Interfaith Climate Action summit combatting climate change - Spectrum News

Interfaith Climate Action summit combatting climate change

In the fight against climate change, guests and congregations gathered for the Rochester Area Interfaith Climate Action Group’s annual climate summit.

“[We are] really trying to push out the message of the role of faith leaders and people in ministry to get on board with the clarion call for climate action in light of climate change and how it is really putting our planet and our life together in jeopardy,” Spiritus Christi Church Pastor Myra Brown said.

The faith-based group was inspired by different individuals with different beliefs finding common ground to fight for a planet everyone shares.

“It didn't matter whether we were Jewish, Buddhist, Presbyterian [or] Catholic,” co-president of RAICA Ruth Marchetti said. “We all had this fundamental belief in a benevolent creator and an earth in crisis, and that if we wanted a livable world for our children and our grandchildren and everybody else's children and grandchildren who are already suffering in some parts of the world.”

Finding faith leaders to play an important role in educating and making a change within their own congregations, the organization hopes this sparks more advocacy for environmental issues.

“That can be challenging,” Marchetti said. “It can be scary for a faith leader. And I hope there's lots of good conversations going on, how we can actually implement changes in our faith communities among facilities.”

The event spotlighted speakers such as Rev. Myra Brown using her faith to lead the way for climate action.

“Faith is not in conflict with science,” Brown said. “We have been given a faith call, just like we have a scientific call [and] a responsibility to take care of the earth. And so it's our role to do this in partnership with God and to learn how to fall in love with this earth that has been given to us as a gift.”

Brown finds her role vital both within her church and her own life.

“I do love this role of being a faith leader,” Brown said. “I love the fact that it is everyday parishioners in my church who called me into the world of climate change, had it not been for them, I wouldn't be here today.”

Organizers hope to seek change not only in faith-based spaces, but find that everyone can play an important part in advancing climate justice and action.

“Everybody has a role they can play that each one of us can make a contribution to this work of climate action that would literally transform our world,” Brown said. “It's beautiful. It takes care of us. And we should also take care of it.”