Southeast Faith Leaders Network Hosts Inaugural Climate Justice Leadership Training

At Christmount Retreat Center near Asheville, North Carolina, 25 faith leaders from the Southeast gathered to learn, pray, and build community for the cause of climate justice.
A joint effort of Creation Justice Ministries and Interfaith Power and Light of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, the retreat equipped faith community leaders to identify oil and gas infrastructure threats to their local communities, understand environmental justice principles, and speak effectively with the media. It was also an opportunity for prayer, meaning-making, and network building. Rev. Rob Morris, Director of Christmount Retreat Center, also rooted the gathering in a sense of place, and showed the group a concrete example of how his retreat center, which is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)  is using their property to protect and restore God's creation. Guests from The Wilderness Society also shared a new Oil and Gas Threat Map, a tool to empower the public to better understand the threats posed by oil and gas infrastructure on public lands.

The planning team for the retreat included:

• Rev. Michael Malcom and Kyle Crider, Alabama Interfaith Power and Light & United Church of Christ
  
• Rev. Susannah Tuttle, Rev. Sarah Ogletree, and Michelle Peeden of North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light
• Dean Adams of South Carolina Interfaith Power and Light
• Rev. Codi Norred of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
• Shantha Ready Alonso of Creation Justice Ministries
• Susan Farrell and Alex Thompson of The Wilderness Society

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Retreat participants included:
ALABAMA

• Rev. Clifton McMillan, pastor of Maranatha Adventist Church in Montgomery
  

FLORIDA

• Rev. Kim Pirazzini Wells, Pastor, Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg
  
• Randi Talsma, Global Mission Fellow at Metropolitan Ministries in Miami, also a Creation Care Team Member for Florida United Methodist Conference
• Rev. Anthony Daniel, Pastor, Macedonia's African Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Augustine
  

GEORGIA

• Rev. Larry Hill, Pastor of Word of God Ministries in Atlanta
  
• Rev. Brad Biggerstaff, Assistant Pastor of Midway United Methodist Church in Alpharetta
  

NORTH CAROLINA

• Karlah Burton, Mission Coordinator for Social Action with United Methodist Women; Chairperson for the Committee on Church and Society at Saint Matthews United Methodist Church in Greensboro
  
• Rev. Scott Hardin-Neiri, Green Chalice Ministry, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Asheville
  
• Rev. Karen Richardson-Dunn, United Church or Christ, Asheville
  

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Rev. Dallas Alexis Conyers, Baptist pastor in Spartanburg
  

VIRGINIA

•  Jessie Lynn Kelly, Seventh Street Christian Church in Richmond
  
•  Dr. Michele Sorenson, Baylake United Methodist Church in Virginia Beach
•  Dr. Michael Lee Bentley, St. James Episcopal Church in Roanoake