By the Rev. Rachel Field

The groaning of creation has been increasingly audible as we witness (and experience) the ways that climate change is driving ecosystem collapse around the world.  As Episcopalians, we believe that our relationship with God’s creation is sacred, and that what we do to “the least of these” is felt in the heart of God. 

From that posture of relationship, the two Episcopal dioceses in Massachusetts have joined together to create a substantial framework to help congregations engage meaningfully in the work of creation justice. This initiative, An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice, is grounded in four areas: pray, learn, act, and advocate. 

The Path is a dynamic and interactive collection of resources for parishes seeking to assess their level of engagement with creation justice in each of these four areas and to find support for going deeper. For example, a parish that has taken action to complete an energy audit of the building might be surprised to learn that there are feast days in the Episcopal calendar that celebrate planting and harvest.  In this case, the parish is heavily engaged in action, but could use deepening in prayer.        

In developing this path, the Creation Care Justice Network of both Massachusetts dioceses recognizes that transformation includes not only education, but also moral support, friendly encouragement, and trying out new ways of being. An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice is therefore not merely a collection of resources; it also offers monthly meetings with a trained companion who serves as an interpreter of the resources and a spiritual guide for the parish in its work of self-reflection and deepening involvement. 

With the support of a Creation Care grant from The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on Creation Care and Environmental Racism, the two dioceses will launch a six-month pilot version of the Path in October 2023. During the pilot phase we will evaluate our training program for companions and will monitor and evaluate the impact of the Path on the 12 parishes enrolled. The pilot phase will conclude on Earth Day 2024 with a day of public celebration, liturgy, and inspiring climate speakers, including Bill McKibben (350.org and Third Act).  

After a thorough review and revision of the Path, we aim to open the Path to all Episcopal dioceses and other members of the Anglican Communion during General Convention 2024. To learn more, or to connect with the Creation Care Justice Network around the pilot program, please reach out to the coordinator of An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice, the Rev. Rachel Field (rachelf2000@gmail.com).

Rev. Rachel Field, project coordinator for An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice

The Rev. Rachel Field comes to creation care work having spent most of her life in the tidal flats of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where the blue crabs and herons captivated her attention. That awe and fascination with the world led her to deeper questions about God and eventually encouraged her to shape a life close to the land in Vermont. She has worked with Mission Farm in Vermont, the Church of the Woods in New Hampshire, the Retreat House at Hillsboro, and as a region missionary for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Her work focuses on building emerging ministries and networks. She is an experiment manager for TryTank and the owner/co-director of Heartberry Hollow Farm & Forest, which is a regenerative farm and retreat center in central Vermont.