Creation Care Film Series Features ELCA Faith Leaders

Chicago — Four leaders from ministries across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) share how their faith journeys intersect with their commitment to creation care in the seven-part short film series “Caring for the Earth: Stories From Faith Communities.” The free-to-access series premieres online April 25 as part of this year’s National Faith + Climate Forum.

Joining with more than 25 other representatives — including youths, organizers and advocates from Christian, Muslim, Indigenous, Baha’i and Jewish communities — these ELCA leaders will share inspiring stories that highlight the importance of caring for both community and the environment:

• Gabrielle Irle, outreach coordinator, Lutherans Restoring Creation.

• Christine Moffet, program director for environment and energy policy, ELCA Witness in Society.

• The Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos, ELCA director for theological diversity and ecumenical and interreligious engagement.

• Dr. Rebecca Wiese, physician, Quad Cities Interfaith creation care, and retired ELCA deacon.

A free study guide is available for each 20-minute film in the series, containing discussion questions, Scripture, prayers and practical next steps for faith communities to help implement positive changes.

“I’m excited to work alongside my ELCA siblings in Christ to affirm how much good can be done when we come together to protect both our planet and those most affected by climate change,” said Santos. “I hope our stories foster productive conversations among viewers that move from words to faithful, value-fueled climate solutions.”

“Caring for the Earth” was developed through a partnership between ecoAmerica’s faith program Blessed Tomorrow, which brings together a coalition of diverse religious partners, including the ELCA, to advance climate solutions, and the award-winning film company Climate Listening Project.

Blessed Tomorrow also hosts the National Faith + Climate Forum, an annual gathering of over 2,000 participants across more than 80 in-person locations. The event draws representatives from more than 550 congregations and 30 faith traditions and denominations.

Learn more about the forum — which will feature ELCA speakers and in-person host locations — on the program website. The site also provides free resources to help groups of all sizes engage in faith-based climate discussions.

Discover more about the ELCA’s work on creation care and climate justice by reading the ELCA’s social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice (1993) and social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis” (2023). Learn more about the work of the ELCA’s affiliated organizations: Lutherans Restoring Creation and the Center for Climate Justice and Faith.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.7 million members in more than 8,300 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

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