A Whole Earth Church

Holladay United Church of Christ
Salt Lake City, Utah

Just because a congregation is "local," that doesn't mean it can't have a global vision or a global reach.

With less than 400 members, Holladay United Church of Christ (HUCC) sent six members -- the largest delegation from any one congregation in the U.S. -- to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. In June 1993, the church helped to plan, host and provide leadership at a national post-Earth Summit training. The training was cosponsored by the national United Church of Christ Office for Church and Society and World Ministries and funded by a matching grant from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The training brought together twelve intergenerational teams from North American congregations, agencies and Native American communities. Research results revealed that eleven of the twelve communities represented, including HUCC, showed significant changes in their congregational culture because of the training. Member Dana Dolsen asserts that, "Even today, HUCC continues to provoke members to engage in a radical commitment to creation care."

Designated as a "Whole Earth Church," HUCC is committed to considering the impacts on God's creation in all its church programs and activities. It is one of the first such churches in Utah. 

Holladay's extensive and dynamic programs include:

• Helping to design eco-justice worship for an international youth conference;
• Studying over a dozen environmental curricula in Holladay Faith Education classes -- ranging from themes of voluntary simplicity to deep ecology to sense of space;
• Developing a new environmental curriculum for youth in the church; and
• Creating a "Whole Earth Church Camp."

The camp included meals that followed guidelines from the book Diet for a New America, programs on the Earth Summit and Whole Earth Church, as well as environmental games that teach concepts such as global warming, population, and eco-politics.

From 1992 through 1998, Holladay cosponsored (with local congregations and the Wellness, Health and Lifestyle Education [WHALE] Center) four state-wide environmental conferences. Keynote speakers at these events ranged from the first ordained environmental minister in the nation to a noted professor/author to a former director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Each conference attracted about 100 participants. In addition to plenary sessions, participants enjoyed trainings on topics like "how to lead adult education sessions" or "how to preach the message of caring for the Earth from the pulpit."

Teams from Holladay venture out to continue environmental learning:

• A team attended the UNEP's Earth and Faith Leadership (EFL) Programme, held in association with and in advance of the Olympics in 2001. Following this experience, in July 2002, one team member offered facilitation support in a post 9/11 town hall New York City meeting where 4,500 people planned how they might "remember and rebuild" lower Manhattan.
• The church participated in the 2004 Planet Awakening Program of the Utah Population and Environment Coalition to more deeply understand human population dynamics and to define personal and group actions.
• Church members attended Claremont School of Theology's "Whole Earth and Whole Person Ministry for the 21st Century" program.

WHALE Center Director Dave Randle, is convinced that, "In all of these programs, HUCC continues to strengthen its congregational culture, to reflect its intention to bring about peace, justice and sustainability in the world."

Contact Person: Dana Dolsen at Dana_Dolsen@hotmail.com