Jersey Churches hear how Christians can care for the planet

Source: A Rocha

Leaders from the A Rocha Worldwide Family of 22 Christian nature conservation charities, spoke at the Town Church in Jersey last night and will be speaking this evening (24 June) at the St Paul's Centre, St Helier, about a Christian response to the biodiversity and climate crises. With nature loss accelerating in the UK and in the Channel Islands local churches have invited A Rocha to Jersey to encourage churches to do more to restore nature locally and globally.

Speaking at a series of events is Peter Harris, who co-founded the A Rocha network of organisations 40 years ago, Ed Walker, Executive Director of A Rocha International, the coordinating body and Jo Herbert-James Head of Engagement at A Rocha UK which serves the Channel Islands. There will be an opportunity to hear inspiring stories about Christians and churches protecting the planet around the world, as well as more about A Rocha UK's Eco Church programme in which five Jersey churches are participating.

A recent comprehensive study of nature loss in the UK and Channel Islands, The State of Nature report 2023, showed that wildlife is continuing to decline and the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. In response to this, A Rocha UK is committed to help protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 and is facilitating churches and Christians to make a bigger contribution.

The A Rocha Family believes that churches and Christians have a biblical mandate to care for nature. A Rocha International facilitates the work by member organisations in 20 countries, between them reaching over 200,000 people with environmental education and protecting over 2,000,000 hectares in marine conservation and tropical forest restoration. The number of A Rocha Family members is growing around the world to reach some of the most vulnerable communities and habitats and the network is beginning a programme on mitigating climate impacts on nature.

One way many churches in the UK are taking action on biodiversity loss and climate change is through A Rocha UK's Eco Church programme which brings together a national community of churches addressing the environmental crisis, using a common framework, and online toolkit, learning and speaking up together. Jersey churches registered with the programme include St Mark's Church and Town Church both of which have achieved bronze awards.

Ed Walker MBE, Executive Director of A Rocha International said: "Christians and churches have a biblical mandate to care for creation and, collectively, the means to make a big difference on our planet. Our vision is to see individual Christians and the churches, world-wide fully integrate care for God's creation into our mission of worship and service."

Jo Herbert-James, Head of Engagement at A Rocha UK said: "The Eco Church Award scheme channels Christians' joy at God's creation and concern for our planet . It is clear that Christians caring for God's creation as an act of discipleship is good not just for nature and the climate but also for the wider community and the Church itself."

The A Rocha Family is a federation of national Christian conservation charities in 20 countries working to show God's love for all creation by protecting and restoring vulnerable habitats and species. The first A Rocha project was a field study centre on the Alvor estuary in Portugal. The name 'A Rocha', is Portuguese for 'The Rock'.

A Rocha International (ARI) is the coordinating body for the growing federation and leads joint work in international fora such as the IUCN or UN. With staff based in Canada, France, India, Switzerland, UK and USA, it facilitates multi-country programmes such as on tropical forests, marine conservation, with an emerging programme on climate change and biodiversity links. It has four purposes in the worldwide family: to provide operational, scientific and theological support, to represent the family in a collective context, to assist in the development of new initiatives and to ensure the family strives to comply with agreed standards.

A Rocha UK (ARUK) is the national A Rocha organisation for the UK, Channel Islands and other Crown Dependencies and UK Overseas Territories. It runs two nature reserves, the Partners in Action conservation network of Christian organisations managing their land for nature, and the Eco Church programme for local churches.

Eco Church is an ARUK programme for churches providing an on-line tool for assessing a church's environmental performance, a resources hub, a learning community and awards. More than 7000 churches have registered for the scheme so far, of which, more than 3,000 have achieved at least a bronze award, 1,000 a silver award, and almost 50 a gold award. Resources, which are free to download, include areas such as worship and teaching and management of church buildings and land.

LINKS

A Rocha: www.arocha.org.uk

Eco Church: https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk