Green Christian at the Church of England Synod in York
Saturday 8th July and Sunday 9th July 2023
University of York
Green Christian is supporting Christian Climate Action’s vigil outside the Church of England Synod.
The vigil
- celebrates the decision to divest from fossil fuels,
- laments climate breakdown, and
- prays for the church to respond with urgent, meaningful action
We are particularly praying for the adoption in full of the Oxford Motion.
The Oxford motion
… to move on behalf of the Oxford Diocesan Synod:
That this Synod, affirming the fifth mark of mission, concerned by the scientific evidence that climate change is proceeding at a rapid rate and by the impact of climate events, and seeking to build on the decisions taken with respect to GS 2159:
a) urge the National Investing Bodies of the Church of England to prioritise investment in renewable energy;
b) call on all parts of the Church of England to review their policies and procedures, in order to ensure that they give due priority to creation care;
c) urge the Church of England to further develop pre- and post-ordination and lay training to deepen understanding in how care for the earth is part of our Christian faith and a missional imperative;
d) urge all parts of the Church of England to seek to support, through prayer, advocacy and practical action, the poorest in the world who are suffering the most from the impacts of climate change, in the awareness that our nation has been among those who have benefited most from the emissions that have caused the crisis;
e) commit earnestly and regularly to pray – and to promote prayer – about the climate and wider environmental crisis.
f) call upon all institutions of the Church of England to make urgent practical preparations for the delivery of substantial reduction of the Church’s carbon footprint, including, but not restricted to, the following immediate actions in respect of Church buildings:
(i) ensuring that the NCIs are adequately resourced to provide DACs, Buildings Departments, Education Departments and others with authoritative national guidance notes, advice and training on key technical and procedural questions relating to adaptation of buildings for the net zero target; and
(ii) ensuring that Parish Buying and other national-level entities have the capacity to engage with manufacturers and suppliers of products and processes recommended for making our buildings more efficient, with a view to using the scale of the national net zero project to achieve both sympathetic design and economies of scale on cost.
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