untitled

EARTHKEEPING NEWS
A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY

Volume Fourteen, Number Six
November / December 2005

Baptists Organize Creation Stewardship in Kenya

Kenya is said to be 80% Christian but unfortunately the nation’s landscapes do not bear witness to this claim. In fact, Africa as a whole faces an environmental crisis unprecedented in its history. Rapid deforestation, land degradation, pollution and the loss of biodiversity plague the region and threaten the future of its people. As this crisis unfolds, and as landscapes of Africa struggle under increasing pressures, it is regrettable that much of the church remains silent on the topic.

As a ministry operating under Care of Creation, Inc., the Brackenhurst Environmental Program in Kenya is a full-fledged effort to awaken the church to its responsibility in caring for creation. Located on the grounds of a conference center operated by the Baptist Mission of Kenya, this program is focused on building awareness amongst church leaders, congregations, and schools, with the specific goal of mobilizing everyday Kenyans to take action on environmental concerns. The conference center is strategically placed for this kind of work as it hosts over 25,000 visitors annually, many of whom are leaders from mission agencies, NGOs, churches, businesses and secular institutions.

Today a growing number of Kenyan clergy from several denominations hold the opinion that the environmental crisis may in fact pose a greater threat to their nation than the AIDS crisis. Even so, very little Christian work is being done to address the issue, which needs vigorous attention to stem the tide of worsening problems of hunger and poverty.

In 2004 the Brackenhurst Environmental Program organized a conference designed to transform the hearts and minds of African pastors, church leaders, and missionaries with a message of environmental stewardship based on the Word of God. Speakers emphasized the biblical truth that Christians have an urgent and profound responsibility to take action on environmental matters, pointing out that “the careless treatment and destruction of creation is nothing less than an insult to the Magnificent Creator God whom we claim to love and worship.”

From March 8- 11, 2006, the second International Conference on God and Creation will be hosted by the Brackenhurst Environmental Program in Kenya. Partners in organizing this event include: A Rocha Kenya; Christian Reformed World Relief Committee; Church Mission Society; Food for the Hungry International; Greenbelt Movement; Parklands Baptist church; Rural Extension with Africa’s Poor; UN Development Programme and World Vision Kenya.