by Karen McElfish
Co-Coordinator, Annual Conference Organizing Team
In November 2021 the Council of Bishops released a Climate Crisis Response statement, calling for the following five actions:
- Encourage and support action on climate change at the annual conference level, including support for passing the Net Zero Resolution and moving toward net-zero emissions;
- Review the Council of Bishops’ document “God’s Renewed Creation,” to determine how to best address the intersection of climate change, poverty, racism, and colonialism;
- Encourage the use of the General Board of Church and Society website to sign onto letters related to climate justice;
- Join the General Boards and Agencies’ pledge “Our Commitment to Net Zero Emissions”;
- Reaffirm Paragraph 160.D “Global Climate Stewardship” as our ongoing commitment to creation care and climate change as an existential crisis the church cannot ignore.
Inspired by the Council of Bishops Climate Crisis Response statement, we on the Creation Justice Annual Conference Organizing Team see an opportunity. What can we do to help? How do we move from inspiration to action? What are next steps? Here are ideas:
Request a meeting on creation justice with your bishop. That may require working with a staff member of the conference to set it up. In Virginia, the opportunity arose through conversations in a Board of Laity meeting with our bishop when she asked if anyone had questions for her. Admitting she was not as versed on current climate issues and would need help, she agreed to a meeting for us to provide that help. Building relationships with the bishop,cabinet and conference staff for ongoing conversation is crucial.
Include key people in preparation for the meeting. Many annual conferences now share bishops. Work with creation care teams or individuals from each annual conference in preparation for and during meetings with the shared bishop.
Develop tools to support action. Prior to meeting, the creation justice teams should develop tools to offer support for the bishop and cabinet in doing this work. Provide resources for them to speak on creation care and justice and the climate crisis in prayers and worship. Those could include statistics and data, prayers and worship materials, and laments. Provide advocacy assistance, including local, state, and national action alerts and opportunities. Compile information on net-zero means, including resources from the general boards and agencies.
At the meeting keep a positive tone of conversation. Start by saying we have been inspired by the Council of Bishops Climate Crisis statement. Ask the bishop for their personal thoughts on the climate crisis, creation justice, and possible responses within their conference. Be supportive and offer help. Involve cabinet members, staff, and others as available, who have the ear of the bishop, to further the conversation and work.
Identify specific “asks” of the bishop. Here are a few requests to consider:
- Include creation justice and the climate crisis in prayers and preaching.
- Provide support for annual conference creation care/justice teams, including blessing the establishment of team(s), speaking about their importance to clergy and lay members of the conference, giving access to communication and administrative support, funding, and staffing.
- Model advocacy from the bishop and office, including public witness about the climate crisis and distribution of action alerts from United Women in Faith and Church and Society, for example.
- Support development of creation justice callings and creation justice new-church starts.
- Solicit plans from local church and annual conference teams for net-zero actions and other practical steps around water/food/energy that can become inspiration to generate more actions and possible resolutions for the annual conference.
Reaching out to our bishops, asking for action on creation justice and the climate crisis, and offering to help in that work—doing so is an opportunity not to be missed.