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At the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, where the tides rise and fall with the rhythms of creation, Christian leaders gather each year for a unique retreat—one that weaves together faith, science, and justice. Hosted at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, North Carolina, the Pastoral Care for Climate Retreat equips ministry leaders with the tools, language, and spiritual grounding to guide their congregations in an era of climate crisis. For three years, Creation Justice Ministries has brought together pastors, theologians, and climate scientists to explore a fundamental question: How can the Church lead faithfully in response to the ecological challenges of our time? The answers emerge in community, through scripture and story, science and spiritual reflection, and the unmistakable presence of hope.   Equipped to Lead with Hope Many participants arrive with a deep concern for creation but uncertainty about how to lead on such a complex issue. Some serve congregations where environmental justice is rarely addressed—or even opposed. They leave emboldened, better equipped to preach, teach, and act. Kathy Ellis, one retreat participant, described the experience as “life-changing.” Engaging with climate scientists deepened her understanding and revealed a surprising reciprocity—the scientists, too, were moved by the faith leaders’ wisdom. “That inspires me to include un-churched populations whenever possible,” she reflected. The retreat bridges the divide between theology and science. Faculty from Duke Divinity School and the Nicholas School of the Environment offer insights on the moral and scientific urgency of climate change. Through storytelling, Bible study, and leadership exercises, pastors discover practical ways to integrate creation care into their ministries—whether through sermons, pastoral counseling, or community-based initiatives.  The Impact The impact is clear. Participants report increased confidence and frequency in preaching about climate justice, launching new efforts in advocacy, education, and disaster preparedness. Most importantly, these retreats affirm that Christian leadership in a climate-changed world is not just about knowledge—it is about courage, connection, and calling. As one pastor put it, “You can’t preach the same sermon to every congregation. You have to know where your people stand and where their hope is rooted.” Because the Church must not only care for creation—it must lead. This story is just one example of how Creation Justice Ministries is equipping leaders to respond faithfully to the climate crisis. For a first look at more highlights from the past year—including advocacy wins, congregational initiatives, and sacred storytelling--check out this sneak peek of our upcoming Impact Report.
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Whenever I am weary in body or in spirit, my soul longs for the ocean. With a busy and chaotic start to this year, I am feeling that longing deeply right now and as I sketch out my family’s plans for the summer, I feel the urgency of carving out even a day or two where I can hear the waves crash, feel the sand under my feet, and stare into the horizon and again feel that glorious feeling of smallness. It’s not a smallness that diminishes my worth. It’s the smallness that comes with awe and wonder. It is a smallness that takes me out of the center of the universe and reminds me that I am connected to a Creation that is much larger than myself.  Derrick Weston at Duke University Marine Lab during the Pastoral Care for Climate: Weaving Science and Theology for Justice Retreat (June 2024). It’s ironic that when so much of the Creation is contained within the ocean, the first inclination most of us have when considering Creation Justice is to think about what is happening on land. How much more self-centered can one get than to ignore over 70% of the planet being covered with ocean and more than 90% of the living things on this planet being found below its surface? How can we so easily overlook the source of the water cycle we depend on as well as the food source of much of Earth’s population? How can we so easily take for granted that it is the ocean that is absorbing so much of the carbon that we put into the air? Even as the news of our planet’s warming becomes far more dire, we have to acknowledge that we’d be far worse off if the ocean wasn’t partially shielding us from the effects of our own actions. Several recent recommendations led me to watch the 2017 documentary “Chasing Coral”. The film follows a group of scientists examining the effects of the warming ocean on the coral reefs, specifically, the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia’s coast. The film demonstrates how vulnerable coral are to the rising ocean temperatures as time lapse photography shows the gradual bleaching and decay of the reef. In many ways, these coral are the canary in the coalmine of climate change, warning of what can happen to entire ecosystems due to continual warming of the planet. The film is also one of the most vivid images of climate grief that I have seen. Zackery Rago, one of the young scientists who has had a lifelong obsession with coral reefs and harbored deep desire to visit the Great Barrier Reef gets a chance to do just that in the film. As he photographs the reef over time, you can see the sadness overcome him as he watches firsthand while this ecosystem that he deeply loves and has longed to see disintegrates before his eyes. As he prepares himself to share his findings with a room full of scientists, he steels himself, saying he just has to get through the presentation without crying. While he manages to do so, many in his audience can’t contain their tears.  Our oceans are under threat from the effects of climate change. There are also the more direct, immediate threats of overfishing, pollution, and development. In recent years, Creation Justice Ministries has been actively working to protect Blake’s Plateau off of the coast of Georgia. This wildly biodiverse area which also serves as a sacred site to the Gullah/Geechee who recognize it as a place where many of their ancestors died during the Middle Passage, remains under threat from fossil fuel companies and other extractive industries. At some point, our society needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask itself how many natural treasures we are willing to destroy to fuel our economy.
