When the church went through a process to identify core values and articulate its mission for the 21st century, members realized the value of the woodlands. “Stewardship of the environment quickly emerged as a top priority,” according to Mary Gout, church pastor. “We felt compelled to live it out in the most creative and faithful way possible.”

To this end, members formed a Stewardship Action Group. “We quickly went to work restoring a nature trail and diagnosing the health of the woods,” said member Bill Breakey. They also installed a rain garden to improve surface water drainage. New congregational traditions include an annual “Garlic Mustard Pull” to remove the non-native, invasive plants, and designated days for wearing gardening clothes to church in preparation for post-worship weeding. The land has become a gardening laboratory for members, friends and community groups to learn about creating healthy landscapes in their own yards and neighborhoods. “As our reputation grows, so has our congregation, which now attracts members from a 20-mile radius,” said Breaky. The church is currently preparing to install beehives at the rear of the woods. According to Breakey, “We look forward to the day when we can give jars of honey to visitors.”

In other parts of church life, members recycle worship bulletins and other paper, drink fair trade coffee from washable mugs, and have replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They are in the process of replacing old, inefficient windows and have recently had an energy audit from Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light that provided further ideas for energy efficiency. To encourage members to avoid the use of plastic supermarket bags, the church had custom-made recycled cotton totes made with the church name and the slogan, “We Care for the Earth.”

Education and motivation are key to the environmental ministry. Each year, several sessions of the Sunday morning Adult Forum are devoted to sustainable living and creation care. The church’s monthly newsletter contains a regular “Ecotip” feature providing practical ideas for sustainable living.

Worship and liturgy regularly include references to the environment and our role in caring for it as stewards of God’s creation. The chancel area includes live trees and other living seasonal plants. The clear glass sanctuary windows make visible the change of seasons, reflected in the natural environment, which are integrated into worship.

Earth Sunday is a particularly important day at Maryland Presbyterian, with special speakers in the Adult Forum, earth-centered liturgy, and practical projects outdoors after worship. This year, the worship focused on the signing of a Covenant to Enjoy and Care for Earth Community.

The church is a recognized environmental leader within the faith community, reinstituting an environmental justice task force in its presbytery and encouraging other congregations to make environmental stewardship a priority. The Baltimore Green Forum meets monthly in the church building, providing a place where local environmentalists can exchange ideas. Church members do organizing and political advocacy in collaboration with other groups. This year, members participated in a lobbying effort at the Maryland Senate, advocating for the Global Warming Solutions Act. In addition, it is the flagship congregation of the newly organizing Chesapeake Covenant Congregations, and is a signer of the National Council of Churches Environmental Covenant.