Rachel Mash

The first ”Wetlands Church” took place in Cape Town in the beautiful Glencairn Valley. Led by Fr Bob Commin  we walked a poetic spiritual journey from the sea through the wetlands.  We started with a prayer on the beach watching the waves and hearing the wind, sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit “ I am the wind that breathes upon the sea”. We looked up at the grandeur of the mountains and gave thanks for God’s greatness but also recognized the damage done by human beings: “generations have trod, have trod, have trod,and all is smeared with trade”. Then we spent some time alone in the silence to let God speak to us through creation. “Forest Church” has been planted in Cape Town and we are excited to see where God will take us! Next year we will have monthly reflective, interactive, meditative services at “River church”, “Vlei church” , “Mountain church” and many more as we learn to hear from God in Creation. We often forget that God speaks through the written word and also through creation. Romans 1:20 reminds us that “There are things about God that people cannot see—his eternal power and all that makes him God. But since the beginning of the world, those things have been easy for people to understand. They are made clear in what God has made.” Psalms 19:1-14 also reminds us that “The heavens declare the glory of God;     the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech;     night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words;     no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,     their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4

  Bishop Paul Sarker is the Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh which was formed after the independence of Bangladesh, it is a united church comprising the Anglican, Presybterian and other churches. He sees the Church’s social development programme as a natural extension of the Church. Once when I was young priest, the Bishop sent me to a place where there was a big flood. The people there were suffering; they didn’t have seeds to produce crops and things like that. So I was doing some survey work and they asked where I was from. I said I was from the Church. So they said “ok then you can do something for us, but many others have come, one after one, they told us this and that, but they never came back.” They knew the Church would come back.    One area of work close to his heart is the Church of Bangladesh Social Development Programme.. They work on education and health and now increasingly on cyclone relief and disaster management. Bangladesh is one of the countries most threatened by sea level rise, as it is in one of the most unprotected countries. So climate change will have a direct impact on the people of  the Church of Bangladesh and their communities. The  Social Development Program has created a publication, written by James Pender, entitled “Climate Change, Its Impacts and Possible Community Based Responses in Bangladesh” with the goal of building climate resistant communities in order to reduce the loss of life and livelihood and problems caused by climate change. The program is working to improve disaster management and food security, increase tree planting, and develop better irrigation including a new method of crop irrigation in saline water. They have identified the training of clergy, lay leaders, staff and group members as integral to development. They recognize that it is also important to raise awareness and mobilization to protect the natural resources and gain control of consuming excess electricity, water and other detrimental habits. The main threats faced by the Church are  risks of flooding, as sea level rises with the more persistent and stronger storms seen today. Increasing  the salinity of soil and drinking water, the tidal surges deposit salt water inundating  inland- resulting in crops not growing and a lack of drinking water through most of the year. Damaging flooding is also seen during the rainy season, heavy rainfall caused by the flooding of Himalayan rivers filled with sand and silt. These floods wash away human habitation, crop fields and markets. Droughts are caused in the Northwest because of the extremes of heat. Bangladesh is under serious threat from climate change. Bishop Sarker will be joining  a group of Eco-bishops under the leadership of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba to discuss how the Anglican Communion can take up the challenge of climate change. Willie Lutes (quotes from http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-bishop-paul-sarker-moderator-church-of-bangladesh-bishop-of-dhaka)

  Bishop Andrew  Dietsche of the Episcopal Diocese of New York was installed as the 16th Bishop of New York in February 2013 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. There has been a history of environmental adversity faced by the diocese, but New York has been effective in taking action and making it a point to head those challenges. Situated on the Hudson River Valley, it poses unique problems as an important agricultural region. This has resulted in congregations being involved in sustainable agriculture and issues of water pollution for a very long time. A Diocesan Committee on the Environment has been formed and  the Diocese  appointed a staff Disaster Response Coordinator and formed a Disaster Management Team,  in the wake of superstorms Irene and Sandy and similar disasters in the future. Through these organizations they are able to provide food, shelter, and clothing in all parts of the diocese, and prepare for what comes next, which has been an unfortunate direct result of climate change. It has become a primary goal to make congregations sustainable, to begin education putting environmental issues like food, water, and energy in the sacramental context of Baptism, Eucharist, and the sacred space of the buildings. The Diocese of New York has also made moves to transition to alternative forms of fuel and renewable energy, as every church will be conducting thorough energy audit and implementing conservation measures, committing to reduce greenhouse gasses and lowering operating costs. Bishop Dietsche has appointed a Task Force to make recommendations on how every congregation and the diocese as a whole can invest in socially and environmentally responsible ways. In addition, the committees have begun a study and evaluation process to provide every congregation with guidelines for socially and environmentally responsible investing. Bishop Dietsche is quoted to say, “Now, more than ever, members of our church are ready, willing and able to put their belief into action and practice as stewards of our environment.  As Christians, we have a unique and integral, spiritual relationship with our environment.” and supports congregations that choose to take action and create positive changes within their own communities. He has recognized the amazing enthusiasm of the members of his diocese to make the necessary changes and deliver on ways to make it happen. Prior to his ordination, Bishop Dietsche was a freelance graphic designer. He still continues this passion as an award winning cartoonist for the Episcopal New Yorker. The Eco-bishops will be gathering in Cape Town, South Africa to look at how the Anglican Communion can better respond to environmental challenges and climate change. If you would like to send them a message or a challenge please email Canon Ken Gray at [email protected] or else join Anglican Eco-Bishops on Facebook and post a message. Willie Lutes is an intern with Green Anglicans from the Young Adult Service Corps of the Episcopal Church.

Bishop Jane  was born in England and worked as a music teacher As a child she was forbidden from attending any religious classes at school by her father. It was not until she was 25 that she was baptized with her eldest child in the Church of England. She moved  to Canada in the 90’s where she achieved a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and a Masters in Theological studies. She was consecrated as Bishop of Edmonton in 2008. Environmental challenges are very close to Bishop Jane’s heart. Alberta’s oil sands are among Canada’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and are also responsible for deforestation, contaminated tailing ponds, and the use of large quantities of water. While the majority of Alberta’s oil production takes place north of the diocese, Edmonton is a center for refineries. She calls for a balance to be found between the economy, the national use of petroleum products, and our care of creation.  Local campaigners and  Alberta First Nations are concerned about water pollution, destruction of animal habitat and oil sands industry encroachment on their traditional territories. Global concerns centre on the climate change impact. Through all the problems we must look forward to making positive changes. The Bishop says there has been “a ‘divorce’ between ourselves and creation.” Our mindset can shift from viewing “creation as a resource to be used up” to a positive outlook of care and respect. She has been encouraged by discussions and actions among young people who have a refreshing interest in doing things differently. She calls for the need of repentance and for the start of a new conversation. Willie Lutes