Innovative Preaching and Eco-Justice Initiative

A Program Funded by the Lilly Compelling Preaching Initiative

Fostering the Growth & Vitality of Christian Congregations

The Innovative Preaching and Eco-Justice Initiative (IPEJI) at Union Theological Seminary empowers Christian leaders to respond to the ecological crisis through the lens of faith. Supported by a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc., this initiative is a collaboration between Union’s distinguished faculty and the Center for Earth Ethics (CEE).

Rooted in the belief that ecological justice is a vital part of Christian witness, the initiative equips pastors and lay leaders to bring climate issues into the heart of their preaching. By providing theologically rich, ecologically informed resources and examples, it bridges the gap between concern and action—helping churches engage climate ethics in their preaching with creativity, passion, and depth.

"Progress on our climate crisis looks like all of us, with our respective strengths and in our unique communities, doing what we can to inspire meaningful action that protects our planet and all of its inhabitants. The development of Union Theological Seminary's Innovative Preaching and Eco-Justice Initiative is undoubtedly bold and can play a critical role in deepening climate advocacy within the Christian faith community."

"Now is the time to draw deeply from our faith and wisdom traditions to help frame these issues and galvanize positive life-giving changes. We are honored to have the support of the Lilly Foundation to do that work within Christian communities in particular and feel confident that this important endeavor will greatly strengthen the movement as a whole.”

“There’s no question: Faith leaders should be at the forefront of the movement to protect our planet. ... We are proud to provide preachers and lay people with cutting-edge resources to strengthen their advocacy efforts.”

Core Faculty

The educational program will blend unique preaching approaches from Union faculty: two professors of homiletics and liturgy — Rev. Dr. Timothy Adkins-Jones and Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes — along with eco-justice advocate and educator, Professor Karenna Gore.

Timothy Adkins-Jones

Rev. Dr. Timothy Adkins-Jones is assistant professor of homiletics at Union Theological Seminary and pastor of the historic Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

Karenna Gore

Karenna Gore is the founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics and visiting professor of practice of earth ethics at Union Theological Seminary.

Cláudio Carvalhaes

Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes is professor of worship at Union Theological Seminary. He is an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Core Components

This program is designed to provide a variety of opportunities for seminarians at the start of their careers as well as experienced pastors and ministers serving in congregations and communities. It includes four components that help participants deepen their understanding of compelling preaching, develop practical skills, and collaborate with peers to strengthen the collective work of proclamation in the context of the climate crisis.

Foundational Online Learning

Participants will take high-quality, foundational courses in earth ethics, ritual and homiletics. These courses provide essential education that bridges the current gaps among science, theology and preaching.

Eco-Justice Conference

This annual immersive conference brings together preachers, climate experts and policymakers. It empowers participants to engage more fully with their communities and equips them to take actionable steps toward eco-justice.

Community Engagement Project

Each IPEJI Fellow will design and implement a community engagement preaching project in their local context. These projects will be developed in collaboration, with local congregations, with support from a cohort of peers, and through mentoring from the program’s leadership team. This will be a key opportunity for Fellows to engage with congregations for the sake of ecojustice.

Eco-Justice Preaching Network

IPEJI, in collaboration with Union and CEE, will support a virtual network of eco-justice preachers, online access to resources, best practices, and collaborative opportunities, and a diverse, preacher-speaker bureau for issues in environmental racism, climate ethics and ecojustice. This network aims to help pastors enhance the impact, relevance and transformational power of their preaching.