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History
In 1990, the 202nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) adopted by a resounding 97% majority the policy report "Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice." It calls Presbyterians to focus on caring for creation as a central concern, to be incorporated into the life and mission of the church at every level.
Presbyterians for Earth Care (then Presbyterians for Restoring Creation) was founded in 1995 as a national, grassroots organization to support people of faith working towards “environmental wholeness with social justice." PEC helps the church to fulfill its current environmental policies, to create new policies and practices, and to energize and educate church members about eco-justice, the well-being of all human kind on a thriving earth.
PEC is directed by an executive committee (including moderator, vice moderator and treasurer and coordinator), a steering committee (members who also serve as PEC's regional representatives), a part-time coordinator and over 750 individual and institutional members.
Since its founding in 1995, Presbyterians for Earth Care has...
- Produced a quarterly newsletter, The Update
- Participated in every PC (USA) General Assembly, hosting an exhibit booth and luncheon, and striving to educate Presbyterians about faithful earth care, to advocate for issues of concern, to celebrate successes, and to strengthen the church-based eco-justice community
- Presented annual awards to honor individuals and groups for their work and leadership in earth care ministry
- Hosted six national conferences for eco-justice training, education, networking, and spiritual renewal
- God's Earth, Our Home at Ghost Ranch Conference Center (NM) in June 1996
- Strands in the Web of Life: Exploring Our Roles in Ecology, Peace, and Justice at Montreat Conference Center (NC) in August 1998
- Living Waters: Streams of Faith at Epworth by the Sea (St Simon's Island, GA) in February 2000
- Earth's Energy, God's Light: Faithful Responses to the Energy Crisis at Linfield College (McMinnville, OR) in July 2002
- Sharing the Waters of Life, PECs 10th Anniversary Conference, at Silver Bay YMCA Conference Center in New York on Lake George
- Earth Sabbath, Earth Justice: Protecting God's Gifts of Food and Fuel, October 2007, at Mo-Ranch Conference Center in Texas
- Faith & Environment: Embracing God's Call to be Green in July 2009 at Montreat Conference Center in NC
- Offered regional events such as: spring 2003 Young Adult trail maintenance trip in Ohio, spring 2004 Caring for Creation Conference in California, spring 2005 Caring for Creation: Choices of Food and Faith intergenerational retreat in California, and the Eco-Stewards program for young adults with Presbyterian camps and conference centers in summers 2007 and 2008
Presbyterians for Restoring Creation (now Presbyterians for Earth Care) is a nationwide network that cares for God’s Creation by:
- Connecting with God and others through biblical and theological reflection, study, and experiencing God in Creation
- Equipping members with news and effective tools and resources
- Inspiring members through conferences on timely eco-justice issues and Creation-honoring worship
1997 STATEMENT
We live in a time of wide-spread catastrophic destruction of the natural world and human communities. Our faith compels us to respond. Empowered by our rich biblical and theological heritage:
We trust that God -- who created heaven and earth and pronounced it good -- calls us to sacrificial, loving, and joyful participation in caring for the fullness of that creation.
We trust that Christ -- whose incarnation reveals God's love and compassion, who suffered death that we might have life -- calls us to carry on the holy work of transforming brokenness into wholeness.
We trust that the Spirit -- whose presence in trial and rejoicing moves us into deeper awareness of God's reign -- calls us to witness boldly as servants and prophets to our age.
There is great urgency to the work before us. Our hope rests fully in the One who continues to create, redeem, and sustain us all. May we be faithful to the call.
1995 STATEMENT
PREAMBLE: In 1990, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) adopted the report "Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice," which called Presbyterians to recognize the urgent need for addressing the environmental justice crisis that we face, and to adopt Restoring Creation as a new priority of mission of the church. Presbyterians for Restoring Creation is a national organization formed to help Presbyterians and their congregations respond to that call.
We believe that God loves all creation, and that the covenant given by God is for all creatures and their descendants. We believe that we are called to repentance for our irresponsibility in tilling the earth without sustaining the earth, for our destruction of the beauties and bounties of God's creation, and for our failure to recognize that justice and love belong to all beings, that injustice toward one is linked to injustice toward another (Romans 8:19-23).
We believe that we are living in a kairos time—a time of great opportunity and a time of great need—and that we can respond with hope and rejoicing to the challenge before us, to help ourselves and humanity make necessary lifestyle and attitude changes that promote earth keeping, justice, and community. We believe that we must begin to practice radical discipleship to follow Christ without compromise in the struggle before us and that we can do that best with fellowship and support for one another.
We accept, in our work for ecology and justice, the ethical norms of equity, sustainability, frugality and community. "Equity" means justice in the sharing of the world's resources; "sustainability" means living within the bounds of the regenerative, absorptive, and carrying capacity of the creation. "Frugality" means thrift and moderation, so that all may participate in sufficiency, "community" means enjoyment and fulfillment through loving, mutual supportive relationships, and dedication to the common good.
PEC invites and encourages you to join other Presbyterians in:
- reclaiming awareness of our spiritual connections with the whole of God's Creation, empowered by our rich biblical and theological heritage
- understanding our role in causing the suffering of Creation and repenting of that role
- trusting that Christ -whose incarnation reveals God's love and compassion, who suffered death that we might have life- has shown us how to challenge injustice with love and to transform brokenness into wholeness
- engaging in study, reflection, and dialogue to deepen our understanding of the issues
- working with agencies of ministry within the church to include environmental issues
- consciously resisting the values and norms of consumer-based economic systems, which emphasize growth at all costs
- cooperating with others actively involved in promoting values based on compassion, frugality, accountability, participation and sufficiency for all
- celebrating the power of community, and utilizing the gifts, skills, and experience of all people to preserve and restore God’s creation for future generations
- Cooperates with other programs such as:
- Environmental Justice program of the PCUSA to recruit and train over 75 presbytery-based Stewardship of Creation Enablers/Educators (SCEs)
- Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council of Churches to distribute ecumenical resources such as Earth Day Sunday materials
- Presbyterian Washington Office to support national public policy advocacy on environmental concerns
- Presbyterian Hunger Program and its Enough for Everyone program to encourage congregations to buy organic fairly traded coffee/tea/cocoa, invest responsibly, purchase non-sweatshop t-shirts, and to engage in energy audits
- Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA) to encourage and resource eco-justice at camps and conference centers.