ATLANTA – Members of Beacon Hill Baptist Church in Boston are striving to be "greener" with simple gestures such as bringing coffee mugs from home.
"There are a large number of Baptists out there who love nature," said David Draper, who has served as pastor of the 20-person congregation since it was founded in 1985. "We just need to do the best we can to preserve those God-given places of stewardship, joy and refreshment."
Draper said earth-friendly efforts are popular in Boston, where every family has bins for recycling plastic and paper.
"We can all do something," he said. "I think we’re at a point now when we should see this is something that needs to be addressed. It’s a good witness to the neighborhoods. It’s a good witness to the world."
Beacon Hill members began church-wide recycling efforts about five years ago, electing to use recycled products and cutting back on disposables when possible. Styrofoam cups have been rejected in favor of carting in coffee mugs on Sundays. Each week, Draper presents city recycling collectors with a bin brimming with old mayo jars, soup cans and ketchup bottles. The congregation also held an outdoor service during the summer to save the use of their building.
Environmental responsibility is supported by scripture, Draper said, citing Romans 8, in which the Earth groans from lack of care and waits for renewal.
The church hasn’t reaped cash benefits from recycling – instead leaving items like redeemable aluminum cans out for local homeless people to collect. To expand their efforts, Draper said the members are considering bringing their own plates and utensils for potlucks. It’s less convenient than using disposable items, but Draper said Christians have to weigh the decision to be ecologically responsible just as they weigh most of the decisions they make.
"Each individual and each church will have to count the cost of helping our world," he said. "But after you start recycling, you fall into the good habits."
Draper suggested that larger churches establish "environmental committees" to determine how they could become more Earth-friendly and offer members updates on ecological news. On a broader scale, Draper said large organizations such as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship could make efforts to offer recycling bins for soda bottles and take-out food trays at conventions and other large gatherings.
For more information, Draper recommended Web sites for organizations such as The National Religious Partnership for the Environment, www.nrpe.org, or The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org.
CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.