Resolution 2009-03:

Environmental Stewardship

Passed

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1 WHEREAS, the ELCA adopted the
2 "Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope
3 and Justice" Social Statement at
4 the Churchwide Assembly in 1993
5 to address the church’s
6 understanding of God’s call to us
7 to care for the earth; and,

8 WHEREAS, the ELCA has created
9 materials to guide congregations,
10 schools, and other groups in
11 conducting environmental audits;
12 and,

13 WHEREAS, the knowledge and
14 understanding of the impact of our
15 individual and congregational uses
16 of natural resources is documented
17 (for example, The Millennium
18 Ecosystem Assessment) ; and,

19 WHEREAS, Scripture shows God's
20 love for creation and mandates
21 humans to serve and keep the
22 earth; and,

23 WHEREAS, a Green Team can be a
24 catalyst for transformation in a
25 congregation; and,

26 WHEREAS, there is a relationship
27 between global injustice and the
28 degradation of nature. Our
29 Companion Synods in the
30 Evangelical Lutheran Churches in
31 Colombia and the Central Diocese
32 in Tanzania struggle from the
33 imbalance of the use and
34 exploitation of the world’s natural
35 resources,

36 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
37 that the Southeastern Minnesota
38 Synod live out more fully the
39 "Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope
40 and Justice" Social Statement
41 actions; and,

42 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that
43 each congregation of the
44 Southeastern Minnesota Synod of
45 the ELCA conduct the ELCA's
46 Environmental Audit; and,

47 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that
48 congregations of the Southeastern
49 Minnesota Synod of the ELCA
50 study caring for creation issues in
51 Sunday School and Bible Studies,
52 to learn more about our call to be
53 God's stewards of the earth; and

54 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that
55 the Southeastern Minnesota Synod
56 of the ELCA establish a committee
57 or task force to address
58 environmental issues in the synod
59 and congregations; and,

60 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a
61 goal be set for the year 2011 for
62 75% of all products used by the
63 Southeastern Minnesota Synod of
64 the ELCA office and its
65 congregations be environmentally
66 conscious. This goal would include
67 attention to the use of fairly traded
68 products.

Submitted by the congregational council of Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minn., authored and approved by the "BIGG Idea" team (Bethel Individuals Going Green)

A similar resolution was passed by the Blue Earth River Conference Assembly.

Continue to Resolution 2009-04

Return to 2009 Resolution List