The Founding of the Partnership: 1990-1993

2. World Vision

From April 30th-May 2nd, 1992 the respected Christian relief and development agency, World Vision, convened its Washington Forum to discuss the environment and its impact on the poor. Representatives of a number of prominent evangelical organizations attended. Shortly thereafter, World Vision's president, Robert Seiple, together with Dr. Ronald Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action, expressed their eagerness to establish an Evangelical Environmental Network, built on sound biblical foundations, working in collaboration with other faith communities.

3. Historic Black Church Denominations

In late May, a decision to establish a "Black Church Environmental Justice Network" was made by senior, elected leaders of major African-American denominations, including the National Baptist Convention, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the AME Zion Church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Plans were set in motion for a December Black Church Environmental Justice Summit meeting, which assembled 150 clergy and lay leaders from these distinguished bodies.

Participants called for the collaboration of other faith communities in a long-term initiative to preach the word of God's care for God's creation and to address the interrelationship of pollution, poison, poverty and racism.

4. Interreligious Consultation

To introduce these and other such denominational initiatives into what Pope John Paul II had called the "vast field of ecumenical and interreligious cooperation," 70 senior religious leaders met in Washington, D.C. on May 11th-12th, 1992, with selected representatives of the scientific, environmental and government communities. As they had throughout the past two years, participants heard both theological perspectives and scientific reports. Individual faith groups reported on the progress of their respective communities.

In characterizing the frank and productive conversation between religion and science, participants wrote: "Differences of perspective remain among us. We do not have to agree on how the natural world was made to be willing to work together to preserve it. On that paramount objective we affirm a deep sense of common cause."