Rachel Mash

David Chillingworth is one of the seven diocesan bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church, He was ordained as bishop of the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane on 5 March 2005. On 13 June 2009, Chillingworth was elected the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was born in Dublin and studied classics at Trinity College, Dublin, theology at Oriel College, Oxford, and trained for the ordained ministry at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. For Bishop David environmental ministry is important because “I live in a beautiful country and because I see the environment as a one of our most important links with the action of God the creator.  I have also come to understand that the environment is a strong part of our connection as people.  When I listen to people from Kenya and Burundi explaining to me the difficulties which climate change cause for farmers, my vision and understanding of these issues is enlarged and put in the context of our care for one another.” The Scottish Episcopal Synod has made it one of the main goals of their meeting to establish a report from the Church’s Rural Commission on issues affecting people living in rural areas of Scotland and the role of the Church in responding to these issues and a call for theological and practical responses to the sustainability of the environment. Along with other Scottish religious leaders, Bishop David has taken a stand for creation, signing a letter to the Prime Minister, which expressed ‘moral outrage’ at the West’s failure to help developing nations cope with climate change. The Church has also been working with the Church of Bangladesh through the Bangladesh Social Development Program, which aims to promote a wider awareness of climate change and how it is affecting Bangladesh and ultimately the whole planet. He is interested in the relatively new innovation of synthetic cells which offer a range of possibilities from creating new bio-fuels, clean water, new ways of cleaning up pollution, new vaccines and drugs, new sources of food. Even though the issues are still laden with ethical and complexity dilemmas, he is excited about the potential it may serve in assisting with some of the environmental issues we are faced with and  engaging in dialogue to best move forward with new technology which can ensure the maximum benefit for the whole of humanity.

  YOUNG GREEN ANGLICANS GATHER FROM SWAZILAND, LESOTHO, MOZAMBIQUE AND SOUTH AFRICA Twelve young green Anglicans from Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa had the opportunity to attend a week of varied and challenging teaching at Rocklands in Capetown. They had  an experience of God through nature and a chance to build relationships and develop a strategy for growing the Green Anglican movement. The first few days they joined young environmental leaders from other denominations and faiths for a workshop run by SAFCEI looking at issues such as climate change and energy. The second half of the week they met as Anglicans to look at strategies to roll out the Green Anglican movement throughout the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. We also looked at materials and creative ideas that could be incorporated in sessions to be run with youth groups on subjects such as waste, land management, consumerism etc. We were blessed to have a visit from Peter and Miranda Harris who were the founders of Arocha International, a Christian environmental Organisation. Peter reminded us how important care for Creation is, that we are called to love God, our neighbour and our planet. “If you love the painter you don’t trash his paintings!” We ended our time together with a Thanksgiving dinner, thanking God for new friendships and a renewal of our call to care for Gods earth. “A very diverse group from Southern Africa shared their encounters in Environmental Ministry, which was very eye opening, at times we focus on what we do and how we do it and certainly we master it, however it is important for us to remember why we do it, and how swing everyone else to join in the livelihood of God’s creation.” Ncumisa Magadla “The Rocklands retreat week offered a way to start and continue the conversation of creation care and “Earth Keeping” by young people in the multi faith platform. We engaged in activities ranging from “what would your environmentally friendly community look like” to discussions on how energy is used. We were able to speak about what projects and concerns are specific to our dioceses and countries and engage in planning on where we are going from here and how that would look.” Willie Lutes, Diocese of Lexington “Being invited for the Green Anglicans meeting was a big blessing. I never thought that the Church has a big role in the protection of the environment. Now I committed myself to be part of this movement (Green Anglicans) and take action in my Diocese. With God’s help I will!”  Carlos Respeito.Mozambique “A week filled with enviro-intellect capacity building and advocacy exchange. I was at the right place of harnessing my eco-understanding. Being in groups with other young people who are having it thought in dealing with the issue of climate change but in a hard wayTruly a great week that felt like more than that due to friendships formed.” Jono Hobosch “The SAFCEI youth workshop was a great experience. Getting to know young people from over southern Africa and the environmental problems that they are facing in their countries and what they are doing as a faith based organisation to work together to get people environmentally aware”.  Nina Pretorius

