KCFreePress.com

Stewardship. Taking care of the earth. It would seem to be a biblical imperative, one that churches would make a top priority. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. But a group of concerned Christians in Kansas City are taking steps to protect the environment, and are encouraging other people of faith to do the same.

For Carol Meyer, who attends St. Pius X Catholic Church in Mission, Kan., the environment is the issue.

"If we don’t have an earth, nothing else — terrorism, the economy — matters," she said.

Meyer holds a master’s in theology and is active in creation spirituality, which she says gives her a faith-filled perspective on the environment. She considers herself a "green educator" and is a member of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition of Greater Kansas City.

According to its Web site, the coalition "assists faith groups to preach, teach, model, and advocate for sustainable living and ecological justice for all creation." The group works to extend a helping hand to congregations of all denominations that are interested in going green but don’t know where to start.

Meyer said that awareness is finally growing in the faith community, but it’s slowly catching up to the secular community, which got there first.

“Congregations are still concerned about surviving, existing, concerned with inner dynamics. What is driving it (the environmental movement) are individuals in congregations saying, ‘Hey, let’s get something going here,’” she said.

Meyer also believes that churches ought to be fueling the environmental movement. “Because if we don’t, who will?” she said.

As with many day-to-day concerns, it’s money that matters, and it matters to churches, too. Meyer said the emphasis is on energy efficiency because of rising utility bills.

“Money starts this, but that doesn’t go far enough. We want every person of faith to be zealous about it," she said.

That’s where the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition comes in. The congregations in the coalition share experience and resources, and they reach out to congregations who aren’t doing anything.

“We can help you get started — you don’t have to start from scratch,” Meyer said.

Congregations and carbon footprints

Karin McAdams, a member of the Penn Valley Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), is concerned about her carbon footprint, as well as that of her congregation — although the size of the Quaker congregation in Kansas City is considerably smaller than the Catholic congregation Meyer belongs to.

That concern has led McAdams, the clerk of the congregation’s Earthcare Committee, to find small ways to reduce her group's impact on the environment. At meetings, for example, McAdams has the group use real dishes and silverware instead of styrofoam and plastic.

“We have an eclectic collection of real plates, real cups and cloth napkins, which I bought at a garage sale,” she said.

The Penn Valley house is also a member of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition, a group that touches many corners of the Kansas City faith community. In addition to the Quaker tradition at Penn Valley and the Catholic congregation at St. Pius X, the group includes Unitarian, Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Unitarian Universalist and Jewish congregations.

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, which was part of the founding group of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition, has tried to extend its environmental initiatives to many of its congregational activities — especially its meals.

“Whenever we eat meals at church, we eat low in the food chain and eat locally grown food,” said Marsha Scherubel, who is temporarily serving as the the chair of the All Souls Green Sanctuary Committee.

But it doesn't stop with menu choice. You know those one-quart size sandwich bags, the size of the bags the Transportation Security Administration allows you to take liquids aboard a plane in your carry-on luggage? The trash left over from a meal at All Souls has to fit in one of those. It’s part of an All Souls program called Eat Your Values.

All Souls also takes an environmental approach to the maintenance of its grounds. In 2007, All Souls won a National Wildlife Federation certification for its landscaping and a native garden. But to remain certified means ongoing education. As scientists learn more about the environment, that means more learning, and teaching, for All Souls.

For instance, next to the church is the Simpson House, a three-story mansion that the congregation leases for weddings and receptions and other events. One stipulation: whoever leases the Simpson House must recycle.

“The real challenge is to get cooperation from groups that are renting our space,” Scherubel said.

So as the Universalist Unitarian congregation continues its award-winning ways, one thing becomes clear: Environmental progress is “incredibly slow and incredibly not enough," Scherubel said.

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