Our Climate Care

Our Climate Care

Hope Mennonite Church Response to the Climate Change Crisis

The Statement:

We are grateful that God’s creation is diverse and good and beautiful.

We join our voices with the many religious and spiritual communities, organizations and leaders around the world that recognize that climate change requires immediate and integral response.

We are in a human-made climate emergency. There will need to be radical changes made in every sector and at every level to achieve the necessary goals indicated by the best science, that would reduce human emissions of heat-trapping gases, in turn ensuring that the planet continues to healthfully support future generations.

We affirm and commit to support plans for a just transition to reversing climate change that:

• Reduce net global carbon emissions by 100% by 2050
• Focus on reducing and changing energy production and use (instead of buying offsets)
• Protect and defends lands and waters
• Comply with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples
• Take the lead from Indigenous Nations and groups who are working to protect lands and waters in ways that respect their sovereignty, honour their priorities, and dismantle legacies of colonialism.
• Uphold equity, anti-racism and migrant justice.
• Promote greener energy that harmonizes with the local communities / ecosystems where it is produced
• Address social inequality and support the expansion of public services
  
  

We understand that extremes caused by climate change are likely to most affect those who are already forcibly displaced - or vulnerable to forcible displacement - due to many connected factors. Supporting systemic resilience ahead of climate-related and all other disasters is essential. Many people at risk of forced migration will not have to migrate due to factors connected with climate change if stringent emissions targets are met and informed, wise, collaborative and resource-backed decisions are made.

We affirm our support for the people/groups/committees/leaders of Hope Mennonite Church to reference this statement and share our affirmation in public speech, written support and direct action, including civil disobedience.

Internal Mechanisms and Accountability:

The Hope Mennonite Church Response to the Climate Change Crisis Statement is a public statement that is available for distribution.

Individuals and groups/committees/teams are affirmed and blessed in their actions and can publicly identify themselves as representing Hope Mennonite Church and embodying this Statement when all of the following are met:

• When they have given other committee or group members reasonable time and opportunity to affirm the words or actions or address any concerns.
• When they have checked in about their planned actions or words with at least two members of Steering Committee (at least one must be non-staff), addressed any concerns and received affirmation.
• When their words and actions are non-violent and spoken or enacted in a spirit of love, including our best understanding of Jesus’ call to love our neighbours in our current context.
• When their actions and words fall within the spirit and intent of this statement.
• When there is clear resonance with the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and / or the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and / or The UN Declaration on Human Rights.
  
  

This process applies to such actions (not limited to) as:

• Justice Team’s more publicized work and support when they identify as “Hope Mennonite’s Justice Team”
• Pastors and leaders identifying themselves as such when they represent Hope Mennonite Church in their actions.
  - Hopers intentionally representing Hope Mennonite Church in direct action, collective action, or civil disobedience, issuing a prepared statement to the media, or speaking publicly (including to media) at a rally or action, or creating a video to be shared.

The process described above does not apply to all situations. We assume we who attend Hope Mennonite Church identify ourselves as attending our church when engaging in ethically distinct acts such as signing petitions, having conversations and referring to Hope in public settings; We assume this is often a ‘natural’ part of identity and community, when Hopers sincerely believe what they are saying and doing is generally aligned with our church.

The accountability measures named here apply to things that are more public and ongoing conversations, information sharing, and goodwill will be needed to draw the distinctions between those things that:

• are a natural part of our identity and community or
• are appropriate for the accountability process laid out here or
• require a full four-to-six-week process of church consultation

In closing we give thanks for groups and organizations by whose related work we are inspired, include the Unist’ot’en and Gidimt’en land defenders, the Giniw Collective Water Protectors, the Tiny House Warriors, the Indigenous Climate Action Network, Honor the Earth, Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition, 350.org, KAIROS, Wa Ni Ska Tan, and so many more. We give thanks for inspiration for strong and loving action from the life and stories of Jesus, and from people working hard to protect our shared planet who come from every denomination, religion, worldview, culture and nation.

Passed by Steering, March 7^th, 2022 after Congregational Consultation

Click here for the PDF Version of this document: Hope Statement on Climate Change Crisis