Disciples Join 31 Denominations and Religious Groups to form One Home One Future

Disciples congregations continue to lean into a historic movement.  In the fall of 2023, 31 US denominations and faith organizations joined together to launch One Home One Future, a multi-faith campaign to strengthen vitality, relevance, and community connection across generations – to care for our shared home – in local congregations nationwide. Acknowledging the urgency and opportunity of the IPCC goal of seven years to make significant progress toward climate solutions, the partners (full list below) have put aside past differences to launch this campaign and make care for creation more visible, empowering, accessible, and prolific. They recognized the significance of the number seven across faith traditions, and how it offers a profound framework to champion climate action as a spiritual and ethical issue, and chose October 4th as the launch date as it coincided with the Feast of Saint Francis which is the last day of the Season of Creation and the day that Pope Francis is launching his Laudato sí 2.0. It also falls during Sukkot and just after Milad un Nabi.

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said, “In the ELCA we are called to care for creation and for each other. The ELCA is proud to be part of One Home One Future. We invite all of our congregations to participate, no matter if they have a creation care team or are just getting started. I look forward to seeing ELCA congregations participate in cities and towns across the country and I am proud to stand together across faith traditions to protect our given and shared home.”

Bishop David C. Rice, Diocese of San Joaquin of The Episcopal Church said, “We are a faith community completely and utterly committed to creation care. It is our delight and our pleasure to participate, to engage in the One Home One Future campaign.

Congregations who participate in One Home One Future agree to visibly lead on creation care, display the One Home One Future banner in front of their house of worship, and take action within any number of the seven pathways to educate, activate, and empower clergy, congregants, youth, and all spiritual people – progressing beyond the climate activists – in meaningful and just climate solutions at the local, regional and national level. They are supported with a banner, congregational toolkit, a breadth of resources and tools relevant for their faith tradition, and the opportunity to connect and collaborate with other faith leaders and congregations within and across faiths nationwide.

One Home One Future recognizes that each of us can take steps to care for our shared home, every day. Equitable climate action does not have to be a new burden or responsibility; it can and should be part of our existing priorities and enrich our everyday lives. The goal of the campaign is to inspire the participation of tens of thousands of congregations, in every state, over the next seven years. Many denomination leaders are coming together in support of this initiative.

Bishop Vashti McKenzie, President and General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA said, “We are happy to be a part of this national faith and justice movement, One Home One Future campaign. We are called to be stewards, protectors, and preservers. As people of many faiths, our collective work is just as important as our individual work. Let’s accelerate and amplify our action and advocacy to protect our given and shared home.”

Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield, Presiding Bishop of the 13th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church said, “The African Methodist Episcopal Church is excited to be part of the One Home One Future campaign. We are called with other faiths to advocate and act for the care, support, and protection of our shared home.”

Rev. Dr. Willie Gable Jr., Director Faith Based Initiatives of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., said, “The National Baptist Convention is excited about participating in the One Home One Future campaign, and our constituent churches all across the United States eagerly await the launching of this campaign.”

“Presbyterians are called to care for all people and all of creation as we live out our Matthew 25 vision. With this in mind, the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) is pleased to be part of One Home One Future,” adds Rev. Dr. Diane L. Givens Moffett, President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. “I look forward to seeing PCUSA congregations in cities and towns nationwide be part of this wonderful campaign and I am proud to stand together across faith traditions to protect our given and shared earthly home.”

Becky O’Brien from Adamah shared, “We believe in the ancient Jewish teaching that people and the planet are one, Adam and Adamah. We want and need a natural world that thrives, and this is our warm invitation to you, your neighbors, your congregants, and your communities to join us. If you’re not already involved, let this be in your portal into action that will strengthen your community and help protect our shared home.”

One Home One Future invites people and congregations nationwide to participate, no matter if they have been engaging in creation care for some time, or just getting started. Learn more and join at OneHomeOneFuture.org.

Faith leader videos available on request
Photo: Midway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Midway, KY

One Home One Future Partners

Adamah
African Methodist Episcopal
American Baptist Church USA
Anabaptist Climate Collaborative
Blessed Tomorrow
BTS Center
Central Conference of American Rabbis Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Creation Care Alliance
Creation Justice Ministries
The Epispopal Church
Episcopal Diocese of Western MA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions
Green Chalice
The Green Good News
Islamic Society of North America
Lutherans Restoring Creation
Metropolitan Community Church
National Baptist Convention USA
National Council of Churches
Nazarenes for Creation Care
North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light Presbyterian Church USA
Sojourners
Texas Impact
Texas Interfaith Power and Light
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Church of Christ
United Women in Faith of the United Methodist Church
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology

This is an adapted repost from Blessed Tomorrow