Introducing our Eco-Bishops Bishop Andrew Chan: Hong Kong “The only way to save our planet is to save the heart of the people” From the Chinese context, the biggest challenge is air pollution followed by both industrial and residential high rise development on the coast, blocking fresh air coming from the sea, along with sea level rise and changes in the climate, which has especially been observed in the last decade. The bishop says, “In Chinese culture the land is our mother; we have a close relationship with the environment. So we try to turn to our biblical teaching. We can take the whole ecology idea from the Biblical teaching from Genesis to Revelation, from creation to the new heaven and earth. God not only changes the heart of the people, the problems are caused by the greediness of the human hearts. The only way to save our planet is to save the heart of the people.” The Province has established a commission to promote environmental protection and teach ways to practically aid the situation but still must rely on the cooperation with the people and companies they serve to work with them to make their changes. They encourage churches to practice living simply, like replacing tea with big banquets and not eating shark fin soup, which has proven to put so much strain on the ecology of marine life. “We join others is raising concerns and gather in multi faith forums coming together and raising awareness while asking ourselves if we can allow it to become worse and worse. We need to let the relevant government departments know, and other ecological societies. We need to come together. As Anglicans alone we will not be as effective as a larger faith community.” Bishop Chan described his aim as to “inspire people in every Church and faith community in every country to hold the environment in great respect, as well as to speak up for the vulnerable, who mostly bear the brunt of climatic destruction.” Andrew Chan is the second Bishop of the Diocese of West Kowloon, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui. He was ordained as a priest in 1992 and trained as a music teacher in Grantham College of Education and did his theological training in Salisbury and Wells Theological College (1989-1991). In his previous ministries, Andrew served the Church as Bishop’s Chaplain, Diocesan Secretary and Provincial Secretary. He was consecrated the bishop of the Diocese of West Kowloon, on 25 March 2012 and was appointed as Sarum Canon in the Diocese of Salisbury of The Church of England in 4 October 2012.   Willie Lutes (http://sundayex.catholic.org.hk/node/2421) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Chan_%28bishop%29

  Deforestation and pollution are the main threats to Argentina’s biodiversity and landscapes. Deforestation  continues at a frightening and overwhelming rate. The indigenous people are most vulnerable to these changes, as they have lived with their sustenance farming customs for centuries. As the forests continue to be lost to make way for large farms and land for cattle, the land is used for short periods of time and subsequently left useless after its exploitation. Bishop Drayson describes how the highly adaptive and resilient livelihood strategies of indigenous people in the Diocese of Northern Argentina are being affected by the expansion of Argentina’s agricultural frontier into their traditional territories. “There are increasingly visible links between climate change and the wellbeing of the people we serve, especially among the poorest … We are recognizing that this is a topic we have to rapidly push to the top of our agenda.” “This is the first time that in a significant way humans are changing the planet. God will ask ‘what are you doing to my planet?’ Asking what are the leaders of his people doing and saying. These questions come through science, through our conscience, through the voice of the poor and through the Bible.” “There has always been a concern from indigenous people about the forests and nature, however,  the climate conversation is quite new in the Cone of South America. Much awareness of the effects of climate change as it impacts on the rains and harvests and other issues have been seen locally but we are now looking at it from a global perspective.” On the 27th of November, 2011 Bishop Nicholas Drayson was installed as Bishop of Northern Argentina. His ministry there has been very involved with indigenous cultures and languages, working closely with his wife Catherine. He has also translated the New Testament into Choroti, which is one of the native languages. Willie Lutes: Green Anglicans Intern

