Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Spring 2013 Issue | Page 25
Committee
Spotlight
Stewardship of Creation: Moving Forward
Martha Burford Jones
On Sunday, January 13, 2013, the Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick, assistant
bishop, preached at Holy Comforter, Richmond, sharing the
message that we should strive to be even better stewards
of God’s creation. Gulick stressed that all of creation is an
outreach and manifestation of the Divine Love. The sermon
tied in the theme from the preceding day’s meeting of the
diocesan Stewardship of Creation Committee (SoCC), where 20
people from around the Diocese gathered at Holy Comforter in
faith and hope to address concerns about God’s creation.
In the course of the day, the SoCC, chaired by Craig
Dubishar, welcomed new members and guests, and the
room buzzed with networking and brainstorming. Among
the guests were Pat Watkins, a missionary with the Board of
Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church serving as
the executive director of Caretakers of God’s Creation; Marco
Grimaldo, CEO and president of the Virginia Interfaith Center
for Public Policy; and Robert Faithful, former policy analyst,
U.S. Department of Interior. All who attended were welcomed
at Holy Comforter Church by the church’s HoCo Eco Steward
Committee, which served a thoughtfully sustainable lunch to
the diocesan groups and guests.
Core to the SoCC’s mission is education. The group
debated its role as educators and networkers, as well as
questions of where education evolves into advocacy or action.
The committee expressed appreciation to Tal Day, vice chair,
for his excellent leadership in developing the Committee’s 2012
and 2013 Fall Conferences, both addressing the key local and
global issues of food and agriculture sustainability. The 2013
Conference (September 21, 2013) which will include presenters
on preserving biodiversity, leveraging federal programs for
agriculture, genetically modified crop issues as a concern for
the Episcopal Church, and bay and ocean health. Our keynote
Photo: Craig Dubishar
Attendees at January’s meeting of the Stewardship of Creation
Committee discuss current issues during the lunch break. Seated
left to right are Eleonore Spears, Tal Day, the Rev. Pat Watkins,
Craig Anderson and the Rev. Joie Weiher (back to camera).
speaker is the Rev. Richard Cizik, the outspoken supporter of
taking action to address climate change and global warming.
After the SoCC meeting on January 12, Dubishar continued
to explore topics of interest with the HoCo Eco Stewards
group and presented a forum on stewardship of creation after
Sunday’s service with members of Holy Comforter.
For more information on these topics and to sign up
for our weekly “eBlast” (short, topical communications
perfect for your parish e-mails, bulletins and newsletters),
contact Craig at [email protected] or visit the SoCC’s website
at www.caringforgodscreation.net. Blog with us at www.
caringforgodscreation.net/blog and plan to attend our next
meeting May 4 in Fredericksburg (location to be announced). t
DOV Q&A
Diocesan staff provide answers to frequently asked
questions about life in the Diocese.
I know we want to do some mission/service work with the youth
from my church. Now what?
A: Do something. Anything! As long as you’re engaging with
God’s creation in the world, you are off to a great start. “Mission”
or “service” trips don’t need to be big, international endeavors.
They don’t even have to be overnight trips! Begin by talking
to the youth in your church. Where do THEY want to go? What
do THEY want to do? And most importantly, what can they
reasonably give of their time, treasure and talents?
Where should I even start?
A: Check out the Global Episcopal Mission Network for sample
forms, documents, permission slips, and much more at gemn.
org. For info on trip insurance, visit gomissiontrip.com.
What are other churches up to?
A: The youth-related mission and service events that the churches
in our Diocese are participating in and leading are as diverse as
the churches themselves! Please c