Anglican Communion News Service

Sometimes concerns arise in the life of the Church and we tend to think that it is a brand new issue for the Anglican Communion. Questions around the integrity of the environment may feel relatively new but in fact it was the sixth meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council meeting twenty – five years ago in Badagry Nigeria (1984) Anglican concern led to the formation of The Anglican Communion Environmental Network. which stated that the fifth mark of mission was, "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the earth.” 

Bishop George Browning

Photo Credit: ACNS

We see this concern at the local level where parishioners and parishes have given leadership by being advocates for responsible environmental stewardship, by providing support and leadership to local initiatives, to protect the environment and by seeking to educate Anglicans as individuals and as communities to become better stewards of creation.

All of the instruments of Communion - The Archbishop of Canterbury, recent Primates meetings, the 1998 and 2008 Lambeth Conferences have all spoken about their concern for the environment. The Anglican Communion Environmental Network received recognition as an official network of the Anglican Communion at ACC-12 in Hong Kong (2002).

There are five aims that this network has as its mandate. They include:

• To encourage Anglicans to support sustainable environmental practices as individuals and in the life of their communities.
• To provide information about policies embraced by synods, councils and commissions, and especially by the instruments of Unity (Statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Resolutions and Reports of the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Consultative Council) 
• To support local initiatives by providing information about ideas and best practices developed around the communion.
• To share information about resources and initiatives that may be of value to Anglicans everywhere.
• To provide an opportunity for interested Anglicans to meet both as a formal network, and informally via electronic media.

One of the most passionate speakers on Environment issues in the Communion is the retired Bishop of Canberra and Goldburn George Browning, the convener of the network On the following podcast he talks about the history of the network and why profound change is needed if we are to continue to enjoy the creation that God has given us.