The Christian Reformed Church’s governing body said that 'human-induced climate change is an ethical, social justice, and religious issue', during Synod 2012, 8-14 June 2012. crcna.orgBy Matt Vande Bunte
15 June 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – Without uniform agreement that the globe is warming or that people are causing it, the Christian Reformed Church’s governing body this week asserted that “human-induced climate change is an ethical, social justice, and religious issue.” Synod 2012 also stated that the church should “take private and public actions to address climate change.” The statements were made in response to a lengthy report from the Grand Rapids-based church’s Creation Stewardship Task Force, and they have stirred divided feedback on the church’s Web site. Among the other statements adopted during the annual Synod that wrapped up Thursday in Canada:

  • “It is the current near-consensus of the international scientific community that climate change is occurring and is very likely due to human activity.”
  • “Such climate change poses a significant threat to future generations, the poor, and the vulnerable.”
  • “We are called to commit ourselves to honor all God’s creatures and to protect them from abuse and extinction, for our world belongs to God.”

Church staff report that none of the Synod delegates who spoke on the topic “opposed caring for creation, but there were insistent voices that said speaking out should focus on matters related to Christ. They questioned whether the CRC should spend time and energy seeking to provide remedies for slowing, climate change.” […]

Christian Reformed Church Synod: Combat global warming by using less energy