faith-based sustainability

By Beth Ackerly

Communities of color are often disproportionately affected by environmental issues. For instance, African Americans are 75% more likely to live in communities nearby facilities that negatively affect air quality. Meanwhile, white families are more likely to see reinvestment in their communities after natural disasters than those of color. To help address this is Green The Church, a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll Sr., which provides environmental and economic resilience to Black communities.

“Green The Church engages Black churches and surrounding communities, particularly those who have felt excluded or detached from the environmental movement, to participate in sustained mobilization towards stopping climate destruction and participating in a just transition toward sustainable, more equitable and healthier ways of living and working,” says Rev. Carroll.

Rev. Carroll strongly believes in the power of Black churches to solve environmental problems and inequities in their communities. To support this effort, Green The Church collaborates with organiza- tions such as The Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund to educate their congregations and provide them with the resources necessary to achieve sustainability and community health.

Green The Church partners with the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Davis Scholarship Fund to award a scholarship each year to a student “who desires to leave [the earth] better than how they found it.” This scholarship is for young students of color who are pursuing a STEM degree, have demonstrated financial need and are passionate about environmental justice.

Visit greenthechurch.org to learn more about the organization and/or contribute to their scholarship fund.

creationcare.org.uk greenthechurch.org greenthechurch.org/ carroll-ministries-international everydayhealth.com/black-health/one-pastors-mission-to-bring-environmentalism-tothe-black-community

Beth Ackerly is studying environmental science at UNCW and will graduate in May 2023. She enjoys hiking, writing, music and spending time with her 6-year-old daughter.