Churches committed to the defense of the environment

As a reminder, the United Church of Zambia is the largest Protestant Church in the country. It covers all nine (now ten) regions of Zambia. 

Bornface Mafwela from the UCZ (United Church of Zambia) - November 2021 -  Credit : Bornface Mafwela 

1. Your Church is particularly aware of the environmental cause? Could you explain why and give us some examples of actions taken by UCZ ?

The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) acknowledges the fact that the Bible is the inspired Word of God which deals primarily with the relationship between God and humankind and the way to salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ. In so doing, the UCZ does see the splendour and importance of creation and presents principles which indicate how the natural environment should be used, restored and preserved Ps 8:3-8; Job 9:5-10; I Ch 16:7, 30-34; Rom 1:20; 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10: 9, 13. This is God's provision for the welfare of humankind is that God created and mandated the use of plants, animals and resources (the biophysical world) to meet humankind's physical and material needs e.g. Gen 2: 9, 12. The biophysical world created to sustain humankind was also created for humankind's pleasure and admiration (Job 37:14-18; Ps.104:24). Even if the environmental conditions have been seriously compromised in the current age through human greed, materialism, self-indulgence, competitiveness and short-sightedness, the UCZ is alive to the fact that responsibility starts and ends with man. Due to this realisation, the UCZ resolved to plant, preserve and restore over 6 million (6, 000, 000) plants over a period of 5 years. This is an ambitious project but it has to be done. Over and above, the UCZ is inculcating these teachings in the pupils in the 19 (ninteen) Mission Schools by involving every pupil admitted at each of these mission schools given a plant (from the nursery) to manage and tender for it for the whole period each of these pupils are admitted at these Schools. Also, every first Saturday of November for the lifelong of the project, UCZ members meet at the nearest mission station to plant trees in order to meet the six million.

2. Do you think that the Churches must, at their level, preserve Creation and act on climate change?
 

Yes, the Church should at every level preserve creation and act on the changes of climate as human traits that have led to the degradation of the environment are ardently opposed by Church (2 Cor 8:9; Heb 13:5; Lk 12:15; Matt 6:19; Phil 2:3). The UCZ do wholly accept responsibility for (perhaps not) sufficiently taking in hand humankind's action that has led to the current exploited state of the natural world. It is hereby inferred that the Church has a role to play in safeguarding the environment and it is this sentiment which led to the research being undertaken.
The Churches must see a sound and sustainable ecology, one that is capable of bringing about change will not develop unless people are changed, unless they are encouraged to opt for another style of life, one that is less greedy and more serene, more respectful and less anxious, more fraternal. The UCZ encourages raising church and community awareness about how our modern lifestyle of conspicuous consumption contributes to the climate crisis, and fostering a sense of responsibility leading to adaptation of lifestyle.
 

In the street during COP 26 - November 2021 - Credit : Bornface Mafwela

3. What Bible verses support this process?

God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah, with some words  Come, let us talk this over. If you are ready to listen, we can still have a great future. But if you refuse to listen and to act, you will be devoured by the heat and the pollution, by droughts here and rising waters there (Isaiah 1:18-20).

Promoting Awareness and Outreach
One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see (John 9:25). Raising awareness will open the eyes of people to the realities of the impact of the climate crisis on human existence. Blindness about these issues is widespread and its causes are mainly: a) plain ignorance; b) indifference and selfishness vis-à-vis phenomena that endanger the common good; c) the purposeful denial of reality to protect vested interests; d) misunderstanding. God gives the means to see, but human beings must be willing to journey from blindness to awareness.

4. According to the World Bank report released on September 13, 2021, 216 million people may be forced to migrate within their countries by 2050 due to climate change. How can the Churches anticipate these upheavals for Humanity?

As fierce storms, violent hurricanes and disastrous cyclones continue to rage in most of the global South nations are affected as they have become more frequent and intense as the climate crisis worsens. This is why we see growing numbers of people displaced on account of the crippling impacts of the climate crisis and other manifestations of the ecological crisis. The lives and homes of so many of our brothers and sisters in the global South are effectively shipwrecked. Many of them are forced to flee their homelands in search of safety and security. As Churches, we believe that the darkest nights can be lit up with love and care by each one of us. Christians should be able to provide a home to those homeless by welcoming such a one with open arms, feed and provide shelter. 

These climate crisis we see can lead to displacements when homes become uninhabitable or livelihoods are lost. Displacement can take place either due to rapid-onset triggers, mainly extreme weather phenomena like floods, storms, droughts and wildfires ; or slow-onset processes, like desertification, depletion of natural resources, water scarcity, rising temperatures, and sea-level rise. Churches also need to keep in mind that displacement may have multiple causes. The UCZ is concerned by these challenges and the impact of the climate crisis on the dignity of human beings. Hence, the UCZ calls on governments, other Christian denominations, other faith traditions and people of good-will aiming to respond to these challenges. The UCZ requests that people should stop calling people as “environmental refugees”, due to being forced by the degradation of their natural habitat to forsake it, and often their possessions as well in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of forced displacement. 

Activists supporting the message ActNow (ActNow is the United Nations' global call to individual action on climate change)
Credit : Bornface Mafwela

5. If you had a wish to formulate with the Churches of the Community, what would it be?

Indeed, I wish the churches of the community which would go beyond the pulpit to put Jesus’ message in practice in order to cultivate a  real and lasting peace which will only be possible if the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation is in the service of a future shaped by interdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family. 

Is it possible to promote an ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and networks to coordinate these efforts ? An open attitude of dialogue, fully recognizing the multiplicity of interlocutors like: the indigenous peoples, the river dwellers, peasants and afro-descendants, the other Christian Churches and religious denominations, organizations of civil society, popular social movements, the governments, finally all people of good will who try to defend life, the integrity of creation, peace and the common good. 

Involving young people as animators in these efforts and encouraging Christian attitudes and lifestyle that put emphasis not only on the future, but also on the eternal, i.e. the kind of environmental conditions people will leave for their children and grandchildren as well as treating creation as a gift from God. This will enable us avoid placing the burden on the next generations to take on the problems caused by the previous ones. By doing so, we will be giving them the opportunity to remember our generation as the one that renewed and acted on the fundamental need to collaborate in order to preserve and cultivate our mother earth. May we offer the next generation concrete reasons to hope and work for a good and dignified future.

6. A few words to conclude…?

I look forward to a time when we can :

- promote ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and networks to coordinate different efforts. 
- intensify our collective efforts to move towards promoting renewable energy, green energy, reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and a circular economy while at the same time halt deforestation and ecosystem degradation, and with a special emphasis on nature-based solutions. We need develop projects in the Global South which are inspired by protection of the environment; we need alternatives for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Read more on the United Church of Zambia :  http://uczsynod.org/