RESOLUTION #2:
Stewardship of our Earth, our Resources, and our Heritage

REFERRED TO COUNCIL

SPONSORS: the Rev. Andrew Wendle (Pastor, Our Redeemer, Hood River), the Rev. Chris Kramer (Pastor, Zion Lutheran, The Dalles), Debby Chenoweth (member, Our Redeemer, Mt. Hood Cluster Synod Council Representative), the Rev. William Coffman (Interim Pastor, Bethesda), Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (January 25th, 2009, Annual Meeting Vote), Trinity Lutheran Church (March 10th, 2009, Church Council Meeting)

WHEREAS climate change is a well established and alarming condition affecting the “least of these” throughout our world; and

WHEREAS there are ways available for us as individuals and as communities to combat this condition; and

WHEREAS we already have a social statement in the ELCA (ELCA Social Statement on the Environment:
Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, 8/28/1993) that says (in part):
We of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are deeply concerned about the environment, locally and globally, as members of this church and as members of society. Even as we join the political, economic, and scientific discussion, we know care for the earth to be a profoundly spiritual matter.
As Lutheran Christians, we confess that both our witness to God's goodness in creation and our acceptance of care giving responsibility have often been weak and uncertain. …
We pray, therefore, that our church may be a place where differing groups can be brought together, tough issues considered, and a common good pursued…
We pray, therefore, for the strength to change our personal and public lives, to the end that there may be enough…
We pray, therefore, for the humility and wisdom to stand with and for creation, and the fortitude to support advocates whose efforts are made at
personal risk…
We pray, therefore, for the creativity and dedication to live more gently with the earth…; and

WHEREAS many congregations are stretched beyond their budgetary limits on an annual basis; and

WHEREAS relieving any given congregation from some of its energy bills would free up thousands of dollars in each congregation for mission; therefore be it

RESOLVED Oregon Synod hereby creates the Ecological Stewardship Fund for the purpose of making money available to assist communities of faith within the Oregon Synod to make capital improvements that will positively impact their ecological footprint; and be it further

RESOLVED Oregon Synod hereby creates an Ecological Stewardship Committee to administer the fund, promote its existence and determine a granting procedure to award monies from this fund; and be it further

RESOLVED that the committee will seek out opportunities to leverage its resources in ways that will multiply efforts already underway in this regard; and be it further

RESOLVED that priority will be given to improving congregational facilities that will reduce the impact energy consumption has upon congregations such as solar panels, solar water heaters, wind turbines, geothermal heating/cooling, etc; and be it further

RESOLVED that the Synod Council will assure that a biennial review and audit are conducted and determine the procedure and criteria for that review and audit; and be it further

RESOLVED that we, the 2009 Oregon Synod Assembly, confess that our “our sin and captivity lie at the roots of the current crisis” but nonetheless claim the promise of "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev 21:1), and join in the offertory prayer (Lutheran Book of Worship, page 109): "Blessed are you, O Lord our God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts. With them we offer ourselves to your service and dedicate our lives to the care and redemption of all that you have made, for the sake of Him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (ELCA Social Statement on the Environment: Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, 8/28/1993)