A climate change training for Christian leaders.
June 3-5, 2024
Monday Afternoon - Wednesday Afternoon
Duke University Marine Lab
Beaufort, North Carolina
In the face of the looming climate disaster, many of us do little about it. We may feel anger, anxiety, or nothing at all. We may feel powerless in this global societal crisis, keeping us from engaging. How can churches help people engage the climate crisis? How can Christians be work side-by-side with scientists to address the challenges before us?
Pastors and other church leaders are unique in bringing together social, emotional and spiritual roles. The training helps empower pastors and other leaders to effectively engage science, broaden climate action in a congregation or ministry setting, and move people from denial and inaction to congregational action and political advocacy.
The retreat is a transformational experience that aims to weave together scientific, theological, and ministry approaches to climate change. Our goal is to increase opportunities to connect pastors and scientists around climate change.
Join us to:
We are looking for Christian leaders from across the spectrum of engagement climate: from seasoned activities to those who have never said the words “climate change” in church.
Pastors and other church leaders are unique in bringing together social, emotional and spiritual roles. The training helps empower pastors and other leaders to effectively engage science, broaden climate action in a congregation or ministry setting, and move people from denial and inaction to congregational action and political advocacy.
The retreat is a transformational experience that aims to weave together scientific, theological, and ministry approaches to climate change. Our goal is to increase opportunities to connect pastors and scientists around climate change.
Join us to:
- Build connections with ministry leaders and scientists to engage as faithful climate advocates.
- Explore the pastoral care implications of social psychological research on climate.
- Learn from scientists about how the changing climate is altering the human and ecological realities of the coastline.
- Experience congregational resilience in the face of climate injustice and how climate impacts frontline communities most vulnerable to natural disasters.
- See how the Christian tradition can foster a wild hope in the midst of tragic consequences.
- Worship in ways that engage our embeddedness in nature.
- Learn how your church community can create a supportive network of activists engaged in climate resilience and advocacy deeply rooted in our faith.
We are looking for Christian leaders from across the spectrum of engagement climate: from seasoned activities to those who have never said the words “climate change” in church.
LogisticsWho is eligible?
All Christian leaders (clergy and lay) are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to those in the coastal areas of the Southeast U.S. (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina) What is the timeline? Applications will begin to be considered starting Feb. 28th on a rolling basis, and we will stop accepting applications on April 7th. How much does it cost? Pastor/Ministry leader: Free Lay leader who brings pastor/ministry leader: Free Lay leader/congregant: $350 Other participants: $350 **This pricing covers all expenses except travel** |
LocationDuke University Marine Lab, a coastal campus located in Beaufort, N.C., operates year-round to provide educational, training, and research opportunities.
|
Hosts
Sponsors:
If you would like to co-sponsor this event, email info@creationjustice.org!
Workshop Guides
Dr. Norman Wirzba, Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Christian Theology, Director of Research for Climate and Sustainability, Duke University
pursues research and teaching interests at the intersections of theology, philosophy, ecology, and agrarian and environmental studies. He lectures frequently in Canada, the United States, and Europe. As Director of Research at Duke’s Office of Climate and Sustainability, he is working with colleagues from across the university to develop the multi-disciplinary teams and research programs that can address the many social and ecological dimensions of climate change. He recently completed his role as the director of a multi-year, Henry Luce-Foundation-funded projected entitled “Facing the Anthropocene.” In this project, housed at Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics, he worked with an international team of scholars to rethink several academic disciplines in light of challenges like climate change, food insecurity, biotechnology and genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, species extinction, and the built environment. |
Dr. Toddi Steelman, Vice President and Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability, Duke University
Steelman served as Stanback Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University from 2018 to 2023. During her initial term, she oversaw the launch of two new majors to help advance climate, earth science, and environmental literacy among undergraduate students; invested in efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the school; secured philanthropic support for new faculty hiring; expanded the school’s engagement with other schools and units at Duke and external partners; and oversaw changes to the school’s research and business management infrastructure to better support research activities. Working at the intersection of science, policy, and decision making, her expertise in environmental and resource policy is well recognized nationally and internationally. Her research focuses on understanding community response to wildfire, and how communities and agencies interact for more effective wildfire management on large, interjurisdictionally complex wildfires. She has brought her expertise to bear in a variety of venues including the Royal Society (UK), National Academy of Sciences (US) and as an invited keynote speaker in Canada, Germany, Australia, and the United States. She holds a Ph.D. from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from West Virginia University. |
