D053 Stewardship of Creation with Church-Owned Land
Resolved, the House of ________________ concurring,
That the 79th General Convention recommends that all dioceses, parishes and missions create partnerships enabling the use of church-owned land for regenerative agriculture and biodiversity conservation projects in order to mitigate climate change; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention requests that the Church Pension Group make available to the Advisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation and to each Diocese an inventory of all church-owned properties insured by the Church Insurance Company that contain unimproved land of one half acre or more which may be suitable for such projects; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention requests that each Diocese consider the potential for utilization of church-owned land for new ministries integrating the stewardship of Creation, particularly in situations where properties are no longer regularly utilized by a parish congregation; and be it further
Resolved, That the Advisory Council for the Stewardship of Creation is directed to develop model processes by which dioceses and parishes may collaborate with partner agencies to sequester carbon through regenerative agriculture and to conserve species through habitat restoration and development.
Explanation
Resolution 1991–A195, adopted by the 70th General Convention over 25 years ago, declared that Christian Stewardship of God's created environment, in harmony with our respect for human dignity, requires response from the Church of the highest urgency. This urgency has only grown in the passing decades. In Genesis we read that God created humanity from the dust of the earth and placed us in a garden to till it and to keep it. We see in Revelation that when Christ returns, the earth becomes a garden city, with the water of life flowing freely and the tree with the leaves for the healing of the nations at its center. As we wait for that day we are mindful that God made us of one substance with the soil. As witnesses to the love of God, the Church has the opportunity to make better use of our underutilized property to create tangible projects that sequester carbon and preserve species. We can do this on land we already own, in partnership with neighbors whom we are called to love and serve. Such ecological ministry projects create opportunities for us to show and tell the love of God in Jesus Christ and demonstrate that Christianity and science are partners, not enemies.