Mennonite Church USA has released an electric vehicle car charging guide to help congregations in their pursuit of reducing their carbon footprint.
By Jessica Griggs for Mennonite Church USA
ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Church USA) — The Climate Justice Ministry of Mennonite Church USA has just published “Installing Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: A Guide for Congregations” to help congregations of all sizes determine whether they should pursue installing electric vehicle charging stations.
“This EV charging station guide is for congregations who are interested in lowering their carbon emissions, and more specifically, it is for those considering EV charging stations as a way to do that,” said Karla Stoltzfus Detweiler, MC USA’s climate justice coordinator.
“We’re hoping to plant the seed of an idea for some congregations who may have never considered that they could be hosts for a charging station. And it’s a how-to for congregations that have been thinking about it but don’t know how to get started.”
The 17-page guide identifies the benefits of installing EV charging stations, addresses several ethical concerns about EVs, helps churches determine the most appropriate logistical path for their unique situations, offers numerous options for financing the project and provides resources for further research.
Much of the research was conducted through interviews with various MC USA churches and camps that have already begun the process of installing EV charging stations. Assembly Mennonite Church, in Goshen, Indiana; Camp Friedenswald, in Cassopolis, Michigan; East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Landisville (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Church; Laurelville Retreat Center, in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania; and Red Run Mennonite Church, in Denver, Pennsylvania, all contributed to the guide.
The EV charging guide was funded by Russell De Young, who also funds the Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund. Through this fund, 22 Mennonite churches and retreat centers have received funding to help reduce their carbon emissions. Three of these churches and retreat centers have received the funds to aid in the installation of EV charging stations.
While this guide was funded and produced by Mennonites, the creators hope that it will reach a larger audience and make an even greater impact in the reduction of carbon emissions. Churches and organizations of all denominations and faiths are encouraged to use this guide.
Stoltzfus Detweiler said that some interfaith creation care organizations, such as Interfaith Power & Light and One Home, One Future, have already expressed interest in using or promoting the guide.
The EV charging guide is available for download on the MC USA website. Physical copies of the EV charging guide are available upon request; interested congregations or groups should contact climatejustice@MennoniteUSA.org for more information
Meet the contributors
Karla Stoltzfus Detweiler, the coordinator of this project, is the Climate Justice coordinator for MC USA. She oversaw the EV car charging guide project from beginning to end, facilitating all of the technical aspects of the project, from ensuring completion of the research and writing phase, to providing editing for the content, all the way through making final decisions on the design elements. She attends Washington (Iowa) Mennonite Church.
Karla Kauffman, the author of the guide, is a freelance researcher and writer, who specializes in connecting sustainability topics to faith. Kauffman also researched and wrote a solar guide for churches, “Considering Solar? A Guide for U.S. Churches,” which is available on the MC USA website. She is a graduate of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and attends Kalamazoo (Michigan) Friends Meeting.
Russell De Young, who envisioned and funded this guide, is a philanthropist and retired NASA researcher. After his wife, Pam De Young, died of cancer in 2015, Russell De Young established the Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund, which awards $10,000 to help congregations and church organizations install solar panels and $1,800 for car charging stations. He also funded the solar guide for churches. De Young attends Huntington Mennonite Church, in Newport News, Virginia.
Churches interested in applying for the Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund should contact climatejustice@MennoniteUSA.org for more information. Applications are accepted April 1-June 15 each year.
Mennonite Church USA is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, founded in 2002 by the merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church. Members of this historic peace church seek to follow Jesus by rejecting violence and resisting injustice. MC USA’s Renewed Commitments state the following shared commitments among its diverse body of believers: to follow Jesus, witness to God’s peace and experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit. Mennoniteusa.org