian didn’t take everything. We left the place on this earth is a beautiful part of and 1 Lutheran. This article was smaller ones so they could grow back. God’s creation. In interviews we heard: published in the “Yancey Times Now days they take every-thing. Journal’” Nothing is left. There’s no concern that No matter where you are from, our the water will dry up without the trees. Christian faith should lead us to being leaders, not followers, in the work of Reverend Ricky Ray, pastor of West My granddad was a farmer, logger and caring for God’s Creation. Burnsville Baptist Church, recalls, “As a miner who “just didn’t waste anything.” child growing up in Pensacola, I’ve He taught me to respect and take care Wherever you go, that place is worth always been a person that loves the of everything God gave us on this taking care of. outdoors. One of my favorite pass- earth. times today is to take my two boys Rev. Dick Muri of First Baptist Church hiking in the Mt. Mitchell area. It’s so Progress sometimes comes with grew up in Montana. His father was in beautiful up there, but I’ve also seen changes that can destroy the heart of the “oil, gas and coal business.” Rev. from our hiking that something is going this community. We’ve always Muri says, “Environmental issues caused wrong with the trees on the top of the understood this land because we made a lot of concern for our family. So when mountains.” our living from the land, and people I was young, I was negative about know you don’t cut your own throat by environmental matters, but my feelings Most of the church leaders interviewed abusing what you need. But that have changed a lot since by the Christian Stewardship Listening connection is being lost. Project (CSLP), like Rev. Ray, were born then. I now understand that there is here in Yancey County; and this, they Several church leaders expressed sometimes a real need for regulations believe, has a strong effect on their concern that our connection to the land that help us in the long term and deep and abiding care for our is also threatened because land prices protect our God’s creation.” mountain environment. Following are have gone up so high that many people summaries transcribed from interviews can’t even afford to buy or hold onto Question 10 of CSLP interviews was: which express a similar sentiment: land anymore: “Genesis 1:26 states that God gave humans dominion over all the earth. When I was brought up there was no I have elderly parishioners who really How does that relate to stewardship of electric. People helped each other to don’t want to see their land developed God’s creation?” Below is a sample of live and the land provided for many of and they are struggling with how to do responses: us. We need to take care of the that. The economic reality of taxes and mountains by using just what we need. rising land values concerns them. There was general agreement that dominion requires responsibility. Growing up in Yancey County has made Land development is an important part me very well aware of the beauty of of our economy. It needs to be done God gave the earth for us to use, but God’s creation. All of us growing up we are to take care of the gift. here have worked the soil at one time, 1 Dominion does not mean we have the balance necessary to maintain our jobs and environmental protection. right to abuse. To abuse the earth is a mountains. Our examples will teach We need to find the right balance and sin against God and our brothers and our children that we need to protect continue working toward sus-tainable sisters. the land and nature. economic development. That means economic develop-ment that is good Many people see dominion as a right. Children copy what their parents do. for both the people and the I believe we should use things wisely, as Parents should start by doing the right environment.” a gift from God. thing and children will follow. In our next CSLP report, we will look at Any kind of authority carries huge We need to use the common sense that what our church leaders think are the responsibility. For example, with God gave us. We need to leave most important environmental issues children, having care of them doesn’t something for our children, or when we face today, and what do we need to mean you can exploit them. they look at the mountains all they’ll do to move towards sustainable see is roads and houses. economic development. Most church The responsibility was given to us by leaders agreed that environmental God, and it is part of our accountability So they {children} can breathe and eat issues sometimes cause divisions and back to God to maintain and pass the healthy food and swim in clean water. conflict; however, they also agreed that blessings on. by turning to their faith, Christians can Everything we do today will make or rise above this conflict and be a part of Another area of responsibility – that break their lives. creating and/ or supporting solutions. being to our children and grand- children, was explored in question 9 of “I’d like to go hiking on top of the Black Claude Vess, chair of the CSLP Steering CSLP interviews: "How might Christian Mountains some day with my boys and Committee says that CSLP plans Stewardship of Creation benefit our see that the forests are growing strong additional interviews, and will in the children and grand-children?" Here once again,” says Rev. Ray. fall, provide opportunities for dialogue, are some summaries of what church prayer and reflection. “This will enable leaders said: The 25 church leaders interviewed by us to see what our common concerns, CSLP also spoke about the desires and priorities are for creation So they have clean water to drink. It environmental problems facing our stewardship.” scares me the way they’re pumping oil county today. They believe that Yancey and waste into the earth near my County needs to find sensible solutions If you are interested in any form of brother’s water supply. It’s hard to that are considerate of the needs of participation in CSLP, or in getting a believe those things still go on. people and in particular the need for copy of the full Christian Stewardship jobs. Listening Project Report, summarizing If we don’t steward the land, so many of Gwen Harris, who recently retired as 25 interviews with Yancey County the experiences that I enjoyed growing director of Yancey County’s Economic Church leaders, contact CSLP c/o High up here are going to be totally gone for Development Commiss-ion and who is Pastures Christian Retreat Center, 290 future generations. a member of Windom United Kings Highway, Burnsville, NC 28714. Methodist Church, says, “There is no Tel: 682-3138 or 7386; Email: Stewardship lets children learn about reason why we can’t have both good [email protected]. what God has created. There is a