Since our early days, A Rocha has intentionally encouraged churches across denominational lines to explore and implement creation care theology and activities.  We were thrilled, then, when our Community Organizer in Northern BC, Cindy Verbeek, joined a Creation Stewardship Taskforce convened by the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in North America.  She reports on the CRC’s recent decision to embrace creation stewardship denomination-wide.  She writes:

Over the past year I spent many hours working with the good people on the Creation Stewardship Taskforce, a group of diverse people gathered by the Board of Trustees, the governing body of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, in response to a request from Synod 2010. Our task was to, “… identify a biblical and Reformed perspective of our (the CRCNA’s) position on creation stewardship, including climate change, applicable to this millennium, for congregations, society, and our global gospel partners.”

The result of all our collaboration was a 62-page document ending with recommendations from the committee to the CRC in North America regarding creation stewardship and another 60-plus pages of more in depth discussion of climate science (the entire document can be found at www.crcna.org , click on Resources then Synodical Resources and find the Reports section). The Synod delegates passed all the Taskforce’s recommendations with just small modifications.  At the end of the proceedings the group received a standing ovation for their work and report. Now local congregations will have the challenge and opportunity to work out their denomination’s commitment to creation care “on the ground!”