Faith Moves Mountains – An introduction
What is Faith Moves Mountains?
Faith Moves Mountains is a national Church response to a problem that is a pressing reality for many parts of the Anglican Communion. It provides a vehicle through which you can join with others in building a movement for climate justice whether that be by praying for those affected by climate change, contributing financially to support partners protect themselves against climate change or campaigning for effective policy and action at national and international levels to counter the threats of counter climate.
Why was it set up?
In 2006 a Church of England briefing paper Climate Change: Not Just a Green Issue, set out the case that climate change affects all of us, but it is the world’s poor – those who contributed least to the problem and have the least capacity to adapt – that are already suffering its devastating impact. The paper made the case that climate change threatens to push many communities still further into poverty and that leaving the world’s poor to sink or swim with their own meagre resources in the face of the threat posed by climate change was morally unacceptable. It was on the basis of this analysis that the Church of England’s parliament, the General Synod, agreed in July 2008 to launch an initiative with Tearfund through which individuals, parishes and diocese could respond to the injustices of a changing climate. Initially launched as the Climate Justice Fund in September 2009, the website was re-launched as Faith Moves Mountains in 2010.
Why was there a re-launch?
Originally, the Climate Justice Fund provided a means through which individuals could calculate their carbon footprint and pay into a central fund anything other their fair share. The feedback suggested that many people wanted to have a more holistic tool for engaging with climate change as a justice issue. Individuals, parishes and diocese can still use the website to contribute to the Climate Justice Fund, but the website now provides a host of new resources and tools to explain climate justice and what you can do though prayer, giving and campaigning to secure justice for those already struggling with a changing climate.
Does that mean there is no fund?
No, individuals, parishes and diocese can still use the website to contribute to the Climate Justice Fund, but the website now provides a host of new resources and tools to explain climate justice and what you can do though prayer, giving and campaigning to secure justice for those already struggling with a changing climate.
What’s the inspiration for Faith Moves Mountains?
A noticeable trend in recent years has been the growing sense of climate fatigue. All too often people feel overwhelmed by the scientific analysis underpinning the climate change debate and disheartened by the political antics of governments who appear to put their own narrow interest above that of the common good. Looking at the big picture can sometimes be so disheartening that people question whether there is any bother taking action. Yet as Christians, an important lesson about faith is given to us by Jesus in Matthew 17:20-21. ‘If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you’. Taking this text as its starting point, Faith Moves Mountains holds that if together we plant our mustard seeds of faith we can move the mountain that is climate change.
How can my Church get involved?
What can my Diocese do to help build a movement for climate justice?
We hope you will incorporate Faith Moves Mountains in your diocesan environmental strategy and promote it through the normal channels of communication. This might mean having a link from your diocesan website to the Faith Moves Mountains website or providing regular coverage from the three chosen Anglican partners in your diocesan or parish newsletter. Why not explore whether your diocese might chose one or more of the partners as a focus for your diocesan or Church harvest appeal. The value is not just in any money raised but in the educational opportunity it provides to introduce people to the issue of climate justice. Alternatively, why not see whether your diocese or church might participate in the latest campaign action on climate justice.
How can my Church help build the movement for climate justice?
The most important contribution that your Church can make is to pray for those affected by climate change and for national governments whose responsibility it is to develop a just, fair and equitable response to climate change. The prayer section of the Faith Moves Mountains website provides helpful prayers for immediate use. Your Church can also sign up to receive monthly prayers on climate justice that are linked in with the political and religious calendar. There are also some moving and encouraging stories from the partners supported by the website’s Climate Justice Fund that are regularly updated. These stories provide helpful material to reflect and pray on as part of a wider Church or house study group. Click here to learn how your Church can pray for those affected by a changing climate.
How can my Church help campaign for climate justice?
