Cumming Church is one of Six National Winners of Interfaith Power and Light’s Cool Congregations Award

Feb 23

WASHINGTON—Cumming First United Methodist Church (UMC) in Cumming, Georgia is one of only six national Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) Cool Congregations awarded a $1,000 prize in 2024. This annual contest accepts applications from religious communities across the United States working to address climate change.

Cumming First UMC won the Cool Planner award for their plans to improve their campus’s energy efficiency by 25%. The award is in addition to a Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) Power-Wise Matching Grant of $3,500 the congregation received in 2023. Together, these funds will be used to install a new building automation system, saving the church an estimated $24,000 annually and reducing their carbon emissions by 94 metric tons.

“I’m proud of all the work Cumming First UMC is doing to not only protect Sacred Earth but also reduce their overhead and invest more resources in mission and ministries that serve their community,” says Hannah Shultz, GIPL’s Program Director.

Hannah and her team have worked with Cumming First UMC throughout GIPL’s Power-Wise Program to find solutions that maximize energy savings and invest more funds back into ministry. The building automation system was the project that offered the most bang for their buck.

“It’s awesome to see how caring for Creation is helping us better care for our community,” says Rev. Dr. Matt Stewart, Senior Pastor at Cumming First UMC.

The Cool Congregations challenge shows people of faith united by concerns about climate change taking decisive action to protect our Common Home. The winners are becoming moral role models for their communities.

“Cumming First UMC and the other national winning congregations are casting a vision for the kind of world in which they want to live, and then carrying out that vision with practical actions that make a real difference in creating lasting solutions to climate change,” says Rev. Susan Hendershot, President of national IPL.

Interested congregations may learn more about funding available for energy efficiency retrofits at gipl.org/funding.

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Interfaith Power & Light is mobilizing a religious response to global warming in congregations by promoting energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Learn more at interfaithpowerandlight.org

Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that inspires and equips communities of faith to organize, implement practical climate solutions, and advocate across Georgia on issues of climate change, environmental justice, and community resilience. An affiliate of the national Interfaith Power and Light movement, GIPL envisions a Georgia where all people can flourish in a healthy environment, a stable climate, and resilient communities. Learn more at gipl.org.