Eco Mission
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Despite New Zealand’s ‘clean and green’ image the environmental movement has had less impact on the church here than in other countries. Until recently there has been little NZ based research or projects despite stated intentions. Several NZ denominations include eco-mission statements in their official documents. The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ describes their mission being “called by God to work with others in making Jesus Christ.” The fifth of “Five Faces of Mission” is “Caring for God’s creation.” The 2018 General Assembly called on the church to “express its mission of care for creation in achievable and manageable acts of waste reduction, recycling, conscious consumerism, and educational awareness.” However there is no national body charged with implementing these policies. Selwyn Yeoman comments that “Even among those who sign up to such convictions it is not at all clear that we have worked out what they mean. … for the most part care of creation does not feature in our parish life, our review documents or the missional projects which our funding agencies support.” Neil Darragh observes that most churches in NZ “carry on with their own community development, pastoral care, and religious practices as if there were no environmental crisis requiring their attention.”
An increasing number of local churches have ‘Creation Care’ groups, such as Grace Vineyard in Christchurch who describe themselves as “a team of people from Grace Vineyard Church who deeply care about the natural environment that God has placed us in. We believe caring about it is an integral part of following Jesus, and we want to serve him wholeheartedly!” However it is rare for this to be seen as a core part of church life; the Creation Care group at the large South West Baptist Church is active but is not listed in the ministries of the church on the church website.
The Aotearoa New Zealand branch of international para-church agency A Rocha co-ordinates ecology and educational projects around NZ, working towards restored biodiversity, “active conservation through engaging communities, providing environmental education and having sustainable partnerships.” Their 2019 Annual Report describes a diverse “web of threads … from stream and wetland restoration to predator control, environmental leadership development, school education, seabird monitoring, tree planting, an eco-theology conference, bike workshops – and much more.” My own involvement in A Rocha includes planning towards introducing Eco Church in NZ through seminars and practical projects such as ‘towards zero waste’.
Two recent collective publications make a significant contribution to a NZ perspective. Creation and Hope is an in-depth academic text. Living In the Planet Earth: Faith Communities and Ecology is more personal, with a broad base of 30 contributors across several faith traditions. Catholic publication ‘Tui Motu’ has regular eco-mission articles, and the Anglican Diocese of Wellington has an active Social Justice website including excellent eco-mission resources. Other NZ authors include Dick Tripp, and Bob Eyles who argues that “Ecological Christianity is not just an optional extra for the Church but must be at the heart of our struggle to be agents of God’s love.”
An increasing number of local churches have ‘Creation Care’ groups, such as Grace Vineyard in Christchurch who describe themselves as “a team of people from Grace Vineyard Church who deeply care about the natural environment that God has placed us in. We believe caring about it is an integral part of following Jesus, and we want to serve him wholeheartedly!” However it is rare for this to be seen as a core part of church life; the Creation Care group at the large South West Baptist Church is active but is not listed in the ministries of the church on the church website.
The Aotearoa New Zealand branch of international para-church agency A Rocha co-ordinates ecology and educational projects around NZ, working towards restored biodiversity, “active conservation through engaging communities, providing environmental education and having sustainable partnerships.” Their 2019 Annual Report describes a diverse “web of threads … from stream and wetland restoration to predator control, environmental leadership development, school education, seabird monitoring, tree planting, an eco-theology conference, bike workshops – and much more.” My own involvement in A Rocha includes planning towards introducing Eco Church in NZ through seminars and practical projects such as ‘towards zero waste’.
Two recent collective publications make a significant contribution to a NZ perspective. Creation and Hope is an in-depth academic text. Living In the Planet Earth: Faith Communities and Ecology is more personal, with a broad base of 30 contributors across several faith traditions. Catholic publication ‘Tui Motu’ has regular eco-mission articles, and the Anglican Diocese of Wellington has an active Social Justice website including excellent eco-mission resources. Other NZ authors include Dick Tripp, and Bob Eyles who argues that “Ecological Christianity is not just an optional extra for the Church but must be at the heart of our struggle to be agents of God’s love.”