By MC USA staff
(Mennonite Church USA) — Mennonite Church USA’s most popular webinar, Caring for Climate: Beyond Denial and Despair, is now available as a video series. The video series is part of MC USA’s Learn, Pray, Join initiative on climate justice, coordinated in partnership with Mennonite Creation Care Network (MCCN) and the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS).
“We recognize that people we know and love are struggling with climate crisis,” said Sue Park-Hur, MC USA’s denomination minister for transformative peacemaking in her video introduction. “Some are still in denial, while others are in deep despair about a catastrophic near future. How can congregational ministries address the myriad of emotions and move us from inaction to hopeful engagement? We need guidance and wisdom.”
In the video series, four climate experts weigh in on this topic, providing insights on how climate is impacting our world, identifying areas of hope and offering suggestions for ways congregations collectively can effect change. The panelists are:
- Doug Kaufman, director of pastoral ecology at CSCS and pastor of Benton Mennonite Church
- Christy Miller Hesed, an environmental anthropologist and conservation biologist whose work focuses on engaging underrepresented communities in climate change adaptation planning.
- Ken Pitts, an environmental science school outreach specialist for Oregon Metro.
- Sibonokuhle Ncube, who brings almost 20 years’ experience in various development contexts through her work in Zimbabwe in Southern Africa, including climate change management and finance and disaster preparedness.
The five-part series is comprised of the original webinar recording and videos of each of the four expert presentations. For more information or to view the series, visit http://mennoniteusa.org/climatejustice/webinar/.
About MC USA’s “Learn, Pray, Join” initiatives
MC USA’s “Learn, Pray, Join” initiatives seek to create opportunities across the church for deepening understanding around a common topic and coming together in prayer and support. Upcoming “Learn, Pray, Join” initiatives in 2020 plan to focus on immigration and gun violence.
About the “Learn, Pray, Join” for climate justice partners
Mennonite Church USA is the largest Mennonite denomination in the United States with 16 conferences, approximately 530 congregations and 62,000 members. An Anabaptist Christian denomination, MC USA is part of Mennonite World Conference, a global faith family that includes churches in 86 countries. It has offices in Elkhart, Indiana and Newton, Kansas. mennoniteUSA.org
The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions, Harrisonburg, Virginia, is a collaborative initiative of Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College and Mennonite Central Committee to lead Anabaptist efforts to respond to the challenges of climate change. www.sustainableclimatesolutions.org
Mennonite Creation Care Network, Wolf Lake, Indiana, is a Christian organization affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA and the Mennonite Church Canada. Its primary focus is the Mennonite community, but anyone who wishes to be part of a faith-based network of people engaged in caring for creation is welcome to join. https://mennocreationcare.org/