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Lambeth Conference report highlights environmental concerns

ACNS LC090 - 4 August 1998

Canterbury

By Nicola Currie
Lambeth Conference Communications

A sub-section of Lambeth Conference's Section One (Called to Full Humanity)
has called for a greater emphasis on environmental concerns in its draft
report.

The report from the sub-section provides a theological review of ecological
issues, and speaks of the damage done by humanity to the created order as
God made it. It stresses that humanity's relationship to the created order
is fundamental to human well being. The report also outlines links between
ecological concerns and poverty, drawing on the first-hand experience of the
bishops within the section.

The report highlights the importance of a Christian contribution in caring
for the environment but also delineates the church's shortcomings in this
area. The bishops in the sub-section have voiced their concern about the low
priority given to this topic at the Conference and call upon Christians to
be aware of their responsibility and accountability for the destruction of
the natural environment.

"The last (Lambeth) Conference focused on women's ordination, this one on
debt and sexuality, human dignity and human rights but at the heart of the
matter we need to relate to the whole created order - we need to relate to
the world that God has made," said Bishop George Browning of Canberra and
Goulburn (Australia), chair of the sub-section. "I think the church is
mirroring world governments where the pressure of the immediate is so great
that we have to focus on what appear to be the critical issues and they are
almost always humanity based.

The report emphasises the spiritual nature of ecological concern: "Some
environmentalists have come to believe that the necessary changes will only
be brought about by a profound shift of consciousness rooted in some kind of
religious or spiritual renewal."

Bishop George Browning outlined four ways in which the Communion could work
in this area:

Convince the Church-In order to convince those in the church of the
importance of this issue the sub-section report's emphasis has been on
providing a theological statement which is both news and good news for many
people, Bishop Browning said.

 "If this theological paper commends itself to the church at large perhaps
the church will see that in the environmental issue we do have a foundation
for evangelism, for teaching and for a renewal," he said. "For young people
an entry into spirituality is through the environment. Evangelism is
touching people with the gospel of Christ and the environment is one of the
ways of doing that."

According to the theological statement from the sub-section, "the Sabbath
principle is more than just a religious principle, it is a life principle,"
Bishop Browning said. "Built into to the whole created order is the
principle of rest and refreshment-the land needs it, plants need it. We are
appealing to the church to appropriately reclaim that principle."

Make acts of individuals count-Individual acts as basic as building houses,
using energy, or disposing of rubbish have ecological consequences, the
report asserts. Millions of Christians caring for the environment in their
daily lives could make a huge difference. "We are encouraging the bishops to
see the ecological issues as fundamental to their episcopate as the way they
manage their administrative and more traditional aspects of church
management," Browning said.

Influence governments and companies-Environmental issues are not necessarily
a popular stance in government because of the cost of imposing ecological
restraints, according to the report. This advocacy role is essential for the
church, Bishop Browning said. The sub-section's report provides a
theological statement showing how environmental concerns are a core part of
the Gospel. The sub-section also hopes that this will provide the impetus
for people in the church to move onto practical programmes in their own
nations and communities.

Establish an Anglican coordinator for the environment-The sub-section calls
for the appointment for an Anglican coordinator for the environment in the
same way that the Anglican Communion Office has officers for other areas of
the church's world. The appointment of such an officer might ensure that
environmental issues get higher up the Lambeth Agenda next time, Bishop
Browning suggested.