overview

press releases

in the news

image downloads

media kit

experts guide

Spring 2005 Newsletter

In this issue:

Environmental Stewardship - A Matter of Faith

Conservation, efficiency, sustainability – these are terms easily attributed to the environmental movement and often the objectives of eco-based efforts in towns and communities across our state. The necessity of preserving our natural heritage and improving air, water and energy quality is almost universally accepted and endorsed by environmentalists around the globe.

But can the message of environmental stewardship also find its roots in a community that has placed the protection of creation as one of its core values from the earliest records of human existence?

Faith-based communities of many denominations and creeds not only are open to the goals of environmental initiatives, but are often engaged in activities that embrace their core stewardship values and support their overall mission to share their beliefs with others. Faith-based environmental activities have been on the rise in recent years, as global climate issues have received increased media and public attention. And the wide-spread interest of religion in environmental issues has, in fact, become a means through which doctrinally diverse communities have been able to unite efforts under the common goal of being better stewards of our natural heritage.

A faithful approach to the environment

Here in North Carolina, a number of collaborative multi-denominational organizations are working to promote a healthier ecosystem, as well as to educate parishioners and their communities at large on the impact that human activities have on the air, water and ecological infrastructure of the state. One of those groups, Climate Connection – N.C. Interfaith Ecojustice Network of the N.C. Council of Churches, is working on education and public policy advocacy within faith-based organizations to address the causes and consequences of global climate change.

Comprising a number of faith communities, volunteers, and eco-partners, Climate Connection is one of many groups across the state working to support activities that promote change in environmental thinking among those in the religious community. As part of that mission, Climate Connection has joined the NC GreenPower alliance as a Program Affiliate to carry the message of cleaner, renewable energy options to groups that otherwise might never make the connection between faith and environmental values.

“Safe, clean energy accessible to all might be included in a faith community’s vision of Creation care, but the concept is vague for most congregations,” said Alice Loyd, state coordinator of Climate Connection. “With the NC GreenPower program now available at a price most can afford, we include it in our presentations, offering North Carolinians a practical way to demonstrate love for God and neighbor.”

This collaboration promises great potential for increased awareness among organizations of faith and participation by these groups in the NC GreenPower program. And the partnership supports Climate Connection’s existing objectives, while enhancing opportunities for their members to further participate in environmental stewardship initiatives.

“As we talk with congregational leaders, we often find the financial benefits of energy conservation an appealing start point for environmental awareness,” said Loyd. “NC GreenPower staff and speakers help us present the broader picture of human impact in a positive tone, showing renewable energy as a choice that helps people and the natural world.”

Reaching faith communities

NC GreenPower has set among its 2005 program initiatives the goal of increasing outreach to the faith-based community. It will do this through a combination of efforts designed to reach both the leadership of churches and religious organizations, as well as their individual members.

During the month of April, NC GreenPower team members will participate in a number of conferences and panel discussions to create dialogue between faith-based groups and the environmental community. The objective of this participation is to reach opinion leaders and clergy within organizations as a group, in hopes that they will further encourage their members to participate in the program and support NC GreenPower, both as individuals and a church body.

At the same time, the NC GreenPower Speakers Bureau will continue to work across the state to further increase awareness and interest within the religious community by offering free informational presentations about renewable energy and the NC GreenPower program. And with existing partnerships with groups like Climate Connection, the ability to reach these new audiences will be even more effective.

“Our partnership with Climate Connection and the N.C. Council of Churches will allow the message of renewable energy in North Carolina to reach a much larger audience than our resources would otherwise allow if we were to undertake this task alone,” said Maggy Inman, NC GreenPower vice president. “Other green energy programs around the nation have received a significant and positive response from this community, and we look forward to that kind of response in North Carolina.”

A timeless message

While an increased number of faith-based groups are becoming more outspoken on environmental issues, it is interesting to note that environmental stewardship as a whole is anything but a novelty among the world’s dominant religious traditions. Spiritual teachings from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Hindu texts all make reference to the connections between humanity and the world around it. A recurring theme of living in balance with nature and the obligation to be good stewards of creation is a truth that can be found in cultures worldwide. And it is this stewardship that unites religion and environment in a common endeavor – protecting the future by preserving the present through the lessons of the past.