History Of The Partnership

What is the Partnership?

History Of The Partnership

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In the late 1980's and early 1990's, interest in addressing the environmental crisis began to grow exponentially within diverse fields of religious life.

Senior religious leaders met throughout 1991 and 1992 amid increasingly urgent concern about environmental conditions. Appreciation for what could be a distinctively religious contribution also grew as ancient teachings were seen to have powerful relevance to contemporary challenges.

Establishment of the Partnership was approved at the highest levels of denominational governance in late 1992. Rarely had agreement been reached across so broad a spectrum on so specific a program. And in October 1993, with staff based at national offices of participating faith groups, the Partnership set about its work.

Read about the founding of the Partnership.
Read about Paul Gorman, the founding Executive Director.
Learn about the accomplishments of the Partnership.
See a timeline of significant events in the Partnership's history.

Last modified on Friday, 02 September 2011 08:35

More in this category: « The Founding of the Partnership: 1990-1993 National Religious Partnership for the Environment Historical Timeline »

MISSION

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Guided by biblical teaching, the Partnership seeks to encourage people of faith to weave values and programs of care for God's creation throughout the entire fabric of religious life....

THE PARTNERS

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), comprising the Catholic bishops of the United States and the Virgin Islands, which participates in the Partnership through its Environmental Justice Program.
The National Council of Churches of Christ (NCCC), a council of 37 Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Peace Churches, and African-American denominations, which participates in the Partnership through its Eco-Justice Program.
The Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), an alliance of agencies and organizations across all four Jewish movements.
The Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), a coalition of 23 evangelical Christian programs and educational institutions.

HISTORY

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Moving into the 1990's, senior religious leaders began to call for a distinctively religious "environmental" vision — what many call care for God's creation — arising from deep within the teachings of the major faith groups.

BOARD

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Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell

Chautauqua Institution

John Carr

United States' Conference of Catholic Bishops

Clare J. Chapman

National Council of Churches of Christ U.S.A.

Rabbi Steve Gutow

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Dr. Jo Ann Lyon

Wesleyan Church

Dr. John Ruskay

UJA Federation of New York

Dr. David Saperstein

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Dr. Ron Sider

Evangelicals for Social Action

Bishop William Skylstad

Diocese of Spokane

STEWARDSHIP STORIES

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Stewardship Stories

A TAPESTRY OF ENGAGEMENT Across the nation, wherever they live, work, and worship, people of faith have established diverse initiatives to care for God’s creation.

Mainline Protestant

Carless Sunday Creates Community

Grace Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island, WA A one-time Carless Sunday event at Grace Episcopal Church in Bainbridge Island, WA, has grown into a long-term program that is raising awareness about global warming. Inspired by Earth Ministry’s “On the Road” program, the church sponsored its first Carless Sunday April 2007. Organizers created a large map of the island, divided it into zones, and created lists of parishioners in each zone. They hung it in the...

Evangelical

Earthkeeping in Africa

Brackenhurst Environmental Program Kenya Baptist Kenya is an African nation where indigenous trees and whole forests are rapidly disappearing. The ...

Interfaith

International Day of Climate Action

Orange County Interfaith Coalition for the Environment North Tustin, CA The Orange County Interfaith Coalition for the Environment (OCICE) was the lead organization in the "International Day of Climate Action", which took place on October 24, 2009 at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange, CA. The event included a morning hike with the Sierra Club, 5K walk, and a bicycle rally (groups came from various locations around Orange County and rode...

Interfaith

Greening Low-Income Housing

Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, New York City, NY An interfaith coalition of more than 90 congregations is greening low-income housing in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI) is celebrating the recent opening of David and Joyce Dinkins Gardens, a new, green affordable housing development.

STEWARDSHIP STORIES

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Jewish

Energy Independence

American Jewish CommitteeNew York, NY, National and International The American Jewish Committee, begun in 1906, promotes pluralistic and democratic societies where all minorities are protected, and all people are accorded respect and dignity. One of AJC’s key priorities is energy independence and they are determined to become one of the first Jewish non-profits in the country with green certification for its national headquarters. In New York City they have implemented a Green Building Project, in...

Mainline Protestant

Renewable Energy

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Chestnut Hill, PA

Mainline Protestant

Pedaling to Pray: Christians Bike to Church to Curb Climate Change

Jeff Street Baptist Community, Louisville, KY Anointing the head with oil is a long-standing Christian tradition—but what about anointing with sunscreen? Sunscreen anointing is part of the new “Blessing of the Bikes” service at Jeff Street Baptist Community at Liberty in Louisville, KY.

Evangelical

Wetland Preservation in Portugal

A Rocha In the Algarve, a beautiful Mediterranean landscape in this southernmost region of Portugal popular with European tourists, a British-based ...

Mainline Protestant

Converting Green Ideals Into Energy-Saving Practices

Sylvania United Church of Christ, Sylvania, OH Members of Sylvania United Church of Christ (UCC) in Sylvania, OH are saving more than 84,000 pounds of CO2 emissions each year through conservation efforts. The building itself has a passive solar design that uses a hillside to maintain a constant temperature in certain parts of the building. The church recently added to its energy savings by installing a photovoltaic array (solar panels) on its roof. The...