A Global Response to a global problem

That is one of the questions being posed at 'Faith in a Changing Climate', a special morning of debate and discussion hosted by our Diocese on 9 April, and led by two key environmental and faith speakers from USPG, the Anglican mission agency that partners churches and communities worldwide.

Richard Bartlett, Director of Mission Engagement at USPG, has served as a parish priest in Dorset and London, and as a USPG Missionary in Brazil.

Richard, who now leads USPG’s engagement with the Churches of Britain and Ireland, believes that climate change is "The most crucial issue facing our generation."

He will be speaking alongside Rebecca Boardman, who is a geography graduate with a specific interest in ecological justice as part of the mission of the church.

Rebecca spent a year on a USPG volunteer placement with the Episcopal Church in the Philippines engaging with climate-smart agriculture and natural farming systems as well as the Church’s disaster response programme following Typhoon Haiyan.

In 2018 Rebecca was nominated as a Youth Advisor for the European Christian Environment Network at the Conference of European Churches. She says, "As a global challenge we need a global response".

Together, they will discuss the recent UN warning that we only have 12 years to act to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, beyond which even an extra half a degree of warming will significantly worsen the risk of droughts, floods, extreme heat and other natural disasters which in turn have an effect on a broad range of other issues including livelihood security, conflict, forced migration and even gender equality.

And they will pose the question: "What does it mean to ‘safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain and renew life on earth’ in the face of a changing climate?"

USPG is the Anglican mission agency that partners churches and communities worldwide in God’s mission to enliven faith, strengthen relationships, unlock potential and champion justice.

The morning (10am-1pm) is open to all and takes place in the Wiltshire Village of Chitterne, in their Village Hall.

Authorised ministers and others with a profile on our online booking system can sign up that way: others should email Cathryn Wright on cathryn.wright@salisbury.anglican.org.