We are very pleased to announce that the next issue of The Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ), due in April, will be devoted almost entirely to the topic of creation care. This journal, published by Missionexus, is respected and read by missionaries and mission organizations around the world. Having them devote an entire issue to this topic is an important indicator that the missions community is beginning to pay attention.

EMQ is published online and the new issue will be available here when it is ready (on or about the beginning of April). Some of the articles will be available to anyone on the website; reading and downloading the main articles will require a subscription (instructions on the website). Hardcopies will also be available through Amazon’s print-on-demand service.

As a reader of The Pollinator you will discover that you know many of the authors. We hope that you will take the opportunity to sign up to read this issue, and to tell your friends, colleagues and others about this important resource.

Here’s part of the table of contents to whet your appetite:

• Is Creation Care Really a Gospel Issue? – ED BROWN
• A Missional Theology of Creation Care – DAVID BOOKLESS
• Creation Stewardship, Food, and the Gospel: A Winning Recipe for Holistic Ministry in a Hungry World – CRAIG SORLEY
• Posture Over Program: OMF’s Creation Care Journey – JASMINE KWONG
• Is There a Green Gospel Message? – ERIK HYATT
• Witnessing God’s Resurrection Power in People and the Land – ALICE TLUSTOS and MARTIN TLUSTOS 
• Planting Hope in the Wilderness of Our Hearts – LAWRENCE KO
• Creation Care: An Essential Component of Integral Mission – KUKI ROKHUM and JOYLIN NIRUBA
• Preaching the Good News in a Time of Crisis – RACHEL MASH
• Creation Care and the Gospel in Uganda -SARA KAWEESA

Next year, 2024, will be the Lausanne Movement’s 50^th birthday and there are plans for the 4^th Lausanne Congress (known as L4) in South Korea, 22^nd-28^th September.

As many of you know, the 3^rd Lausanne Congress, Cape Town 2010, was significant in seeing “creation care as a gospel issue within the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” This helped spark the global creation care movement now known as LWCCN (the Lausanne / World Evangelical Alliance Creation Care Network).

L4 is not just a conference but a multi-year, polycentric global process to catalyse the collaboration of the global church towards the discipling of the nations and the shaping of the world in 2050.

There are two particular ways we’d love to see all who get The Pollinator involved in L4:

1. Nominating delegates to attend L4 in person or virtually: it’s planned to have 5,000 in-person and 5,000 virtual delegates in Seoul, Sept. 2024. We really want creation care to be well represented. You can nominate people directly yourself here. The selection criteria are here, and include being a committed Christian in agreement with Lausanne’s basis. In addition, they want delegates to be globally representative (ie from everywhere), with at least 25% under 40, 40% women and 40% from the secular workplace (ie not working for churches or Christian organisations).

2. Influencing the programme of L4: we are keen to ensure creation care is high on the agenda, as this is hugely strategic for shaping mission priorities over the next decades. Each Lausanne region is holding a gathering where they will discuss the Agenda. If you have any contacts with Lausanne in your country / region please email them to express the need to prioritise creation care, or even offer to attend and speak about this at your regional gathering.
   
   The details for the Lausanne 4 Regional Gatherings are as follows:
   
   • East Asia – Online – 21^st-2nd April 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-east-asia
   • Eurasia – Kyrgystan – 2^nd-5^th May 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-eurasia
   • Oceania – Fiji – 21^st-23^rd June 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/l4-regional-gathering-oceania
   • Caribbean – Guyana – 5^th-7^th July 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-caribbean
   • South East Asia – Online – 23^rd-25^th August 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-south-east-asia
   • Latin America – Uruguay – 19^th-23^rd September 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-latin-america
   • North America – Wheaton, USA – 17^th-18^th October 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-north-america
   • South Asia – Sri Lanka – 31^st October – 2^nd November 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-south-asia
   • Europe – Hungary – 2^nd-5^th November 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-regional-gathering-europe
   • Africa & Middle East – Ethiopia – 14^th-17^th November 2023 https://lausanne.org/gatherings/lausanne-4-africa-and-middle-east-gathering

For more information, contact Dave Bookless and Jasmine Kwong, Creation Care Catalysts, on creationcare@lausanne.org .

World-renowned agronomist Tony Rinaudo – who spoke at the LWCCN conference in Jordan in October 2022 – has helped millions through his work in Niger. Now he wants to inspire the next generation by telling his story. Nicknamed the ‘Forest Maker’, Tony Rinaudo is widely known for bringing back forests without planting trees. His work has been called “the largest environmental transformation in the Sahel and perhaps in all of Africa.” For his influential contributions, Tony has received numerous awards including the Right Livelihood Award, and was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia.

