… Church of England Birmingham!
A Rocha UK’s Denominational awards are for regional areas of the church, such as the Church of England and Church in Wales dioceses, Methodist districts and circuits and URC synods. All 42 Church of England dioceses are registered for Eco Diocese, and 33 of the 42 have already received bronze Eco Diocese awards. So we’ve been on tenterhooks to see which diocese would be first to meet the challenging standards of the silver Eco Diocese award! We are delighted to announce that Church of England Birmingham is the first to have achieved this prestigious accolade.
To achieve a silver Eco Diocese award, there needs to be evidence that care for God’s earth is foundational to the mission of the diocese and, as such, is woven throughout the day to day functions of the diocese – in its structure, policies and practices. The diocese also needs to encourage and promote local church participation in the Eco Church scheme. Church of England Birmingham has demonstrated fantastic progress in this area, with 71% of their local churches registered and 45% of their local churches awarded.
The Bishop of Birmingham, The Rt. Revd Dr Michael Volland said: “Being the first diocese in the Church of England to receive a Silver Eco Diocese Award is a huge encouragement for us here in Birmingham and the region. It is a result of an enormous amount of commitment and hard work on the part of many dedicated and faithful people. I hope this award is an inspiration to other dioceses and pray that many will follow suit with continued focused efforts in relation to actively caring for God’s creation.”
Church of England Birmingham engages deeply with environmental issues and was one of the earliest dioceses to achieve a bronze Eco Diocese award. Their silver Eco Diocese award recognises that they have continued to build upon this award and have the required policies and procedures underpinning their work as well as strategic approaches to joined-up working across all facets of the diocesan structure.
Polly Eaton, A Rocha UK’s Eco Diocese Officer, commented, “Our huge congratulations to Church of England Birmingham on their well-deserved silver Eco Diocese award. This achievement has been brought about by an appreciation that God’s earth is facing a crisis, and we need to act. The diocese has made the connection between the climate crisis and global justice, between Christian faith and local action. Church of England Birmingham has a commitment to care for all of creation and the resources God has provided on our planet. We hope they enjoy celebrating this award and seeing how it inspires others.”
Details to follow soon for an upcoming celebration hosted by Church of England Birmingham!