The Campaign section of the Faith Moves Mountains website provides regular campaign actions throughout the year. These actions provide important opportunities to show visible solidarity with those affected by a changing climate, not least those partners supported by the website’s Climate Justice Fund. These campaign actions can be a good means to introduce one’s friends and church to the topic. There are a number of educational resources that are available on line to assist you explain to others why climate change is important and why at its heart it is matter of justice. Raising people’s awareness of the issues and drawing them into the campaign is important if we hope to build a movement for climate justice. Click here to learn more about how your Church can campaign for climate justice.
How can my Church help support financially those already affected by climate change?
The Climate Justice Fund’s section of the Faith Moves Mountains website provides a safe and reliable way in which your Church can help support three Anglican Church projects in Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo that are helping poor communities respond quickly and effectively to the challenges of climate change. From provision of drought-resistant seeds to running training workshops on the most effective ways to adapt to climate change, your Church’s active financial support will help transform the lives of people who need it most. Click here to learn more about how your Church can contribute to the Climate Justice Fund.
How can I get involved?
What can I do to help build a movement for climate justice?
The most important contribution that you can make is to pray for those affected by climate change and for national governments whose responsibility it is to develop a just, fair and equitable response to climate change. The Praying section of the Faith Moves Mountains website provides helpful prayers for immediate use. You can also sign up to receive monthly prayers on climate justice that are linked in with the political and religious calendar. There are also some moving and encouraging stories from the partners supported by the website’s Climate Justice Fund that are regularly updated. These stories provide helpful material to reflect and pray on either on ones’ own or as part of a wider Church or house study group. Click here to learn how your Church can pray for those affected by a changing climate.
How can I help campaign for climate justice?
The Campaign section of the Faith Moves Mountains website provides regular campaign actions throughout the year. These actions provide important opportunities to show visible solidarity with those affected by a changing climate, not least those partners supported by the website’s Climate Justice Fund. Why not introduce your friends and church to taking action on climate change through these actions? You could use these educational resources (link)to help you explain why climate change is important. Click here to learn more about how you can campaign for climate justice.
How can I help support financially those already affected by climate change?
The Climate Justice Fund’s section of the Faith Moves Mountains website provides a safe and reliable way in which you can help support three Anglican Church projects in Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo that are helping poor communities respond quickly and effectively to the challenges of climate change. From provision of drought-resistant seeds to running training workshops on the most effective ways to adapt to climate change, your active financial support will help transform the lives of people who need it most.
Why were these partners chosen?
The three projects currently being supported were rigorously selected on the basis that they are high-quality and successful Anglican initiatives, that they share a vision for integral mission (working for both material and spiritual transformation), and that they have an emphasis on helping people adapt to the effects of climate change.
We have deliberately limited the number of partners to three in the first instance – sustainable development involves building long-term partnerships that deliver real and lasting change. As the movement for climate justice grows we expect the fund to be in a better position to support a range of climate projects that better reflects the richness and diversity of our relationships across the Anglican Communion.
What guarantees are there that my money will be used to finance climate-specific projects?
Any money that you give to the fund will be managed by Tearfund, one of the UK’s leading relief and development agencies, committed to working in partnership with churches around the world to tackle the causes and effects of poverty.
Drawing on more than 40 years of practice and expertise, Tearfund will ensure that your money is spent well. As one of the first agencies to be involved in the field of adaptation, Tearfund has developed rigorous criteria against which it has tested the effectiveness and sustainability of the three Anglican Church climate projects being supported by the fund.
How does all this relate to Shrinking the Footprint?
Faith Moves Mountains is a Church of England backed initiative that is loosely linked with Shrinking the Footprint, the Church of England’s national environmental campaign. Shrinking the Footprint is a top down initiative and equips churches with environmental toolkits. Faith Moves Mountains is a bottoms up initiative enabling individuals to respond faithfully to the concerns of partners from around the Anglican Communion who are already struggling to adapt to a shifting climate.
communication.
How can I find out more about Faiths Moves Mountains?
For further information about Faith Moves Mountains, please contact Charles Reed, the International Development Secretary for the Archbishops’ Council, by email on climate.justice@c-of-e.org.uk.