The Partnership MOU

With a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on 19th October 2022, Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture (ACI), Akropong-Akuapem, and A Rocha Ghana (ARG), Accra, formerly entered into a partnership in recognition of their common mission as two Christian foundations committed to making a difference in our societies about Christian creation care. Specifically, however, the Allison Mary Howell-Centre for Religion, Environment, Science and Development, (AMH-CRESAD) for ACI; and the Department of Creation Care (DCC) for ARG are responsible for the activities of the ACI-ARG Partnership.  

The Partnership’s main areas of operation fall under three (3) thematic areas:

Thematic Area 1. Theological Education in African Christian Creation Care.

Training of Church leaders in Certificate African Christian Creation Care Studies

Thematic Area 2. Advocacy and prophetic voices on Church/Religion engagement with the Environment. 

  1. Organising Allison Mary Howell Religion and Environment lectures, colloquia and symposia etc in November (in memory of the month of birth and death of Prof Howell)
  2. Researching and developing community empowering projects to discourage Christian abuse of environment and climate integrity.

Thematic Area 3. African Christian Creation Care Resource Materials.

  1. Sourcing and making available any print and/or electronic resources/materials that may serve as tools to enhance the environmental and climate actions of churches.

Inauguration of the Partnership with Tree Planting

The inauguration of the Partnership was on 19th October 2022. The programme was crowned with planting of two Dwarf Royal Palm trees to symbolise the Partnership and its obectives, in the quadron compound of ACI, at Akropong-Akuapem.

The Inaugural Symposium

Earlier the inaugural programme presented a maiden activity, the first Allison Howell Symposium on Church and Environment, at Akropong Akuapem and online (Google Meet) as well. About 51 people participated both in person and online. This maiden symposium was on the theme “Building Creation Care Culture in the African Church: The Process, Pulpit and Pew.” 

Rev. Dr. E. Y. Blasu, Rev.

Rev. Dr. E. Y. Blasu to set the ground and tone for the symposium Rev. Dr. Blasu explained the meaning and importance of the theme under discussion. He defined Creation Care Culture as the inner moral consciousness or character that can prompt us to behave instinctively in ways that ensure flourishing of life in the environment. It is what motivates us to take actions to sustain balanced and sustainable relationships with God, ourselves, and other creatures in our common earthly home. The process to develop this ecological character as African Christians is a lifelong one that should be consciously pursued by the African Church.

Therefore, to help both church leaders and members develop creation care culture or eco-character Dr Blasu suggested that the process needs to provide lifelong opportunities for people to transform their moral consciousness about caring for creation instinctively. The process may:

  1. Begin with orientations that ritually instil the moral consciousness to care for creation, which may be found in rites of outdooring babies.  
  2. Have to provide continuous education of the growing African Christian child for developing creation care character and by it get involved in practising creation care out of natural instinct.
  3. Require preparing education materials by retrieving, biblically reflecting on, and reinterpreting our African indigenous ideas, knowledge and practices of environmental sustenance, and integrating it with scientific ecological science.
  4. Call for turning congregations into Eco-churches that serve as natural eco-communities in which Christian children growing up can learn by observing how African Christian creation care is practiced, beginning with living simple ecologically inclined lifestyles.

“The Pulpit “ by Pastor Emmanuel Awudi

Text Box: Pastor Dr. Emmanuel Awudi delivers lectures on The PulpitIn his lecture, Pastor Dr. Awudi lamented that Christians have not adequately appropriated the relationship between theology and ecology. From his research, some Christian leaders, especially the pastors, who may be expected to influence creation care culture in the church, rather  discredit the practices of creation care. Some misinterpret eschatological teachings to justify their inaction to care for creation. The common phrase is ‘The heaven and earth shall pass away, why then should we save it?’  Others also think that too much emphasis on creation care would lead to environmental religion. He also attributed the neo-Pentecostal prosperity gospel as a reason for the neglect of the mission to care for God’s creation

Pastor Awudi however, indicated ways the Church could be responsible for creation care. This includes:

  • Training  of Ministers  to specialize in Eco-theology
  • Introduction of eco-theology curriculum to train ministers of seminaries
  • Urge Ministers to preach on Green Sermons
  • Repentance must be linked with repentance of ecological sins
  • Church infrastructure should be done with environmental consciousness
  • Development of Bible study materials and study guides should have issues with creation care

Rev. Dr. Joshua Settles delivers lectures on the Pew

Dr. Settles argued that “survival” is a significant situation that influences the role of the “pew” or members of the church in responding to creation care needs either positively or negatively even as Christians. He illustrated this by reflecting on two recent news items: the cocoa farmer who chose to exchange his cocoa farm for galamsey and the flood which occurred around the Kwame Nkrumah circle destroying properties and lives.  These issues are connected with socioeconomic livelihood opening the window for discussing creation care within the African context. He highlighted that although the citizens are aware that the degradation of the ecosystem impinges on their well-being, the most pressing issue of providing for their family pushes the issues to the side. The farmer offers his farm to galamsey because he cannot turn down the offer of GHC50,000. 

Any effort to build a culture of creation care from the  Pew perspective must not only lay the account of these realities but must build upon them for any substantial transformation.

According to Dr. Settles, certain ideologies such as Theological stumbling blocks-  the degradation and dismissal of indigenous wisdom found in African religion have been one of the foundational errors that must b corrected.

He indicated that the African Christian is more of the victim of the Western perpetrator of environmental injustice. 

He made some suggestions for some practical actions;

  • The building of creation care must be initiated by the members  and leaders must ensure inclusivity
  • Everyone’s contribution must be intentionally sought out or found as important
  • 1/7th of            Church lands to be designated as green spaces
  • The congregation must be at the forefront to ensure environmental  laws are enforced within the communities