With environmental disasters impacting community lives in acute ways around the globe, churches from throughout the world gathered recently in Chennai, India, to reaffirm their commitment to climate justice.
More than 60 participants focused on forests as an expression of the care for God’s creation and incorporating these concerns into the mission of the churches during the two-day conference titled “Forest, Our Good Neighbour”.
The event was organised by the Church of South India in partnership with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the National Council of Churches in India.
On the occasion of the International Year of Forests, the conference was an opportunity to see what churches are doing in relation to forests, as well as to deepen their theological, ethical and spiritual insights on the forests, environment and related issues.
Conference speakers stressed that forests should be understood in a comprehensive way, highlighting the crucial role forests play in terms of their relation with biodiversity, protecting animal and plants.
Forests are also perceived as people who live in them, as tribal peoples affirm. The concern of deforestation, which is a clear expression of the current development paradigm and its implications on climate change, as well as the threat of structural greed in societies, was discussed critically by the participants.
Rev Viji Varghese Eapen, director of the Department of Ecumenical Relations and Environmental Concerns of the Church of South India, said, “This conference was another step towards Church of South India’s solidarity with subaltern communities, and with nature in saving the forests’ biodiversity.”
Dr Guillermo Kerber, WCC programme executive on care for creation and climate justice praised the stance of Indian churches, saying, “I have been impressed by the level of commitment by the Church of South India on environmental issues for years, addressed in a holistic way, bringing up the economic and social concerns and showing a particular solidarity with the poorest and most excluded communities in India.”
“The work of the WCC at the global level is meaningless without a strong link of what our member churches do. Church of South India’s initiatives are one example out of many,” Kerber added.
A statement adopted at the conference affirmed the need to continue engaging with local churches and congregations as partners in the care for God’s creation. Furthermore, churches expressed their solidarity with those resisting the nuclear power plants in Kudankulam and Jaitapur, rejecting the notion that nuclear energy is clean and green.
Affirming that “eco-justice ministries forms an integral part of the mission of the church”, the statement called churches to be committed to climate justice and the integrity of creation.
