United Church of Christ to Make Environmental History Again

OilSpillsVancouver, WA–The United Church of Christ has a history of leadership on environmental issues and that leadership will be fully present in Vancouver on November 8th when local and national church leaders address the proposed Tesoro Savage oil terminal. The national staff of the denomination’s Justice and Witness Ministries will be flying in this weekend to lead a social justice revival at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Vancouver. The event is called “Stoking the Fires of Justice: A Revival for Social Change.” After a day filled with gospel music, preaching, and issue-based workshops, the revival will conclude with an action targeting the proposed oil terminal. The action will involve a MASH-style ambulance responding to an emergency in which Port Commissioners have placed private profit over public health.

The environmental leadership of the United Church of Christ wants to elevate the proposed terminal to a level of national concern. In September, the Seattle-based think tank Sightline Institute released a study which observed that the “new coal, oil, and gas shipments planned for the Pacific Northwest would carry more carbon annually than five Keystone XLs.” The Sightline Policy Director Eric de Place underscored the gravity of the situation by observing how the proposed Keystone XL pipeline by itself has been described as “game over for the climate.”

The Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of First Congregational United Church of Christ notes, “The Keystone pipeline has been front and center of the climate policy debate in the United States, but few outside the Pacific Northwest are aware that an even bigger problem is lurking around the corner.” Berndt adds, “We desperately need to make this an issue that is on our nation’s moral radar, and I believe the United Church of Christ can help make that happen.”

The United Church of Christ is well-suited for the task. In 1987, the denomination helped give birth to what is now known as the environmental justice movement when it released a landmark study called “Toxic Waste and Race.” UCC leaders in this effort coined the terms “environmental racism” and “environmental justice.” In July of 2013, the United Church of Christ led the way again when it became the first denomination in the United States to divest from fossil fuel companies.

First Congregational United Church of Christ in Vancouver has been a hub of activism on environmental issues in recent years. Local committees of the Sierra Club hold their meetings there, and the pastor is even the chair of the Conservation Committee. Two members of the church, Don and Alona Steinke, have led the way in building a large coalition in opposition to the oil terminal.

Action Details

Where: Fruit Valley Park in Vancouver, Washington

When: 4 pm on Saturday, November 8th

Commissioning: The Emergency Response Unit that will arrive in the ambulance will be commissioned at First Congregational United Church of Christ during the closing worship service of the revival. This service will take place between 3 and 3:30 pm.

The Emergency Response Unit is an initiative of the Faith Action Network, a statewide interfaith advocacy coalition that brings together communities of faith to advance just public policies.

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