For over ten years the Diocese of Ontario Green Group met almost monthly for potluck suppers in the homes of members. Discussions led to plans for promoting creation care in our diocese. When the global pandemic began in March of 2020 and we were no longer able to meet in person we moved to Zoom meetings. We were concerned with how much we would get done without the fellowship of the table to encourage us. Almost two years later we thank God we have been able to keep going in a productive way.
Members continue to contribute articles for Dialogue for each issue and items are regularly submitted to eNews.
In September we presented a six week creation care webinar series to coincide with the Season of Creation. Topics included: a Biblical case for climate care, climate justice, spiritual care in a time of climate crisis, working faithfully with government, and climate change and sacred spaces. The series concluded with Bishop Michael’s presentation: The Earth is the Lord’s and the Fullness Thereof. All sessions are still available on the Diocese of Ontario Green Group YouTube channel. We are grateful to Rev. Dr. Ian Ritchie for setting up and maintaining our channel and for keeping our Facebook page up to date. Ian has also produced webinars on electric cars and cold weather heat pumps which are available for viewing.
Last summer we launched a creation care survey for parishes in our diocese. The survey remains available on our website and offers many ideas that may be used by churches considering creation care.
Currently we are working on adding information to our website which can be found on our diocesan website under mission @ https://www.ontario.anglican.ca/mission/diocese-of-ontario-green-group. Access to the creation care survey, the YouTube channel, and our previous Dialogue articles can be found there. We are adding resources that may be useful to churches as we respond to our call to care for creation.
It is our hope and prayer that these resources may be helpful, as we face the challenges of global warming. Your diocesan Green Group would like to hear from you. We can all be inspired by hearing what each church is doing. You can contact us anytime at [email protected].
At our diocesan Synod in October, 2021, The Green Group presented a seven part resolution pertaining to climate change.
This resolution was passed and now begins the work of implementing it!
Be it resolved that this Synod of the Diocese of Ontario:
1. Recognizes, on behalf of the parishes of the Diocese of Ontario, that there is a growing global climate emergency.
2. Encourages the diocese and its parishes to continue making the Baptismal Covenant and the fifth Mark of Mission a priority in our stewardship.
3. Urges every Anglican in the diocese to reduce their personal carbon footprint.
4. Requests parishes to continue the development and implementation of action plans including reducing their carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 over 2018 levels and to report annually to Synod Council on progress being made.
5. Directs Synod Council to recognize the climate emergency as a strategic priority in program development and budgeting
6. Seeks to collaborate with other partners to strengthen our voice on the climate emergency.
7. Requests the Green Group to organize education opportunities about the climate emergency throughout the Diocese.
The Synod resolution reflects our baptismal promise to “strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth.”
Stewardship Reflections with the Ven. Wayne Varley