Delegates at the 2019 National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) took action to encourage congregations, faith communities, ministry organizations, areas, and synods to participate in the ELCIC Stewardship of Creation: Greening Faith Communities program as an expression of commitment to stewardship of creation.
The Convention joined the 2017 Lutheran World Federation Assembly in “affirming the fact that the global ecological crisis, including climate change, is human-induced. It is a spiritual matter. As people of faith, we are called to journey together toward a healthy relationship with the earth,” and in “affirming its commitment to implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “
The Convention directed National Church Council to investigate what would be required for the ELCIC to be carbon neutral by 2050 and to report to the 2022 National Convention.
Recognizing that there is growing concern about the ecological impact of the production, consumption and disposal of many plastic products, particularly single-use plastics, the convention passed a resolution that encourages congregations, faith communities, ministry organizations, areas, and synods to reduce the use of simple-use plastic products. It also encourages individual members to reduce their reliance on single-use plastic.