Introducing our Eco-Bishops: Tom Wilmot, Perth, Australia “Economics drives environmental policy” Climate Change is the product of  unreconstructed Free Market Capitalism which has made ecology a subset of economics when the reality is the other way around. The Free Market system has not delivered on its promise of the good life by a trickledown effect. Our economic systems are in urgent need of reform: we need clean sustainable energy and a fair and equitable distribution of sovereign wealth. The twin issues of wealth disparity and degrading the capacity of the planet to sustain life are antithetical to the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament which speaks of a God of distributive and restorative justice, mercy and compassion. The Church in our time needs to rediscover Christ as the Savior of the World, and recover its prophetic voice if we are to speak in God’s name to address the two great moral crises of our time; a fair and just distribution of wealth and care for creation. We need a prophetic voice. We need to say that climate change is a global issue and needs global solutions. We need to think globally and act locally. Most big changes that occur in terms of economic reform when a mass of people say to people this is what we want – street marches and rallies need to be on our agenda. For Bishop Wilmot  environmental awareness and action “to preserve the living systems of the planet” is not an ‘optional extra’ but ‘core business for Christians’… Overwhelmingly climate change affects the poor through impacts now being experienced: food insecurity, crop failures, threats to fresh water reserves and loss of diversity.” As Christians we have a call and it is our mission to be stewards  and have compassion for the most vulnerable. In their October 2014 Synod, Wilmot’s Diocese  determined that it is in the best interest to join the ranks of divestment, stating, “The Diocese accepts that it is both ethical and responsible to divest from fossil fuel stocks.  The concerns of the Church about the social justice issues of climate change, due to fossil fuel consumption, will also be communicated to other relevant companies in the Diocesan portfolio. … Our local action is part of an accelerating global movement that is underpinning expressions of concern about climate change with divestment action.” Bishop Tom is married to Gaynor, and has two daughters, Adrienne and Sarah. He studied Theology at St. John’s College, and was ordained as a deacon and priest in 1977 for the Diocese of Perth. In February 2004 he was consecrated Bishop and appointed as Assistant Bishop to the Goldfields Country Region in the Diocese of Perth. He is the chair of the Anglican Eco Care Commission . His other interests include the dialogue between science and theology, cinema,  and global politics “Sustainable living, living within our means, is not an option for the few but an imperative for  everyone. This ethic is entirely consistent with the character of God’s goodness and fairness which calls us all to sustainable living if we would be God’s children and not the children of that persistently popular lesser god, consumerism.”  – Bishop Tom Wilmot, Sustainable 2014   Willie Lutes

“Like Father like daughter”, Rev Mpho Tutu  was the key note speaker at the Launch of the Fossil Free South Africa campaign in Cape Town. She reminded us of the sanctions against South Africa which were one of the most crucial issues that brought the apartheid government to the bargaining table. To bring down apartheid seemed impossible – but “it is only the impossible which is worth doing” Those who emit the most carbon are the most cushioned from the effects of climate change. The search for fossil fuels leads to an  increase in  violence and wars, climate change is increasing the  refugee crisis as people are forced off their land. We have clean energy alternatives, but we don’t explore them because of the dominance of the fossil fuel industries. “We are stealing from the generations yet to come” The South African divestment campaign was launched at the University of Cape Town in 2013 and is building up traction. David le Page one of the founders said that there are currently roughly $28 trillion worth of fossil fuel reserves in the world. We can only burn $6 trillion of them if we are stay in safe limits of carbon emissions. That means that $22 trillion of fossil fuels are unburnable The concept of divestment is to remove reserves and savings from fossil fuel companies and to invest them with more ethical portfolios. The challenge in South Africa is that there are currently no such ethical portfolios as exist in other countries. Divestment campaigns have been very successful with USA universities, and the Anglican Church in New Zealand has agreed to divest.  In the last two years since the divestment campaign started globally,  $50 billion has been shifted from fossil fuels to other investments. This is a serious amount of money , when we realize that the UN Green Fund has only raised $2billion to date. Let the coal stay in the hole and the oil stay in the soil!! You can find out more about the campaign on http://gofossilfreesouthafrica.wordpress.com/