Minister’s Training 2018: On Water and Faith

 

Ministry in the Time of Climate Change: On Water and Faith
May 31 – June 2, 2018
Union Theological Seminary – New York

Program Announcement: 

Cape Town is on the verge of running out of water. Rural Americans watch as their water is tainted by  effluence. The Northwest wonders where its winter and spring showers have gone. California remains  in a drought and continues to burn. Stronger storms like Hurricane Irma and Maria devastate communities who struggle to get basic necessities including access to potable water. At the same time, many  profit-making ventures dump waste into streams, rivers, lakes and oceans and others seek to privatize and commodify groundwater. The cycles of water that give life to our planet are in distress due to climate change, mismanagement, and pollution. This delicate system, which sustains all life, is at the brink  of being broken, the consequences of which would be devastating.  

Across religious and faith traditions, water holds special significance. Water purifies and cleanses,  makes sacred and gives life. It binds communities through ceremony and tradition, reminding all of its  intrinsic value and communal worth. In the years to come, this stress will be felt more acutely by  vulnerable and marginalized communities. As our faith traditions call us to remember the sanctity of  water so too do they call us to care for those who need it most.  

To train, support, and empower faith leaders, the Center for Earth Ethics is once again partnering  with the Climate Reality Project to train 30-50 faith leaders from around the country to better address  the ecological crisis in their own communities. Ministry in the Time of Climate Change requires an  open-hearted approach that embodies the diversity of our country and plurality of ideas we’ll need to  mitigate the worst effects of the ecological crisis.              

The conference will cover a wide range of topics including: 

  • The role of faith leaders in protecting access to water 
  • Theology of praxis: water in our faith practices 
  • The science behind water systems 
  • Mitigating climate change through a focus on water 
  • Making our communities more resilient to extreme weather 
  • Sustainability education in faith settings 
  • Connections between ministries of mercy, justice and the environment 

Presenters and instructors include:

Josephine Mandamin, Ojibwe Elder, Tiokasin Ghosthorse – First Voices Indigenous Radio, Kartik Chandran – Columbia University, Mariama White-Hammond – Bethel AME Church Boston, Bishop Carroll Baltimore – International Community Baptist Churches,
Vice President Al Gore –Climate Reality Project, Catherine Flowers – Center for Earth Ethics, Wes Gillingham – Catskill Mountainkeeper

 

 

On Water and Faith Program Schedule

Thursday May 31, 2018

10:30 AM     Plenary: Where We Are, Where We Need to Go

From increased storm severity to crippling droughts, it is clear the climate is changing, affecting water systems that all life depends on. In the midst of this change, fossil fuel interests continue to draw and poison groundwater while fracking, putting more heat-trapping pollution in the air. There are also efforts to privatize and commoditize water, even selling it back to the very drought-ridden communities from where it is pumped. What insights and practical solutions do faith communities have to offer to address this? These are the questions that will frame the whole conference.

  • Moderator: Karenna Gore – Center for Earth Ethics
  • Tiokasin Ghosthorse – First Voices Indigenous Radio
  • Kartik Chandran – Columbia University
  • Mariama White-Hammond – Bethel AME Church Boston

 

1:45 PM        On Faith and Water: Learning from Our Traditions

During this session we will split into four groups and rotate between four different speakers on topics designed to deepen our understanding of faith and water. Each session will last 25 minutes.

Stewart RoomWater in Jewish Texts and Teachings [Rabbi Burt Visotzky, Jewish Theological Seminary]
Room 205Water in Christian Liturgy and Rituals [Rev. Thia Reggio, Astoria First Presbyterian Church]
Room205aWater in Indigenous Perspectives, Rituals, and Traditions [Dr. Mindahi Bastida, Center for Earth Ethics, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, First Voices Indigenous Radio]
Room 207Water in Islamic Texts and Teachings [Colin Christopher, Islamic Society of North America]

4:15 PM        Water, Environmental Justice, and Climate Change

In the wake of devastating storms and in the midst of extreme heat waves, low income and marginalized communities are routinely left without access to water.  Many communities also struggle with health problems resulting from inadequate water and sanitation systems, all of which is exacerbated by climate change. This panel will take a clear look at these issues and explore solutions.

  • Moderator: Dr. Geraldine Patrick – Center for Earth Ethics
  • Bishop Carroll Baltimore – International Community Baptist Churches
  • Wes Gillingham – Catskill Mountainkeeper
  • Raina Thiele – Thiele Strategies

6:30 PM        Public Lecture

8:30 PM        Speakers:

  • Vice President Al Gore – Climate Reality Project
  • Catherine Flowers – Center for Earth Ethics/ACRE/EJI

Friday, June 1, 2018

 

10:00 AM     Climate and Water Presentation

1:45 PM        Workshops Session 1 – Faith in Praxis

Training to help faith communities respond to the ecological crisis. Two sessions of 45 minutes each to allow participants to attend at least two sessions.

Stewart RoomIntegrating Climate into Your Sermons [Facilitated by Rev. Ana Levy-Lyons, First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn]
Room 205Water in the New Testament [Facilitated by Dr, Aliou Niang, Union Theological Seminary
Room 205aWatershed Discipleship [Facilitated by Dr. Tim VanMeter, Middle
Room 207Advocacy and Nonviolence: Confronting Climate Change [Rev. Mariama White-Hammond- Bethel AME Church]

3:45 PM       Workshops Session 2 –Engaging Beyond Our Faith Communities

Training to help reach out to communities being impacted by the ecological crisis. Two sessions of 45 minutes each to allow participants to attend at least two sessions

Stewart RoomReaching Out to Those in Need [Facilitated by Catherine Flowers, Center for Earth Ethics]
Room 205Disaster Relief [Facilitated by Alyssa Young and Marcus Coleman, FEMA]
Room 205aCrafting Climate Stories [Facilitated by Jill Leaness, The Climate Reality Project]
Room 207Laudato Si and Civic Engagement – Lessons from the Papal Encyclical [Facilitated by Fr. John Rausch and Sr. Robbie Pentecost]

 

 Saturday, June 2, 2018

 

9:00 AM      Morning Meditation

Leader: Josephine Mandamin, Ojibwe Elder

10:00 AM     Planning for the Future We Need: Brainstorming Session

At the end of the training we want to reflect on what we learned and plan for what we can do. We will break into groups to strategize and share ideas that will help transform our communities. The Climate Reality Project will facilitate the session.

11:45 AM     Closing Ceremony