News update: Anglican Communion Environmental Network
by Rev Rachel Mash rmash@mweb.co.za
 

 

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Lenten Fast for Creation
Every Lent, ACEN prepares a 40 day Fast focussing on practical actions that we can take to reduce our impact on the earth. In 2019 the focus is  “Less Plastic for Lent” to combat the use of single use plastic. 
http://www.greenanglicans.org/plastic_fast_2019/

The Church of South India called for  a Lent without disposable plastic 
https://www.csisynod.com/pcdeptnews_view.php?Id=5880&cat=

Online sermon resources
In partnership with other Anglicans Agencies, we are  helping to  produce an ecumenical  on-line resource based on the Revised Common Lectionary with sermon and liturgical notes for each Sunday. The theme of the notes focusses on Care for Creation and Sustainability.  The Anglican Communion will be providing materials for six of the months, with voices from around the Globe. http://www.sustainable-preaching.org/

Image :SAFCEI
 

United Nations
The Anglican Communion has recently become accredited with the United Nations Environmental Programme as a Major Stakeholder. A commission of 5 Anglicans attended the  United Nations Environmental Assembly in Nairobi.
We participated in the launch of the Faith 4 Earth event, Marine Plastic Side Event, Interfaith Forestation Inititiative and Major Stakeholders Group.

Young People rising up
“Look into the eyes of your children and grandchildren and do what you need to do to preserve the world for their future” Most Reverend Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town
Sri Lanka; In the Diocese of Colombo, 450 children participated in an Environment Art Competition. This was to create awareness and concern on environmental concerns among Children.
South Africa: Diocese of False bay Over 200 young people came together in a beach clean up to Protect the False Bay , after which the Diocese is named. 
Pakistan: SPSD is a small-scale Christian faith-based organization, working at grass root level in five districts of South Punjab, Pakistan. They are running Green Climate Clubs and have a Green Schools Project to engage children with nature.
 

Engaging Clergy
‘A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” ”Most Revd Zacharie Masimango Katanda, Archbishop of the Congo and Bishop of Kindu

South India: A Camp for Green Clergy and Teachers was organised by the Ecology Department held at the Eden Eco Spirituality Centre in Kerala.
Mozambique  - Diocese of Lebombos :Theological Students from the seminary started their academic year with a quiet day on Chizvane beach.
South Africa: Saldanha Bay organised a day conference for women clergy. Remembering 13 year old St Agnes, they reflected on the young women who are leading environmental social movements. How can we as the church support and amplify the voice of young women for social change?
Kenya: Diocese of Thika held an environmental workshop with clergy and evangelists.
 

Reducing Carbon Emissions
“Reducing the causes of Climate change is essential to a life of faith” Archbishop Justin Welby
Malawi: The Diocese of Upper Shire formed a partnership with Gigawatt Global to install a small scale industrial solar farm on church land, providing electricity for the local community and sustainable income for the Diocese
England: In the “Big Shift Campaign”, 5500 churches in the Church of England have changed their source of energy to renewable energy providers.  700 Church buildings now have renewable energy installations such as solar panels.
The Episcopal Church has committed to planting “Paris Groves” at its Episcopal Schools and 85 Camp and Conference Centres. Each Confirmand and baptism candidate is encouraged to donate for a tree at one of the centres in gratitude.
Kenya: The Diocese of Mumias launched the Green Anglicans movement, opening a Diocesan tree nursery. Bishop Wandera, Anglican Development services and interfaith players attended the event.
Burundi: The Anglican Church of Burundi is concluding their tree campaign and with the support of Dioceses, local administration and the community have planted around 800,000 trees
 

Responding to Climate Change Disasters
“Three of the five nations named by the United Nations as anticipated to be under water by the end of the century are within the Diocese of Polynesia.” Archbishop Emeritus Dr Winston Halapua, former Bishop of Polynesia.
Mozambique , Malawi and Zimbabwe have been hit by a devastating cyclone and the Anglican Communion  mobilising to support 
Episcopal Relief & Development, in partnership with 10 Anglican partner agencies, has published a toolkit called Pastors and Disasters. This manual equips Anglican partners with tools to prepare for and mitigate against disasters.  It enables churches to mobilize communities,  building on existing local capacity to identify and address environmental hazards and vulnerabilities – become more resilient.
Lambeth Roundtable on Climate Change Migrants and Refugees A gathering of  academics, diplomats, faith leaders and faith-based organisations met at Lambeth Palace under the  Archbishop of Canterbury to explore migration caused by climate change. Central to the day were contributions from Oceania, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean – from people who affected and responding to sea level rise  – to see what can be learnt in the search for effective responses.
Church of South India: During devastating floods a group of young people known as ‘cyber warriors’ organised a rescue helpline call centre reaching out to those in need through social media, with a  Facebook group “Kerala Flood Rescue Facilitating Group.” Collecting information on survivors, they found them on Google maps, and shared that with rescue teams.
 

Food security
“People in Australia often look to the example of the First People of this country whose history provides very good examples of how to live sustainably - restricting hunting, gathering and certain forms of agriculture to certain periods in order to allow replenishment of what has been taken”. The Most Reverend Dr Philip L Freier Archbishop of Melbourne and Primate Anglican Church of Australia
South Africa: The Diocese of Cape Town held a “Conference on the Land” and provided a Lenten course on Land “the Earth is the Lord’s” including sessions on degradation of the land, food security and re-distribution of the land.
USA: The Diocese of Olympia (western part of Washington state) has appointed an  Agrarian Missioner. The basis of his work is  “Harvesting Abundance: Local Initiatives of Food and Faith”.
Swaziland (Eswatini) By embracing permaculture farming methods, the Diocese of Swaziland was able to keep their vegetable gardens going right through the severe drought. Organic  low-tillage farming methods  use much less water.