Uniting Eco Group

Uniting Eco Group

As followers of Christ, we are called to care for Creation. 

The Uniting Eco Group (UEG) is a sub-group of Uniting Earthweb members. The UEG promotes ecological reflection and action within and through various initiatives in and of the church, as central to Christian faith and practice.

The UEG is established to facilitate the strengthening and development of ecological initiatives in the Uniting Church through:

1. fostering and sharing theological reflection on God’s creation and the role of the church in participating in its healing and renewal
   the cross-fertilisation of ideas and sharing of information and expertise
2. the development of new skills and methodology in environmental sustainability in and through the church within and across the church’s worship witness and service
3. contributing to the formulation of Synod public policy on environment/ecology
4. supporting efforts that seek to reach and/or collaborate with non-church organisations and activities
5. fostering liaison between the congregational-based initiatives, presbyteries and official Synod structures

Our hope is that the church will increasingly know ourselves to be part of God’s mission of the reconciliation and renewal of the whole creation over which God in Christ has reasserted claim (Basis of Union, paragraph 3), and motivate and equipped to “Confess the Lord in Fresh words and deeds” as this new situation demands (Basis of Union, paragraph 11).

The UEG’s purpose is to foster collaboration. It is not a decision-making body of the church, i.e. it does not speak on behalf of the church and/or authorise church policy. The group relates to the formal structures of the Uniting Church in NSW.ACT through ad hoc arrangements

The UEG’s remit is matters concerning ecological integrity, which includes but is not limited to: degradation and depletion of water, land, air and other material resources; climate change and its social justice implications; sustainable farming and food production; and biodiversity conservation.

You can join our closed facebook group here

Collaboration

In 2013, “Uniting Earth Ministry” was set up by Uniting Eco Group, the Mid North Coast Presbytery and the Synod to build capacity in the Uniting Church in NSW/ACT in relation to environmental and ecological matters. Two paid positions supported this work centring discipleship, theological insights and the gospel, and acting as advocates on both broad and local issues. Initially funded by Uniting Mission and Education, the work was wide-ranging, collaborative and focused both on city and rural areas.  It included education, resource development, social networking, community organising, activism, pastoral care, and collaboration with networks within and beyond the Uniting Church. The positions were later moved to Uniting, seeing a greater focus on advocacy.

However, in 2020, these two positions were made redundant. Although Uniting continues to campaign strongly on climate change, the deep theological grounding of Uniting Earth Ministry and the breadth of its work was lost.

In response, members of Uniting Eco Group, the former Uniting Earth Ministry reference group, Christian Students Uniting and other members of the Uniting Church, alongside Common Grace’s ecumenical community, decided to take action and start a grassroots campaign to fund a Creation and Climate Justice Coordinator role, working across the Christian churches. This role is now active, and you can find out more about and join the campaigns here.