Dr. Jerusha Matsen Neal, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Duke Divinity School
Professor Neal’s scholarly work examines the action of the Spirit on the performative borders of body and culture. Her research interests focus on postcolonial preaching, climate stewardship, preaching and gender, and a theology of the Spirit in sermon performance. Her most recent book, The Overshadowed Preacher: Mary, the Spirit, and the Labor of Proclamation (Wm. B. Eerdmans), asks the sticky question of what is meant when preaching is described as “anointed.” It challenges preachers to leave behind false shadows and be overshadowed by the Spirit of God. It received a 2020 Christianity Today Jesus Creed Book Award for the Preaching Life. Neal is an ordained American Baptist minister with broad ecumenical experience, most recently serving as a Global Ministries missionary to the Fiji Islands through the United Methodist Church. During her years in Fiji, she served as Dean of Studies at Davuilevu Theological College, the oldest theological seminary in that nation. |
Dr. Nina Balmaceda, Consulting Faculty; Associate Director for the Center for Reconciliation
Dr. Nina Balmaceda is a scholar-practitioner whose work focuses on civic leadership development and education for peace and reconciliation. Nina is president of Peace and Hope International, a nonprofit that works through local organizations in Latin America to prevent and confront violence and other forms of injustice against the most vulnerable. |
Dr. Liz Demattia, Research Scientist and Director Community Science Initiative, Duke Marine Lab
I am an ecologist interested in the intersection of science and community. I am currently working on issues of plastic pollution education from a marine debris perspective and a stormwater/microplastic perspective. I have written curricula regarding marine debris (elementary) and community science and microplastics (high school) and collaborate with researchers at the EE lab of NCSU to study the role of intergenerational learning in changing perspectives on plastic pollution. |
Avery Davis Lamb is a Co-Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries. He is an activist, ecologist, and public theologian working at the intersection of Christianity and environmental justice. Avery has a background in both ecological research and faith-based environmental organizing, studying ecology in various ecosystems and organizing faith communities across the country in support of action on environmental justice. Previously he has worked for Sojourners and Interfaith Power & Light. He serves on the board for The Center for Spirituality in Nature and is a Fellow with the Re:Generate Program at Wake Forest Divinity School and the Foundations of Christian Leadership Program at Duke Divinity School.
|
Derrick Weston is the theological education and training coordinator for Creation Justice Ministries. Derrick is a writer, filmmaker, podcaster, speaker, and educator whose most recent work has focused on the intersection of food and faith. He is the co-host of the Food and Faith podcast and producer of Spoon, Spade, and Soul, a podcast highlighting food and land-based ministries in the Episcopal church. Additionally, he is the producer of the short film series "A Wilderness Like Eden" highlighting the work of churches engaged in food justice work. After two decades of being a pastor and community organizer, Derrick is a strong believer in the potential of local congregations to enact change in their communities. Derrick received his B.A. in film studies from the University of Pittsburgh and his Masters of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He also has a certification in health ministry from Wesleyan Theological Seminary and was a part of the Re:Generate fellowship on food, faith, and ecology through Wake Forest Divinity School. Derrick is the co-author of the book The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration and has written numerous articles for several publications. He and his wife Shannon have four children and live outside of Baltimore, Maryland.
|
Rev. Doug Kaufmann is a pastor and environmental activist who began as executive director of Anabaptist Climate Collaborative July 2023, after having served as director of pastoral ecology since 2018. Doug first became passionate about creation care during his 23 years as a pastor at Benton Mennonite Church, Goshen, IN. As they were preparing to baptize new members in the Elkhart River, they discovered that the health department did not recommend contact with the water, because it would become compromised with too much manure. This began a journey for him and the congregation. He started a Hoosier Riverwatch group in the congregation and discovered just how much the Bible talks about God’s care for rivers and all the more-than-human creation. In their pursuit of watershed discipleship, they began a green group, organized river cleanups, installed solar panels, added recycling, and became a Green Patchwork congregation with Mennonite Creation Care Network. The congregational vision includes “pursuing God’s peace at the river.” As Doug pursued a Th.M. in theology and ecology at the University of Toronto, he was invited to become director of pastoral ecology at ACC’s predecessor. In this role he developed pastoral retreats on climate change, and has engaged the broader Anabaptist community, ecumenical churches, and interfaith groups. There he advocates for pastoral approaches to climate change that includes pastoral care, worship, practical and political action. He studied at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, and Goshen College. He is also trained as an Indiana Master Naturalist. He previously served as a conference minister with the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Oh, and during covid he converted his backyard from a church parking lot to a native rain garden, lawn, and vegetable garden.
|