Over 200 Faith Leaders To Gather In Decatur Next Week To Consider Climate Resiliency in Georgia

Jan 25

DECATUR, Ga. — Over 200 faith leaders and environmental advocates will gather next Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Decatur, Georgia for a Green Team Summit on climate resiliency hosted by Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL). The event (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) is designed to provide attendees with practical insights for cultivating climate resilience in their local communities and building a resilient democracy by advocating for environmentally just policies statewide.

“Georgia is one of the states in the U.S. most vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” says Codi Norred, Executive Director of GIPL. “It is vital we provide congregations with the necessary tools and resources to help communities withstand sea level rise, increased flooding, and extreme heat, as well as rising energy costs and pollution.”

Dr. Debra Rienstra, professor at Calvin University and author of Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth (Fortress 2022) will offer the keynote, emphasizing the importance of resilient faith in addressing these environmental injustices in Georgia and beyond. Following her talk, there will be a panel response from local faith leaders and a climate scientist offering context from their traditions and backgrounds.

The summit will conclude with a series of workshops to equip individuals and faith communities to organize, combat climate change through practical climate solutions, like Solar, and engage in climate advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels.

“I go to this Summit every year,” says Tanya Frazee, a parishioner at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Decatur. “Every year I learn something new that helps my faith community become a better champion for Creation.”

This year’s event is sponsored by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church, and Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, as well as countless other congregations and environmental nonprofits. Those interested may learn more at gipl.org/events/gts24.

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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.