Unused patches of land turned into thriving havens for wildlife, a village bee-corridor, a fashion show featuring only pre-loved items… These are just a few stories from thousands of churches that are part of Eco Church.
Run by Christian charity A Rocha UK, Eco Church provides a free, practical framework for churches in England and Wales, of all denominations, to engage practically in the biblical mandate (Genesis 2:15) of caring for the earth, with bronze, silver and gold awards to celebrate their achievements along the way. A Rocha UK equips Christians and churches to protect and restore the environment. ‘Caring for the earth and demonstrating the Christian hope for God’s world’ is our mission, and we are part of a global family of Christian organisations working in more than 20 countries. If you’re wondering, ‘A Rocha’ means ‘The Rock’ in Portuguese, where A Rocha began in the 1980s.
This year marks ten years since the launch of Eco Church, and 25 since A Rocha UK began. During that time, more and more churches have engaged with caring for creation, recognising that it is part of and integral to Christian mission. Today, there are more than 9,500 churches involved – that’s nearly 25% of all the churches in England and Wales, and over half have achieved an Eco Church award. Behind these numbers, of course, are thousands of individual stories. Each award is a marker to work towards and a milestone to celebrate, but the real impact is in every action taken, prayer prayed, person influenced, wildflowers planted – countless expressions of worship of a God who loves all of his creation.
At St John’s Methodist Church in Settle, Yorkshire, an unused part of the car park was transformed into a nature garden. To quote those involved, ‘What had been a dead space has come alive!’ At St Giles Church in Risby, Suffolk, local schoolchildren helped the church create a bee-corridor across the village, encouraging residents to grow bee-friendly flowers and creating an ‘insect pathway’ for pollinators. Over 100 neighbours got involved! And at Swindon Gorse Hill Salvation Army, a pre-loved fashion show raised money for mission projects in the community, using clothing from the church’s charity shop.
So what might the next ten years look like?
As part of the 10th anniversary, A Rocha UK worked with Eido Research to explore Eco Church’s impact over the past decade. The report celebrates what has been achieved and looks honestly at the opportunities and challenges ahead. Some highlights include:
- over 9,000 registered Eco Churches, spanning 25 denominations.
- over 3,000 churches (88%) managing their land to encourage native wildlife. *
- over 2,500 churches (78%) deciding to invest their funds ethically.
Read the full report at: ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/ec10years.
We look forward with hope to seeing what God has in store in the decade ahead. As the climate and biodiversity crises become ever more evident, it will be a crucial decade. We all need to respond in whatever ways we can, as we trust and look to God for his strength and wisdom in caring for all creation.
* The percentage represents the proportion of churches that meet a specific criterion, out of the total number of churches that (a) have achieved a bronze, silver, or gold award and (b) for which Eco Church survey data is available.
A Rocha UK is a Charity and Network in Association with Churches Together in England.
Main photo: St Giles, Risby. Photo credit: Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.