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Here are some of the many friends and colleagues we work with to help care for creation (adapted from Appendix C of Green Revolution by Ben Lowe): Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies: The Au Sable Institute offers training and courses in environmental fields from a distinctly Christian perspective. The institute has been a cornerstone in the creation care movement because it has served as the training ground and central networking site for Christian students and faculty from all around the country. Many colleges and universities in the Council of Christian College and Universities also apply credits earned at one of the Au Sable Institute campuses directly toward their students’ major requirements.
Care of Creation: Led by Ed Brown, author of Our Father’s World, Care of Creation is a Christian environmental missions organization. Their focus is to mobilize the church to address environmental issues facing their communities and their neighbors around the world. They do this through writing, speaking and consultations. In Kenya, Care of Creation has an active project located Limuru that focuses on farming, tree planting and water harvesting. Christians for the Mountains: Christians for the Mountains is a grassroots organization working to end the practice of mountaintop removal mining (MTR) in Appalachia. Led by Allen Johnson, they work to engage churches and raise awareness nationally on many the issues surrounding MTR. Christians for the Mountains partners closely with other organizations, such as the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and Coal River Mountain Watch and has put together a series of short documentary films on a DVD entitled Mountain Mourning. Earth Ministry: This ministry in the Pacific Northwest works with churches to engage communities on environmental concerns. They also put together helpful resources for use in churches and maintain a website that lists lots of information and events. Ecological Concerns for World Hunger Organization (ECHO): A leader in sustainable agricultural practices, ECHO is a Christian missions and consulting organization based out of North Ft. Myers, Florda. A member of the Association of Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations, ECHO’s mission is “to network with community leaders in developing countries to seek hunger solutions for families growing food under difficult conditions.” Their Florida headquarters includes a nursery, seed bank and global demonstration farm, which also doubles as the Florida campus of the Au Sable Institute. Interested students and graduates can also intern in different areas of the organization, where they learn hands-on sustainable agriculture practices for a wide variety of ecosystems. Evangelical Environmental Network: The EEN of Washington seeks to “educate, inspire, and mobilize Christians in their effort to care for God’s creation, to be faithful stewards of God’s provision, and to advocate for actions and policies that honor God and protect the environment.” Their website contains many biblically based resources geared toward a range of ages and audiences, and they publish Creation Care quarterly. The EEN is also well know for its work helping to spearhead and coordinate the Evangelical Climate Initiative. Floresta: Their mission is to “reverse deforestation and poverty in the world, by transforming the lives of the rural poor.” They do this through community development education, agriculture and forestry, microfinance loans and Christian discipleship. They currently have projects on the ground in Tanzania, Haiti, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, along with offices in the United States. |