Creation Care and the Gospel Conference
The 9th Creation Care and the Gospel for Southern Africa took place at the Afican Enterprise conference centre in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa from 19 – 23 February 2018.
The Southern Africa Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Conference is part of a global campaign to stimulate a creation care movement across countries of Southern Africa. The conference empowered Christians to develop new strategies and strengthen existing creation care partnerships and initiatives throughout the region.
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Watch and listen to the following conference talks:
- Introduction to the Lausanne Movement – Ed Brown
- Call to Action– Stephen Mbogo
- “Sending Out” and closing message – Stephen Mbogo
On God’s Word
- Foundations for Creation Care in the Old Testament – Dave Bookless
- Environmental Justice & Advocacy in the Old Testament – Sam Sifelani
- Exploring the Environmental Messages in the Gospels – Ruth Valerio
- Exploring the Environmental message in the Gospels – Chad Gandiya
- Exploring the Environmental Message in the Epistles – Victor Mughogho
- The End of the World as We Know It – Eschatology – Dave Bookless
On God’s World
- Water Justice – Peter Houston
- Environmental Degradation – Seth Ken Appiah Kubi
- Climate Change – Bruce Hewitson
- Closing sending out message – Stephen Mbogo
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Close to 100 delegates from South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, United Kingdom and the USA attended this conference in South Africa. It was encouraging that at least 20% of the delegates were under 35 years.
Delegates were inspired by the presentations on the theological foundations to do creation care. Scientists gave talks on climate change, water justice and plastic pollution and marine conservation.
Workshops were held on youth mobilization, partnerships, energy, eco-church and others.
A highlight was the site visits to Ferncliffe, Cedara and an innercity clean-up project.
Before the conference concluded its work the different country representatives sat together and planned their country strategy. For South Africa the issue of plastic pollution was highlighted and plans will be developed further to address it.
To show our commitment all delegates signed the Call to Action-banner listing the 10 key areas for focus.
In the evaluation of the conference delegates had the following to say:
- I now feel empowered as my theology has been set straight so I am more equipped to make a difference;
- I will do my best to make sure that our students change their perspective on caring for creation and will create a national movement for creation care;
- the conference has changed my orientation as pastor on how I will preach the gospel – from now on it will include creation care as a way of educating the congregants;
