Whether the calling to care for the Earth was stirred by childhood memories of camping or a theology course with Dr. Ellen Davis, many Duke Divinity alumni are wrestling with our world’s growing climate crisis and seeking to understand how to respond in their ministries.
How do we care for the most vulnerable? How do we push past people’s apathy? How can we meet all this need with so few resources? These are just a few of the questions that alumni are dealing with as they seek to address climate change in their day-to-day work.
The answers to these questions are varied, as unique as the contexts in which each person works.
Below is one of the six Duke Divinity alumni as they each follow their calling to creation care. Though in different settings and with varied populations, all of these alumni have put at the forefront of their work a desire to care for God’s land and people.
Duke Divinity is one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries supported by the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment of the United Methodist Church.
“When hotels are left empty, restaurants have no customers, and shops cannot sell goods, that affects the vitality of the church and community as a whole.”
“Ocracoke Island is essentially a sandbar in the middle of the ocean,” says Rev. Logan Jackson (Master of Divinity, 2017), the lead pastor of Ocracoke UMC in Ocracoke, N.C., whose church is one of three congregational communities on the island. The faith communities often work closely together to reach the various populations and needs on the island.
Jackson says, “With global warming, we have seen an increase in the number and strength of storms as well as major shoaling and erosion of the Outer Banks.” The only ways to get to the island are ferries, boats, or planes. The lack of bridge access shapes two big issues that affect the population in Ocracoke: tourism and medical access.
Ocracoke survives economically through the tourism industry. If there is no way on or off of the island during or after storms, visitors cannot get there to support the residents via tourism. “When hotels are left empty, restaurants have no customers, and shops cannot sell goods, that affects the vitality of the church and community as a whole,” Jackson says.
In the same way, people in Ocracoke are often left stranded during medical emergencies and natural disasters. Jackson notes, “I have heard of EMTs being unable to get back to the island during storms, residents being left without care when medical professionals cannot reach them, and the Coast Guard having to rescue people off grounded ferries.”
Jackson, who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee, began his career with over 10 years in camping ministry before becoming a pastor. He says, “I have always been interested in the environment, but my experiences have helped me to relate God’s creation to the local church on a level that has inspired the laity to get involved.” The church council at Ocracoke UMC helped Jackson become trained as an EarthKeeper, providing helpful feedback and active participation in his training process.
At first, Jackson wasn’t sure how the church would feel about this goal, but they understood and supported his calling to care for the island of Ocracoke and God’s creation. In beginning this work with his congregation, Jackson is focused on small projects: “We collect and recycle paper, shred it, and have it available for community members to use in gardens and compost bins which are fairly common on the island. We also collect charging cords and small electronics and send them off to a recycling facility that breaks them down and turns them into new electronics for people to purchase.”
His church’s support makes him hopeful for bigger projects in the future to help preserve and protect the wildlife, the island, and the populations most vulnerable to the climate crisis.
Story by Rebekah Ramlow, Duke Divinity School website, Durham, NC
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Ministerial Education Fund is at the heart of preparing people for making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The 13 United Methodist seminaries help students to discover their calling through the challenging curriculum. The fund enables the church to increase financial support for recruiting and educating ordained and diaconal ministers and to equip annual conferences to meet increased demands. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