A Rocha Australia asked him about his miraculous journey and recent autobiography, The Forest Underground: Hope for a Planet in Crisis – Australia’s Christian book of the year, 2022. This version has been edited for the Pollinator:

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re known for!

I am 65 years old, married with four children and eight grandchildren. Liz and I spent 17 years in Niger Republic, West Africa with SIM, working to improve the livelihoods of rural communities. Now, I’m the Principal Climate Action Advisor for World Vision. I’m called the ‘Forest Maker’ because of my work on restoring trees and landscapes. While in Niger, I began developing and promoting a low cost, rapid form of reforestation called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), which is spreading around the world.

 So, what is FMNR, and what potential does it have?

Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is both a technical practice and community development approach for mobilising and empowering local communities to restore their natural environment through the systematic regrowth and management of remnant vegetation on diverse landscapes, which has climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits. Basically, FMNR is an embarrassingly simple and affordable method of regreening land by reviving trees rather than planting new ones. You can find out more about it and all its benefits at https://fmnrhub.org.au.

There is enormous potential to implement FMNR across large swathes of land in a wide range of environments – from hyper-arid, through arid and semi-arid zones, tropical, alpine and even coastal environments. Tens of millions of hectares contain remnant living tree stumps with the capacity to re-grow, or dormant seeds with the ability to germinate and grow given the right conditions. Even where there are no seeds or living stumps, if land management patterns change in previously forested areas nature has a chance to colonise the land with grasses, shrubs and trees.

What is The Forest Underground: Hope for a Planet in Crisis about?

The Forest Underground is my autobiography, tracing my early years growing up Australia, my struggles to find solutions to severe desertification and the global spread of FMNR and challenges ahead. The book speaks of my motivation and faith journey and outlines how the Lord has called, provided, and led me. Ultimately, The Forest Underground is a story of hope in the face of climate change, deforestation and land degradation, biodiversity loss and poverty. It really is the good-news story that, I hope, will move hearts and hands to care for God’s planet.

This is an incredibly powerful story. What do you hope readers will take away from it?

I hope readers will not just be inspired, but moved to action in whatever capacity God has provided an opening for. I hope those in the land restoration sector will take the hard-earned lessons to heart and incorporate an FMNR type approach to environmental problem solving to their work; that donors and governments will increasingly give to these types of interventions. I think too that The Forest Underground is a call to all of us to trust God and listen to him in the face of our most pressing problems. He is there for us. Let’s reach out and let him lead us.

If God is calling you to this type of work, or calling you to support somebody else who is—then please consider it prayerfully and with wise counsel from others.

And finally, how can we buy the book?

It’s available as hardback, paperback and e-book from major online retailers. Royalties go towards the FMNR movement! (Amazon). Tony was interviewed by Christianity Today last fall.

Nearly 100 participants from 39 countries attended the global virtual forum “Looking Ahead: Creation Care 2023”which took place on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 on Zoom. The forum was jointly organized by the World Evangelical Alliance Sustainability Center and the Lausanne WEA Creation Care Network and featured 10 speakers from various

countries, representing a rich variety of partners and actors from the global Evangelical Creation Care family. A special surprise was a spontaneous intervention by Vanessa Nakate, the world-famous Ugandan youth climate activist, who shared a scripture-based reflection on climate activism and creation care. (see photo)

The recording of the virtual forum and the slides (in English, French & Spanish) are now available below and on the World Evangelical Alliance Sustainability Center’s website. On the same page, a beautiful shareable compilation of the responses of participants of the pre-event survey to the question: “Many people feel a bit low about the progress on Creation Care. What is one thing that gives you hope?” can be found. (see photos above and below).

Furthermore, over the course of the next weeks, the page will be filled with all mentioned resources, webpages and other information as a service to all participants and as a blessing for the global creation care community.

A Rocha is a global family of conservation organizations working together to live out God’s calling to care for creation ​and equip others to do likewise. The worldwide A Rocha family has been through a lot of change and development in recent years. At the helm, Simon Stuart as Executive Director has provided wise and able leadership, and A Rocha is now growing and developing fast in many places. Simon is retiring as planned, and so the search has begun for a new Executive Director. Details can be found at: https://arocha.org/en/a-rocha-international-executive-director. Key qualities include:

• Experience of organisational leadership and growth ideally in a multinational/multicultural and/or federated context
• Fabulous relationship building qualities
• An excellent strategic mind and organisational development qualities
• Christian maturity and wisdom to discern God’s activity in the world
• Passion for the natural world, and for its conservation and recovery, seeing this as an integral part of her/his Christian walk

Related News:

The A Rocha Commitment to Creation Care (ACCC)

The worldwide A Rocha family has recently been through a major consultation leading to a new ‘Commitment to Creation Care’. The gives a clear biblical basis for creation care, placing within God’s purposes from creation to creation. It will form the basis for A Rocha’s work, but it is also hoped it will prove to be useful to many Churches and Christian organisations around the world. You can read and also download the ACCC at https://arocha.org/en/theology-churches/faith-distinctives.

