Green the Church
Green the Church, a project by the eco-justice organization Green for All, was launched in early 2015 after some of the nation’s most prominent clergy issued a call to action for African American churches to help combat climate change. Operating alongside the U.S. Green Building Council, the initiative aims to mobilize 1,000 African American churches to advance the message of “ecology theology”—namely, that Christians have a biblical mandate to protect God’s creation. The effects of climate change—such as devastating superstorms, unrelenting heat waves, and chronic urban pollution—disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income individuals. Through Green the Church, clergy, lay leaders, and congregants are changing their buildings and operations to become more sustainable and working to transform environmental outcomes for the nation’s neediest populations. Their efforts include pragmatic measures such as solar construction, healthy food programs, and energy audits. Co-founder Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll says that caring for the earth and its people is a “legacy and responsibility” that African American communities have long honored.