wfn.org | NCCCUSA Leaders Participate in Orthodox Environmental

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

NCCCUSA Leaders Participate in Orthodox Environmental Conference
Conference
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Internet: wendym@ncccusa.org

Contact: Wendy S. McDowell, NCC, 212-870-2227

NCC10/30/97  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LEADERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ORTHODOX 
ENVIRONMENTAL SYMPOSIUM TO BE HELD IN SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.

 NEW YORK, Oct. 30 ---- National Council of Churches 
(NCC) environmental justice leaders will bring their ideas 
and experience to a symposium on "Religion, Science and the 
Environment" sponsored by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the 
Orthodox Christian Church and to be held November 6-8 in 
Santa Barbara, Calif.

 "The symposium coincides with the visit of His All 
Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox 
Christian Church, who will be among the featured speakers," 
explained the Rev. Richard Killmer, NCC Environmental 
Justice Director.  "We are happy to participate, especially 
given the Ecumenical Patriarch's leadership on this issue 
throughout the world.  Environmental justice is one of his 
top concerns."

 The NCC's Eco-Justice Working Group gave a grant to the 
conference and is paying for Orthodox members of the group 
to attend.  The working group brings together 
representatives from 15 national denominations who are 
involved in environmental justice and related work to enable 
them to work together.  The NCC is the nation's preeminent 
ecumenical organization to which 33 Protestant and Orthodox 
denominations belong.

Rev. Killmer praised the event for "thinking big but 
also thinking congregationally."

 "Participants will come from industry, science, 
government, education and religion to allow those in 
different disciplines to talk and listen to each other," 
said Father Constantine Zozos, Executive Director of the 
Symposium and Pastor of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in 
Santa Barbara, which is hosting the event.  The symposium is 
expected to draw 1,000 participants.  "At the same time, we 
will concentrate on the personal, spiritually-based 
lifestyle choices of parishioners.  This is not a lofty 
pursuit, but is about sharing practical and spiritual ways 
of caring for God's creation."

 In that spirit, Rev. Killmer will be leading a workshop 
on "Designing a Program to Green a Church" and other 
religious leaders will provide information for clergy on how 
to preach on the environment and on organizing a church 
environmental education program.

 "We also want to share our Orthodox faith and its 
theological tenets, to show how it is a different, mystical 
way of approaching the objective of environmental justice," 
Father Zozos said.  "Many people have only looked at this 
issue in terms of government and industry solving the 
problem, but government and industry can learn from eco-
theological principles of the Orthodox Church and other 
faith groups."

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