There is too much trash in the world. Most of it is made up of plastic. And it is hurting people living in poverty. And God’s creatures. And everyone else as well. Something has to be done.

Enter The Rubbish Campaign.

Tearfund, Renew Our World and many others are launching an international campaign for a strong global plastics treaty – treaty negotiations started well last year and aim to finish by the end of next year. Launching on March.

Here’s video from Tearfund explaining the campaign:

Please email Jack Wakefield jack.wakefield@tearfund.org if you’re interested in joining in, at or after launch. 

Renew Our World’s podcast is back. ,Jessica Bwali from Zambia is the podcast host; she’s talking about climate change, inequality, theology and activism with amazing people from around the world. 

Episodes this season so far include

• Reflecting on COP27 with friends from Cameroon, Germany, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia;
• How the church in Africa can pursue ecological and economic justice with Dr Tinashe Gumbo of the AACC; and
• Oil spills, women’s health, and climate in South Sudan.

Find it on Spotify or at https://www.renewourworld.net/podcast

Even if you are not a scientist, if you are reading this you probably know several. And you may also know that it is not easy today to be a scientist and a Christian both in the world and sadly in the church as well. The American Scientific Affiliation under new Executive Director Janel Curry* is hosting an online Symposium on 28 January at 1 pm Eastern time (US) 1800 UTC, that is open to anyone and everyone, no matter what country you live in. This program is highly recommended for scientists and those who want to learn more about how to support them and learn from them. Donations are welcome but not necessary to attend.

Here is the program description:

Genetic Engineering. Climate Change. Artificial Intelligence. Vaccines. Any one of these contemporary topics involves science and scientists. Many of these scientists are faithful members of our congregations. How do these church members experience discussions within their faith communities when nonscientists attempt to understand these issues from their faith perspective? And how can churches better engage Christians who are scientists in serving the church? 

Click here for more information and to register.

*Dr Curry is a long-time friend of the Creation Care movement; it is good to have someone like her at the helm of an organization like the ASA!

The WEA Sustainability Center is once again hosting a virtual forum to help all of us get ready for 2023. It’s coming up fast – 24 January at 1400 UTC (see time zones in the invitation above). Please note that this event is free but advance registration is required.

What are the hot topics, key challenges, and expected progress in creation care in 2023? What major events are coming up and what trends and developments should we keep an eye on?

We invite you to a virtual discussion with contributions from around the world from a variety of partners. Join us if you are passionate about creation care or work or volunteer in this field.

There are some prepared contributions, but additional perspectives from all participants are encouraged.

Registration required: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkfuyopjooHNYeK-GgTQmdEkzKXHPCh8nI

It is now almost 3 years since we lost our dear brother, John Houghton. We have just learned of a tribute by his and our good friend Bob White that was published in The Royal Society several months ago.

The picture above is from the article – I daresay none of us have seen him this young. Following is a brief excerpt:

John Houghton made seminal contributions to understanding the temperature and structure of the stratosphere. After gaining the highest first in physics at Oxford, his DPhil involved building a radiometer that was flown in a post-war Mosquito. It started a long interest in developing instrumentation. He completed his National Service doing research into atmospheric composition at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, then returned to 21 years in Oxford. He led a team that, with others, built a series of instruments launched on Nimbus satellites during 1970 to 1978 to measure infrared radiation from the stratosphere. At age 48 he left academia to head up the Appleton Research Laboratories, tasked to move them to the Rutherford Laboratory and realign their work from upper atmospheric radio research to space support. Four years later he was appointed director general of the Meteorological Office. In his eight-year term, he moved it from dependence on the Ministry of Defence to becoming an independent agency, developed its commercial arm and strengthened its research. He also founded the Hadley Centre to work on climate-related issues. His most significant global contribution was helping to set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), then chairing its working group on scientific assessments through their first three reports during 1990 to 2001. After retirement he devoted his time to raising awareness of climate change through many lectures and articles, and co-founded the John Ray Initiative to address the challenges of sustainable development and environmental stewardship. Appropriately, the Sixth IPCC WG1 Assessment Report in August 2021 was dedicated posthumously to him.

…In 2007 the IPCC was announced as the joint recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Al Gore Jr. The citation stated it was ‘for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change’. John, along with a group of others from the IPCC, were delighted to attend the ceremony. It remained one of the highlights of his career, along with receiving the Japan Prize in the previous year. In August 2021, the sixth assessment report was released with a posthumous dedication to Sir John Houghton, a mark of the respect in which the scientific community held him.

Read the rest of the article here.