Church leaders behind key 'Creation Care' conference amid concerns for Northern Ireland environment
The Irish Council of Churches and Irish Inter Church Meeting group, along with the church leaders, are organising an innovative 'Creation Care' conference – with the theme ‘Let Justice Flow Like Rivers’ – on Saturday, January 17 in Canal Court Hotel, Newry.
The all-day conference will be an opportunity for Christians to consider the power of collective action in caring for God’s creation. Motivated by a growing concern for the pollution in our loughs and rivers, it will bring together theologians, scientists, farmers, clergy and lay people to be inspired by stories of hope and local action.
Keynote speakers, in the morning session, will include Dr Jim McAdam, from Queen’s University Belfast; Dr Gail Heffner, American author of 'Reconciliation in a West Michigan Watershed' and co-founder of Plaster Creek Stewards, and Dr Hilary Marlowe, a researcher and tutor on theology and the environment from Girton College, Cambridge.
Northern Ireland agriculture minister Andrew Muir will also present, along with an Irish Republic government representative.
The afternoon session will look at the question: "What contributions can and do churches make to creation care?" This will an opportunity to hear about, and discuss, how the practical work of creation care is being done in local churches through the following presentations:
How Eco-Congregation Ireland (ECI) members are contributing to creation care – Jim Farrell, Chairman, ECI.
Creation Care in a minority church – Roy Douglas, Moravian church member, emeritus professor in the school of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Queen’s University, Belfast. and chief scientific officer of Catagen Ltd, a net-zero technology company.
Measuring impact of creation care in the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Dublin – Róisín Nic Cóil, technical project manager.
Volunteering for creation care: experiences from Methodist Centenary church, Dublin – Maureen Rowan, eco-congregation co-ordinator.
Northern Ireland church leaders’ visit to Coney Island on Lough Neagh.
* The Irish Council of Churches is a network of member churches from the Protestant, Orthodox, Reformed and independent church traditions and formally collaborates with the Roman Catholic Church through the Irish Inter-Church meeting.
The Irish church leaders' group comprises representatives of the Presbyterian Church, Church of Ireland, Methodist Church, Roman Catholic Church. and president of the Irish Council of Churches.