Oregon Faith Communities & Climate Resilience Report
During 2023, EMO's Creation Justice and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light programs partnered with the ELCA Oregon Synod on this study, partially funded by a grant from the Oregon Health Authority. We reached out to faith communities across the state to find out what they already doing regarding care for the Earth, social action and disaster preparedness. The report shares our findings, as well as a few case studies of faith communities engaged in exciting projects.
Download the Oregon Faith Communities and Climate Resiliency Report.
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it. Psalm 24:1
The Creation Justice programs of EMO activate congregations seeking to improve their practices of environmental stewardship and environmental and ecological justice. Our current projects include Oregon Interfaith Power & Light. Our mission is to love God’s Creation through education, relationships and advocacy.
Education
We provide congregations with information to improve their practices of environmental stewardship and environmental and ecological justice by:
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- Making theological and eco-theological, scientific, public policy and practical skills educational materials available.
- Delivering and sponsoring lectures, seminars and workshops.
Relationships
We help congregations build relationships to improve their practices of environmental stewardship and environmental and ecological justice by:
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- Establishing and maintaining regularly scheduled meetings of faith communities around the state.
- Creating opportunities to share stories, build on successes, and learn about best practices.
Listening deeply and responding appropriately to local concerns.
Advocacy
We help congregations that are ready to engage in advocacy to improve their practices of environmental stewardship and environmental and ecological justice by:
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- Guiding and supporting advocacy and action in state and local decision-making processes.
- Facilitating efforts to find and share a unified faith-based voice with state and local decision-makers.
Care for Creation Webinars
Care for creation intersects with racial justice and the health of the soil, water and air. This work looks unique in different parts of the state based on the people who live there, ways the land has been used, and species and landscape elements present in each region. Last summer and fall, we held series of webinars to learn about some of Oregon's environmental justice concerns and the organizations working on them.
Watch the webinars:
Webinar 1: Portland Harbor Community Coalition
Webinar 2: Verde
Webinar 3: Rogue Climate
Webinar 4: Eloheh Center for Earth Justice
Webinar 5: EcoFaith Recovery
News & Alerts
Subscribe to "Creation Justice in Oregon" (view the latest issue)
Sign up now!
Feb. 3, 2023, "OPINION: Protect our climate and our money: Stop Oregon State Treasury from making risky fossil fuel investments," by EMO's Julia Weinand, The Beacon
View film Our Voice, Our World, Our Future explores the effects of climate change on low-income communities in Portland, Oregon
Often unrecognized as a serious social concern in our region, the film focuses on how climate change impacts the lives of Portland's most impoverished and vulnerable people. The film is a project of Wagging Tale Productions, Rosemary Anderson High School and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. Join four Rosemary Anderson High School seniors as they examine climate change through the lens of local public opinion, pollution, health, economy, community impact, and homelessness. The film features two of the student’s senior year projects. In addition to an exploration of climate change, Our Voice, Our World, Our Future gives voice to young people from communities that are often overlooked in environmental conversations but, as we discover, are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of environmental degradation. We genuinely thank the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District for generously supporting this project through their grant program.
Our Voice, Our World, Our Future has been nominated for "Best of the Northwest Awards."
View film below or watch it on EMO's YouTube channel.
Jordan Cove LNG Pipeline – A Creation Justice Perspective
Read on to explore how primary environmental values of love and stewardship can be used to evaluate proposed projects such as Jordan Cove. EMO Jordan Cove Statement.
Statement on New Source Performance Standards
Creation Justice Ministries statement in response to Acting Administrator Wheeler and the EPA’s decision to weaken common-sense health and climate protections, known as the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), which limit methane and other toxic pollutants from being released into the air (Sept. 11, 2018). Read statement.
Faith-based Environmental Organizations
Archdiocese of Portland Care for Creation
Catholic Climate Covenant
Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life
Episcopal Ecological Network
Evangelical Environmental Network
Forum on Religion and Ecology
National Religious Partnership for the Environment
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Environmental Justice Program
United Church of Christ Environmental Ministries