The ELCA logo is shaped like 4 quadrants of a globe, with each quadrant representing a season of the liturgical calendar (scarlet, blue, gold and green).
Lutherans Restoring Creation logo
Earth Charter Endorser logo
This Earth Charter logo depicts a white dove cuddling the earth
Crafted by visionaries twenty-four years ago, the Earth Charter is a document with sixteen principles that seeks to turn conscience into action. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) endorsed the Earth Charter at the church-wide assembly on the 4th of October 2019.  This was important because even though Lutherans Restoring Creation (LRC) and the ELCA’s programs and social statements align with the Earth Charter principles, the formal endorsement of the Earth Charter testifies to beliefs in 1) the interrelatedness of all beings, and 2) a commitment to sustainability efforts, hastening an end to the struggle for justice and peace and practicing the joyful celebration of life. And the endorsement paves the way for individual congregations to embrace the Earth Charter as needs in their community arise.
Earth Charter Endorser logo
This Earth Charter logo depicts a white dove cuddling the earth

Earth Charter basics:

The four pillars of the Earth Charter are:
  • Respect and care for the community of life
  • Ecological integrity
  • Social and economic justice
  • Democracy, nonviolence and peace

Within each of these pillars are four principles (sixteen in total), and within each of the principles there are several actions/objectives (61 in total).  The full document, written in 65 different languages can be downloaded from the Earth Charter website: earthcharter.org/read-the-earth-charter.

An ELCA pilot project aimed at helping congregations implement the principles of the Earth Charter, began in 2020.

Four synods: Central States, Delaware-Maryland, Metropolitan New York and New England are working with congregations in their synods.  We hope this initiative will grow into a groundswell of Lutheran congregations embracing the Earth Charter, leading to improved conditions in their local communities and around the world. This work of ecological/economic/racial/social justice and peace is the action plan envisioned by the Earth Charter visionaries, and we are proud to be part of it.

To learn more about the Earth Charter, please explore earthcharter.org. or the Home page of this website: https://lutherans-embracing-the-earth-charter.webflow.io/

Logo of the Central States. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America depicts a rainbow-colored shell with 3 droplets of water and a river beneath it depicting Baptism and essential nature of water in our livesLogo of the Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America depicting a city scape, green bushes and water & a cross in the forefrontDelaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Logo depicting their regular logo on top of map of the world, designed for the  Connected in God's Creation eventLogo of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaLogo of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America