Mainline Protestant Organizations and the Environment
Many denominations have established special offices
to promote environmental awareness and action.
Others include ecological wholeness as one of
their social justice priorities. In some denominations,
a network of concerned clergy and laity carries
the message of creation care to the communities
and congregations where they live. Women’s
organizations and regional denominational units
may have their own environmental programs or committees.
A strong tradition of interdenominational cooperation
on behalf of the common good is reflected in the
environmental programs of the National Council
of Churches of Christ and some state ecumenical
organizations, and independent faith-based environmental
organizations. These cooperative efforts make
for an efficient division of labor for the sake
of shared objectives. But more than that, they
present a witness that is the more powerful for
its unity.
Taken together, these initiatives testify that
caring for creation is a core Christian value
— one transcending denominational boundaries
because it is deeply grounded in biblical faith
and a common sense of compassion for a suffering
world.
|