June is ocean month. We have prepared a special episode of the Green Lectionary in which I speak to scientists, ocean advocates, and preachers about what it means to preach about the ocean. The responses are insightful, poignant, and inspiring. We encourage you to listen and think of ways that the ocean can be a part of your worship this month, even if you are landlocked. Beaches will be crowded this summer. The ocean calls to many of us, offering us refreshment, renewal, and perspective. In return it asks us to remember that we are a small part of an interconnected Creation. Over the course of the biblical witness, the ocean represents chaos, strength, terror, and fear. Yet it is also the place where Creation begins and nourishment is found. The ocean asks for and deserves our awe, reverence, and protection. Derrick Weston Director of Theological Education and Formation Creation Justice Ministries FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2025 PHOENIX, AZ – On Tuesday, a group of ecumenical Christian leaders affiliated with Creation Justice Ministries gathered in prayerful solidarity at a vigil in Phoenix, Arizona, to stand with the San Carlos Apache in their struggle to protect Chí’chil Biłdagoteel, known in English as Oak Flat. The gathering coincided with a key federal court hearing that could determine the future of this sacred site.
“Oak Flat is as holy to the Apache and other Indigenous people as Mount Zion is to followers of Abrahamic traditions. The mountain and the flat both manifest the brilliant glory of their Creator. Oak Flat was not created for corporate copper miners to exploit. It was created to give life and sustenance and spirit to generations of humans and creatures and ecosystems. To mine Oak Flat is to degrade God's sacred creation and to literally crater our nation's commitment to religious freedom.” — Rev. Jenny Phillips, Director of Environmental Sustainability, United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries, Creation Justice Ministries board member The Trump administration has signaled it will soon publish a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), triggering the land transfer process. By doing so before the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled whether it will take up the Apache Stronghold case, the administration is actively circumventing the judicial process and rushing forward with a decision that could irreversibly destroy a sacred site. The proposed copper mine would create a 1.8-mile-wide, 1,000-foot-deep crater and generate more than a billion tons of toxic waste, permanently desecrating lands held sacred by the Apache and other Indigenous peoples.
“The intentional destruction of a holy site for short-term greed is a declaration of war against all holy sites such as the Temple Mount, the National Cathedral, or your local church. Just as the people of London deflected the bombs of Hitler that were falling on St. Paul, people all over this country are walking in solidarity with the Apache Stronghold to protect Oak Flat. Our country is founded on religious liberty for all, and should be especially so for the religious expression that is most native to this land.” — Rev. Sarah Macias, Alliance of Baptists, President of the Creation Justice Ministries Board Oak Flat has been protected from mining since 1955 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property. Its religious and cultural significance has been recognized by a broad interfaith coalition, with over 100 faith-based organizations previously supporting legislative efforts to protect the site.
Additional Quotes from Faith Leaders “An image that captured the generational impact of saving Oak Flat for me, was seeing an older woman in a wheelchair next to several very young children, all coming together to protect and preserve the past and the future of this sacred land.” — Sharon Felton, Congregational Advocacy Manager, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member “Those who root their faith in the Bible are very familiar with the concept of the Holy Land and the idea that the generational inheritance of a land is one of the most sacred aspects of our relationship with God. As a result, it provokes the deepest and strongest of emotions to think that the sacred land of the San Carlos Apache People for generation after generation could be desecrated and destroyed in the pursuit of profit as a result of our government’s actions.” — Brooks Berndt, Minister for Environmental Justice, United Church of Christ, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member “I was touched by the Oak Flat March. I am so glad that I could be there to support this most worthy cause of the Indigenous people being taken advantage of once again. This is a very sad situation of greed. It was wonderful to hear the speeches, the songs and the drummers. It was truly an evening of the community coming together in support of the San Carlos Apache.” — Dr. Jeanette Bouknight, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member “As Chair of the Social Justice Commission of the National Baptist Convention of America, I stand in unwavering solidarity with the Apache Stronghold to defend Oak Flat—sacred land that must never be desecrated for corporate gain. Environmental justice is a moral mandate, and we join our Indigenous siblings in declaring that holy ground is not for sale.” — Rev. Dr. Keyon S. Payton, Chair of the Social Justice Commission of the National Baptist Convention of America, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member
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About this BlogThis blog shares the activities of Creation Justice Ministries. We educate and equip Christians to protect, restore, and rightly share God's creation. Archives
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