It’s been a little over a year since we held the VAUMC Climate Summit at Randolph-Macon College. (March 2025) Nearly 100 people participated in our day-long event reflecting on and dreaming possibilities for Climate and Racial Justice; being Sustainable in addressing climate change and addressing our 2024 Annual Conference resolution for our Conference to be Net Zero by 2025. We worshiped, heard the struggle of long-time communities of color battle cancer and clean up; brainstormed among ourselves about what we knew and could do; and heard presentations of what United Methodists and local non-profits were doing in the VA and Western North Carolina Conferences.
What has changed in our thinking and our actions since then?
- We’ve become more anxious about the enormity of the work, and have added data centers, warehousing immigrants and fallout from war to our environmental worries.
- We have realized that to make headway in our actions we need partners, colleagues and friends who will model for us and push us and share enthusiasm to make projects happen.
- We have to take action: adding solar to church roofs, using our property for pollinator gardens watered by collecting water in rain barrels, changing the menu and equipment used to serve church meals and retooling our thinking about how we need to rethink rebuilding homes on mission trips.
- We are aware that each geographical region or District in Virginia has different environmental risk factors that need to be voiced and addressed.
As a Creation Justice committee working within the Conference system, we have realized we need to regionalize our approach to encourage and assist District Leadership and Church teams to organize and act. In Northern Virginia we have newly organized and built partnerships between churches and nonprofits. Organizing interested clergy and laity has begun on Coastal Virginia’s District and soon to begin…on YOUR District! Are you ready to begin? Let us know what you’ve started or if you would like resources to begin! Green Church Initiative (VAUMC website, Ellen Comstock, ellencomstock@vaumc.org; Brian Christoffersen, redceltic2010@gmail.com; Jaydee Hanson jaydeehanson@gmail.com
Earth Day is upon us! Dream, worship, brainstorm and co-create to make the Earth a place where Jesus will delight in living among us!