Beloved Earth

The Beloved Earth Community is a group of passionate climate change activists.  Since we take to heart the church’s mission to care for the earth, we work on projects in 3 main areas: education, greening the church, and political action.   You’ll see us out in the streets with signs at climate marches, or at coffee hour raising awareness and funds for Standing Rock pipeline action, for example.  We like recycling, paper reduction and food justice.  We take on big projects like divestment from fossil fuels – a multi-year project at TRC.  Finding paths toward environmental justice is a concern in which we have befriended New York’s other activists and religious climate groups.  Beloved Earth has a good track record and is therefore known in the city as a very active and effective environmental church group.  By hosting forums and films we attract a broader public to the church.

Annually at a one day planning retreat we lay out the year’s priorities.   In the recent past our invitation to Bill McKibben drew a huge crowd to hear his viral sermon.  Our campaign to ban fracking at TRC resulted in a congregational resolution, right in line with New York’s ban by the Governor a year later.

There’s a great sense of comaraderie doing this important work.  Anyone is welcome at our monthly meetings, the first Saturday of the month at noon with potluck lunch in the Multi-Purpose Room.  Beloved Earth is a task force of Mission and Social Justice Commission. For more information contact Alan Bentz-Letts, BEC chair at alanbentzletts@gmail.com or Regina Tate, BEC vice-chair at mariposa21355@yahoo.com.

Listen to audio reflections on environmental justice and spirituality on Be Still and Go
Read Beloved Earth’s Divest Riverside Report
Divestment FAQ