News

Some evangelicals decry global warming

Tom Meersman and Aaron Blake

Minneapolis Star Tribune

February 9th, 2006

 

A prominent pastor from the Twin Cities was among 86 national evangelical leaders Wednesday who said that global warming is a real and serious problem that needs immediate attention in Congress.

 

Rev. Leith Anderson, senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, said the effort is important both to God, who has entrusted the Earth to humans, and to the "poorest of the poor and the marginalized of society," who are disproportionately affected by climate change.

 

The "Evangelical Call to Action" that Anderson and others signed said unchecked global warming will cause problems that poor nations are least able to cope with, including flooding, extreme weather, impaired farming and increased disease.

Those who signed the statement included leaders of evangelical Christian denominations, pastors of large churches, CEOs of major evangelical world relief organizations and 39 presidents of evangelical colleges, including Rev. George Brushaber of Bethel University in Arden Hills.

 

However, the issue has caused a rift, and nearly two dozen other evangelical leaders signed a letter last month saying that global warming is not a consensus issue.

 

One of them, E. Calvin Beisner, associate professor of historical theology and social ethics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., acknowledged that global warming seems to be real, but disagrees that it will necessarily be catastrophic.

 

Beisner said that remedies involving mandatory emissions might not be effective, and that they may raise the price of energy, food and other necessities.

 

"If we increase the costs of such things, we cause a disproportionate and very high negative impact on the poor," Beisner said. "We are concerned that the result of such policy is going to be precisely the opposite of what is intended."

 

The 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals has not taken a side. Its president, the Rev. Ted Haggard, said last month in a letter that the association encourages debate and that it "will continue to heighten awareness on this subject."

Wednesday's action was the kickoff for an initiative that will include radio and TV messages in several states, informational campaigns in churches and events at Christian colleges.

 

In addition to evangelicals, a number of other denominations have issued statements about climate change.

An interfaith network in Minnesota called Congregations Caring for Creation includes about 40 congregations representing 10 denominations, which have each established teams to work on conservation and related issues.

 

Alycia Ashburn, co-coordinator of the network, said that a call to action by evangelical leaders is especially important.

"With their statement, there's more opportunity to move this politically," Ashburn said. "We have to have sound policy change to address global warming."

 

meersman@startribune.com 612 673-7388 ablake@mcclatchy.com 202-393-2228