Lutherans Restoring Creation

Lutherans Restoring Creation
Name	Lutherans Restoring Creation
Formation	1990s
Type	Religious environmental advocacy organization
Headquarters	United States
Region served	Global
Leader title	Executive Director

Lutherans Restoring Creation is a faith-based environmental advocacy organization born from Lutheran denominational networks that engages congregations, synods, seminaries, and ecumenical partners in ecological stewardship, climate advocacy, and creation care. Rooted in Lutheran theology and connected to institutional bodies, the organization bridges parish ministry, public policy, academic research, and grassroots activism through programs, partnerships, and educational resources. Its work intersects with national and international initiatives on climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

History

Lutherans Restoring Creation emerged amid dialogues among leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA Youth Gathering, Lutheran World Federation, American Lutheran Church, and seminaries such as Luther Seminary, United Lutheran Seminary, Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary and Concordia Seminary in response to growing concern during events like the Earth Summit and the signing of the Kyoto Protocol. Early convenings linked activists from synods including the Northeastern Iowa Synod, Northwestern Ohio Synod, Pacifica Synod, and partners from institutions like Augustana College, Gustavus Adolphus College, Wartburg College, and Valparaiso University. Founders engaged with faith leaders such as Walter Rauschenbusch-inspired social gospel advocates and drew influence from environmentalists associated with Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA, World Wildlife Fund, and faith-based groups like Catholic Climate Covenant, Creation Justice Ministries, and the National Council of Churches. The group developed resources in conversation with scholars from Harvard Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, Chicago Theological Seminary, and policy analysts from Union of Concerned Scientists and Earthjustice.

Mission and Goals

The stated mission aligns theological reflection with public witness, pursuing goals that include mobilizing congregations across synods such as the Northeast Ohio Synod and the Northwest Washington Synod, advocating at legislative forums like hearings before the United States Congress and engagement with institutions such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and forums connected to the United Nations Environment Programme. Strategic aims reference partnerships with academic centers including Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and programmatic coordination with organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and World Resources Institute. The goals stress theological formation in seminaries and clergy networks including ELCA Presiding Bishop initiatives, synod assemblies, campus ministries at Evangelical Lutheran Church in America campuses, and youth programs such as the ELCA Youth Gathering.

Programs and Activities

Programs include worship resources for seasons like Lent and Creationtide, educational curricula used at colleges including St. Olaf College and Pacific Lutheran University, congregational audits inspired by standards from LEED and tools from Interfaith Power & Light, and climate action campaigns coordinated with coalitions like the Climate Action Network and the Sunrise Movement-adjacent faith initiatives. Activities encompass carbon footprint assessments, tree planting in collaboration with Arbor Day Foundation, habitat restoration with The Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society, divestment campaigns linked to organizations such as 350.org and Sierra Club chapters, and lobbying efforts modeled after advocacy by groups like Environmental Defense Fund and Natural Resources Defense Council. Training programs for clergy and laity incorporate scholarship from faculties at University of Chicago Divinity School, Duke Divinity School, and Vanderbilt Divinity School, while public education draws on reports from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and data from NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Organizational Structure

The organization is governed by a board of directors drawn from clergy, lay leaders, seminary faculty, and conservation professionals with connections to institutions such as Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, and the Lutheran World Federation. Staff roles include an executive director, program directors, regional organizers aligned with synods across the United States and partners in regions like Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Committees mirror structures found in nonprofit governance such as audit, development, and program committees, and advisory councils include representatives from World Resources Institute, Conservation International, and theological scholars from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Partnerships and Affiliations

Strategic alliances span ecumenical and secular partners: the Lutheran World Federation, United Methodist Church environmental programs, Presbyterian Church (USA) creation care offices, Roman Catholic initiatives such as those following encyclicals by Pope Francis, and interfaith coalitions like Interfaith Power & Light and the Parliament of the World's Religions. Collaborative projects involve conservation NGOs including The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, climate networks like Climate Action Network, and civic organizations such as League of Conservation Voters and 350.org. Academic partnerships include centers at Yale University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and Columbia University.

Funding and Support

Funding sources combine congregational giving, grants from foundations like the Lilly Endowment, Ford Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, program grants from government agencies such as the National Science Foundation and partnerships with corporate social responsibility programs of companies that support environmental stewardship. Support also derives from denominational budgets of bodies like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and contributions managed through fiscal sponsors aligned with nonprofit practices.

Impact and Advocacy Efforts

Impact is measured through congregational adoption rates, reductions in emissions documented with tools from EPA and energy data from Department of Energy, successful campaigns influencing legislation at state legislatures in places like California, Minnesota, and New York State and participation in international forums such as UNFCCC COP meetings. Advocacy efforts have included testimony before legislative committees, joint statements with organizations like Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council, and theological statements circulated to seminaries and synods, influencing curricula at institutions including Luther Seminary and St. Olaf College. The organization has been cited in media outlets and academic studies exploring faith-based environmentalism alongside movements represented by Catholic Climate Covenant, Quaker Earthcare Witness, and other faith networks.

Category:Religious environmental organizations