During the nineteenth meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-19), on June 30, the ACC heard from members of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN) and representatives from Member Churches around the Communion about why restoring and protecting the environment is a vital element in Anglican discipleship, mission and worship.

The session was jointly presented by the Most Revd Marinez Rosa Dos Santos Bassotto, Primate of Brazil, Bishop of the Amazon and Chair of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network and Martha Jarvis, Special Representative to the United Nations on behalf of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Archbishop Marinez opened a session titled ‘Environment Global Conversation’ about the prevalence of the climate crisis and how churches are being impacted and also responding across the Anglican Communion.

Addressing the ACC delegates, Archbishop Marinez shared how the ‘environmental crisis’ is also a ‘spiritual crisis’. She reflected on how Indigenous knowledge attests to the ‘complex’ and ‘fragile’ interconnected web of our various ecosystems. Other dominant worldviews have contributed to practices that are unsustainably ‘extractive’.

‘Our faith calls us to be prophetic and active voices’ within the sphere of creation care, urged Archbishop Marinez. ‘We cannot be only spectators…we need to be agents of transformation’. It is also urgent, says Archbishop Marinez, to hear ‘the voices of people who are most impacted… who are least often heard’.

During the session, the work of turning prayer into action and advocacy was celebrated. Groups such as the Anglican Communion Environment Network, Green Anglicans, the Anglican Communion Youth Network and the Communion Forest, housed within the Anglican Alliance, were credited with rekindling the fire and reshaping the mindset of the Church throughout the Anglican Communion.

Delegates watched a video message from the Revd Canon Dr Rachel Mash, the Environmental Coordinator of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and Environmental Provincial Coordinator for Green Anglicans, about the significance of the Feast of Creation in Christ. The feast day has roots in the Orthodox Church and has now officially been adopted by five Member Churches of the Anglican Communion. It is being developed as a liturgical feast, celebrated on 1 September or the following Sunday, with formal resources including Revised Common Lectionary readings, prayers and worship materials. Its focus is not simply environmental action, but the worship of God as Creator and the mystery of creation coming into being through Christ. 

The Revd Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Representative of the Anglican Indigenous Network speaks during the Global Conversations Environment session

The ACC heard from indigenous voices about the necessity for connection to the natural world as a living part of faith. The Revd Rachel Taber-Hamilton, the official indigenous representative to the ACC of the Anglican Indigenous Network and Rector at Trinity Episcopal Church (Episcopal Diocese of Western Washington), also addressed those gathered. Revd Rachel shared her church’s journey toward seeing the resurrected Jesus as renewing creation and taking on the challenge of bringing renewal where God was calling them. As an example, she showed the process of redesigning a neglected space in her parish church to enable recycling of forgotten objects and artistic expression that nurtured ‘an authentic connection to creation into worship’ and ‘prayerful practice’.

Ethel George, a Layperson and ACC representative from Vanuatu in the Anglican Church of Melanesia, shared that ‘for those who come from tropical island nations, forests or trees are part of our lives. We eat and heal from the forest or from the trees. live and grow with them and we find cover under them every day. Yet for many, these rich blessings are being taken for granted.’ Ethel spoke about how the Church of Melanesia has rekindled its fire for creation care through the Communion Forest initiative, which empowers churches to engage with intentional tree planting as an act of worship and stewardship. 

The Ven Andrew Orr, Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in the Church of Ireland speaks during the Global Conversations Environment session

Next, the Ven Andrew Orr, Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross from ACC-19 host church, the Church of Ireland, described the deforestation and pollution of water sources in their local area. ‘We have very little indigenous forests left’, he said and explained how a freshwater lough had gradually turned into a ‘dead, sterile body of water’ through pollution. According to Archdeacon Andrew, ‘politicians seem paralysed’ to combat the damage to nature, but instead Church leaders are stepping up to speak up for the protection of God’s creation. His diocese has also engaged practically with the Communion Forest initiative, including through tree planting linked to confirmation services. Since 2023, hundreds of trees have been planted in partnership with Reforest Nation, with one tree planted for each young person confirmed in the diocese. 

Mr Reginald Nikoi Robertson, ACC-19 Youth Delegate speaks during the Global Conversations Environment session

Mr Reginald Nikoi Robertson, ACC-19 Youth Delegate and Co-Chair of the Anglican Communion Youth Network, invited delegates to ask themselves where their influence lies and to use it for the good of the world. Both Reginald and the Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich in the Church of England, spoke about the experience of advocating on behalf of the ACC at United Nations COP events. 

The Rt Revd Graham Usher, The Church of England speaks during the Global Conversations Environment session

The experience brought to light the concept of ‘enough’. Reflecting on his experience speaking to Finance Ministers at the COP16 biodiversity negotiations, Bishop Graham said. ‘When is enough, enough?... Each day we pray that prayer: “Give us today our daily bread”. Give us today enough - not a whole bakery full of bread. Enough for our needs’. Bishop Graham reflected on how selfishness, apathy and greed are the true environmental dangers to the world God created and invited thought on the question ‘What do we owe future generations?’

In closing the session, the Rt Revd Jonathan Kabiru Kariuki, Bishop of Nairobi (Anglican Church of Kenya), shared a prayer. Bishop Johnathon prayed that ‘the partnerships formed here continue to strengthen the witness of Your Church throughout the Anglican Communion and all partners that we work together with in environmental conservation as we engage the world and tackle the environmental crisis’.

More information

Learn more about the Anglican Communion Environment Network, Green Anglicans or the Communion Forest.

Learn more about the Lungs of the Earth call to action and advocacy.

See the latest updates from the 19th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-19) on the event website or Anglican Communion social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and X.