Board Chair Rachel Calvert provides an update on A Rocha France
“I think we’re really missing the mark. We should be equipping our people to be salt and light in the area of ecology, but in the denomination I’m part of, we barely talk about it.” The comment came from a pastor’s wife I was chatting to at a conference the other day.
For A Rocha, being salt and light means getting our hands dirty, taking care of God’s creation in practical ways. Our teams at Les Courmettes and in the Vallée des Baux are out in all weather, with a particularly heavy load of fieldwork at this time of year, contributing to better knowledge of threatened species and better protection for vulnerable ecosystems.
Practical action is a vital expression of our obedience to Christ, but thinking deeply and speaking clearly about the issues is essential too if we as the Church are to be wise, timely, and biblically faithful in our approach. That’s why writing, reflection, and public discussion about faith, climate, biodiversity, and sharing resources fairly is also part of what we do.
In April, the Evangelical Theology Faculty at Vaux-sur-Seine, A Rocha, and SEL (France Tearfund partner) organised a Study Day. How does our responsibility to take good care of God’s earth fit together with our other callings as Christians: life and worship in the local church; gospel proclamation; caring for the poor; speaking up for the persecuted? It was good to have leaders involved in all these areas together in one room to think through how we can better articulate different aspects of our vocation as the people of God in this particular place and time.
We’re thankful for the research and writing that our national director, Jean-François, has been able to do on sabbatical this past academic year. Please pray for all of us as he comes back and shares new insights with the team and trustees, that we would follow God’s leading and rely on His provision.
