January 2025 Blog
Thank you for supporting ACC!
We are so gratified for your contributions in December totaling $26,266. You have been generous during this critical time and we appreciate you. Many new and returning supporters gave generously and we are so happy to see our base of support be sustained and grow as ACC transitioned to become an independent, yet collaborative, organization.
Monday will be a day of contrasts, as Americans honor the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr, whose vision of peace and community has inspired many and resonates with Anabaptist principles. Americans also inaugurate a leader whose vision is different from that of King’s.
While political rhetoric often denies the climate crisis, and there will certainly be policy setbacks, we can keep making progress towards climate justice. Thank you for being part of our community working to equip and activate people to seek climate justice through Anabaptist values, community and faith. I am thankful that you are here.
Hans Hut Holiday Hat Winners
All those who contributed over the campaign were entered into a drawing for Hans Hut Holiday Hats. Winners included:
Steve Brenneman (Goshen, IN)
Don Kraybill (Harleysville, PA)
Caleb Schrock-Hurst (Harrisonburg, VA)
Anna Ruth Hershberger (Elkhart, IN)
Dave Brubaker (Dayton, VA)
Dave Hockman-Wert (Corvallis, OR)
Pictured on the right is Caleb Schrock-Hurst wearing his Hans Hut Holiday Hat.
This year is the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, and this is our way of honoring the early Anabaptist eco mystic Hans Hut, who taught “the gospel of all creatures.” Christ is present in and his work impacts all creatures. Christ cares about all creation.
Los Angeles Fires
Our hearts ache and our minds reel as we see the fires in the Los Angeles area. The death toll is over 25 people, thousands of homes have been destroyed as well as eleven houses of worship.
Among those affected is the thriving Anabaptist community in the region, as reported in Anabaptist World. Among the homes destroyed is a Church of the Brethren parsonage in Pasadena, the home of pastors Juan Pablo Plaza and Adriana Rios.
Pastor Helen Mfwilwakanda of Wholicare Community Church, a primarily Congolese Mennonite congregation, participated in a 2020 ACC climate change retreat with 25 CA leaders. Sharing her experience this week, Helen said: “At first we were certain the fire would be contained. But then the Santa Ana winds made it hard for the fire crews. We were up the whole night watching the news in disbelief, then we had to water the roof. As the fire was raging and approaching, we left.”
Scientists have shown that climate change is driving longer, more dangerous wildfire seasons. In Los Angeles, great irregularity in rainfall and temperatures – two very wet winters followed by the hottest summer and the driest winter on record - have fueled these destructive fires. While reducing carbon emissions is a critical response, of course at the moment we pray for the people of Los Angeles, firefighters and first responders, and we support the work of one of our partners, Mennonite Disaster Service, as they prepare to help the churches there heal from and respond to this crisis.
Register by Monday for Canadian Climate Cohort
Canadians — this is a reminder to register for Faithful Leadership in the Climate Crisis: Responding in Hope. This unique 6-month cohort program begins in February in Manitoba and is designed for pastors and church leaders who seek to discern God’s call in a time of environmental crisis. This combines in person gatherings in Winnipeg and Kitchener with virtual gatherings in between. If you are interested, please click here to learn more and register by January 20!
Creation Care in Business
How can leaders integrate climate action in their businesses? Follow this link to read what Marketplace, the magazine of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) wrote about the ACC-sponsored seminar at their annual convention in Atlanta.
Three business owners, Brent Alderfer, Jim Miller, and Steve Brenneman joined ACC Executive Director Douglas Day Kaufman for this seminar to talk about climate action and the values that inform it. Doug spoke about the special responsibility businesses have in creation care because they usually have a much larger ecological footprint.
Advocacy Internship
We are pleased to once again offer an advocacy internship this summer! The student intern will engage in advocacy, organizing, and lobbying with Mennonite Central Committee U.S. National Peace & Justice Ministries, with a specific focus on mobilizing the Anabaptist community around climate issues at the Mennonite Central Committee office in Washington DC. Information coming soon on our website.
