Divesting from Fossil Fuel Industries:
Listening to the Church of Scotland, United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom and the World Communion of Reformed Churches
WEBINAR RESOURCES
Divesting from Fossil Fuel Industries
American Presbyterians have talked about divesting from fossil fuel industries for years. Historically our denomination has been a leader in the ecumenical movement. Today as the world facing increasing harm from the climate crisis, we would benefit from listening to church leaders outside of the USA to hear their perspectives and what they are doing to make a difference in caring for God’s creation. Our hope is viewers will better understand why it is critical we act now and how acting now is unlikely to hurt yield from our investments.
Webinar Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Presenters: Philip Vinod Peacock, Executive Secretary for Justice and Witness of the World Communion of Reformed Churches; Val Brown, Head of Christian Aid Scotland; Roo Stewart, Head of Public Issues for the United Reformed Church; Bruce Gillette, Moderator for Presbyterians for Earth Care
Philip Vinod Peacock is the Executive Secretary for Justice and Witness of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, a communion comprised of 100 million Christians in Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed, United, Uniting and Waldensian churches. The WCRC, working with its 233 member churches, is active in supporting theology, justice, church unity and mission in over 105 countries. Previous to this appointment, he worked as Associate Professor at Bishop’s College, a Theological College belonging to his Church of North India. Divestment of fossil fuel industries was adopted without debate by the Executive Committee of 2019 and is part of the ethical investment policy of the WCRC.
Val Brown is currently head of Christian Aid Scotland. She chaired the Church of Scotland’s special commission on ethical investments and now chairs the Ethical Oversight committee that grew out of that work. The Church of Scotland gradually took action on divestment over multiple general assemblies, but the summary is in this document: Special Committee on the Ethics of Investment Practice report (churchofscotland.org.uk)
Roo Stewart is Head of Public Issues for the United Reformed Church. Roo’s role within the URC Mission Team is to help the URC to pray, speak and act for peace and justice. The URC has around 1,200 congregations in Scotland, England and Wales. Around one third of URC congregations are part of Local Ecumenical Partnerships, in formal partnerships with Methodists, Baptists, Anglicans and others. This ecumenical working extends to Roo’s role within the Joint Public Issues Team, which includes representatives from the Methodist Church of Great Britain, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Church of Scotland. They collaborate on projects around refugees and asylum seeking, seeking better politics, poverty, economic systems, peace making, and caring for the environment. The experience in the URC has been hugely positive around this divestment, not just because of the clear message given from the Church to the public and fossil fuel companies, but most recently because one of the key investment management companies they influence is creating a specific ‘URC’ investment portfolio, which follows our ethics on divestment from fossil fuels, weapons and most recently (they expect) on divestment in Israel-based businesses; this will be available for anyone to select as an ethical fund for their investments. The URC’s journey to fossil fuel divestment can be told through these links: https://brightnow.org.uk/news/united-reformed-church-to-divest-from-fossil-fuels/ and https://urc.org.uk/all-13-synods-now-divested-from-fossil-fuels/
Bruce Gillette, Moderator for Presbyterians for Earth Care, wrote the overture approved by the 2016 PC(USA) General Assembly and Presbyteries that amended the Book of Order by adding the phrase “caring for God’s creation” as a responsibility for all church members. He also wrote the original draft of “Creation and Unity” report approved by the World Communion of Reformed Churches’ 2017 General Council meeting in Germany. He earlier served on the Executive Committee for the Consultation for Church Union as it became Churches United in in Christ. Bruce helped found Delaware Interfaith Power & Light, Bruce and his wife, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, were the co-pastors of Limestone Presbyterian Church in Delaware when it installed 180 solar panels on its sanctuary roof and built community and rain gardens. They earlier served the First Presbyterian Church in Pitman, NJ, a community that was once the number one clean-up site for the EPA Superfund. Bruce & Carolyn are the pastors of the First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego, NY. Tropical Storm Lee flooded 95% of the Village of Owego several years before the Gillettes began to serve there.