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 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/