Woodland’s Full Oikonomos Statement

God created the world, and the scriptures teach us that it is still God’s world. God entrusted humans to use the earth’s resources for our benefit, but also commands us to be good stewards and managers of creation so that future generations can enjoy the beauty and magnificence of this planet.

For over a hundred years, humans have unintentionally and selfishly exploited God’s world and its natural resources. This abuse is manifested in a climate crisis that endangers all life on this planet. Overwhelming scientific evidence has identified the primary cause of climate change as human behavior.

The sacredness of life is a prominent theme in Scripture and is the pinnacle standard of Christian ethics. Christians believe that people should be treated with love and justice because they are sacred in God’s sight. Jesus says that God loves all creatures when he refers to the birds of the air also have a share of divinely given sacred worth.

Almost daily disasters are occurring, leaving our brothers and sisters around the world devastated — especially those Jesus called “the least of these.” We follow the admonition of the prophet Amos 5:24 … let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, by finding ways to assist and bring relief to the suffering of those who can’t act for themselves. The climate crisis is causing the deaths of individuals and endangering entire cultures. It is causing food and water shortages, and triggering displacement and conflict. Air and water pollution affect quality of life and health, including heat stresss and disease outbreaks.

Christians know how to respond to these needs and are called to act as disciples of Jesus, with compassion and resources. The scientific community has given us a roadmap to assist in mitigating the damage we have done to God’s creation. All of us are suffering from this damage and the members of Woodland believe we must offset the devastation of what future generations will experience if we don’t act now.

As Christians, we have the spiritual and moral obligation to do whatever we can to restore God’s creation by employing our resources to reduce our carbon footprint by utilizing clean energy resources, recycling, and other effective creative solutions.

God promises in 2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The greatest gift Christian faith offers the world is hope. God will bless our actions when we follow God’s will. We will continue to educate, cooperate with like-minded groups, engage in redemptive conversations, pursue advocacy efforts and act as good Christian stewards in the local, national, and global communities.