November 30th

Churches Come Together to Learn about Climate Change

Morden Mennonite Church and St. Paul’s United Church (Pembina Parish) have bridged the denominational divide to take part together in an online course on climate change.

The two Morden congregations are not strangers to each other. As Carrie Martens, minister for the Pembina Parish, notes: “Our two communities of faith have some history with collaboration in learning events and on refugee sponsorship. It felt natural to join together for this workshop since it's being done through Canadian Mennonite University’s Xplore program.”

The course is being taught by Sandy Plett, Mennonite Church Canada’s Climate Action Coordinator. There are 26 people in the course, 20 of whom are from MCM congregations. The class has explored how to process news and information about climate change, what tools are needed to take action, and how they can read Scripture with an ecological lens. In remaining classes they will be listening to the voices of young people and considering where God is calling the church to take action.

“My hope is that the church will rise up resilient and courageous to face the realities of a climate changing world,” Sandy says, “and then roll up their sleeves and get to work responding to God’s call to be God’s people in the world.”

Participants from the two congregations have met for classes in the sanctuary at St. Paul’s Church. Sessions have typically ended with informal conversation about what they have heard and learned together.

Dorothy Rempel of Morden Mennonite describes the most significant thing she has learned so far: “In the midst of the despair of the climate crisis, there is also hope. Not to downplay the crisis, but there is also hope."

St. Paul’s churchgoer Edith Lovatt relates how eye-opening the simple idea has been that “we can look at things in the world not as objects, but as creation and as a window to Scripture and to God.”

“We love that work together on the refugee committee has made these kinds of connections easier,” says Carrie. “There is trust and we can learn and work together. We are two congregations just down the street from each other. We have a lot in common, including our concern for the environment, so it only makes sense for us to come together to have these conversations.”

If your congregation is interested in having conversations about climate change and what your church can do, contact MCM’s Climate Action Working Group; see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/cawg. See also MC Canada’s Climate Action page at www.mennonitechurch.ca/climate-action.