by Al Johnson, Co-chair, Earth & Climate Ministry
Around 2001, a group of congregants formed the Sustainability Circle. Early vegetarian pot-luck meetings focused on energy and environmental measures that could be adopted by the group, other congregants, and the church. Early projects included recycling bicycles and books and selling organic/fair trade coffee. The last two activities provided funds to finance future environmental projects.
In 2005, the Sustainability Circle started focusing on activities to qualify the church as a recognized UU Green Sanctuary. These activities included environmentally focused talks and implementing projects recommended from an early Green Energy Audit. Solar panels were installed on our roof in 2008, and our accreditation process was completed in March 2010.
Continuing into the next decade, the group’s name was changed to Earth Ministry. Significant activities included establishing Allie’s Garden to provide fresh produce to local food banks; congregational composting; promoting environmental, green living, tabling, and green tip issues; and assistance with funding for an energy-efficient stove and dishwasher. Through participation in the NJ Clean Energy Direct Program, we installed a new energy-efficient HVAC system at a $70,000 savings to the church.
More recently, our efforts have included replacing mowed lawn areas with wildlife and native pollinator plants and habitats, organizing monthly congregational nature hikes, evaluating the performance of our solar panels, and providing climate change and energy savings presentations to the congregation. In 2020, the Watershed Institute in Hopewell, NJ, designated the church grounds as river-friendly.
Our name was revised in 2023 to Earth and Climate Ministry to reflect an additional focus on climate and climate justice issues. In 2023, an Earth & Climate Ministry covenant and a 2023-2035 Action Plan were developed to define our goals and specific actions moving into the future. Five goal categories were included:
- Sustainable Building and Grounds
- Education
- Environmental & Climate Advocacy
- Savoring Nature
- Climate Justice
In 2024, we joined other justice groups under the church’s Council for Faith and Action (CFA), facilitating intersectional justice conversations and interrelated actions. The Earth & Climate Ministry spearheaded the church Board’s approval to pursue the new UU Green Sanctuary 2030 program recognition and hold the Climate Justice Revival. The worship service and advocacy hour for the Revival were held in September 2024; the Congregational Dialogues, hosted by the Council for Faith in Action, were held in March 2025.
For more info, contact Al Johnson, Barbara Drew, or Leslie McGeorge, Co-chairs at earthministry@uucwc.org.