Who We Are
We are a community of diverse faith traditions networking together to advance environmental protection and eco-justice on Cape Cod & the Islands — the Sacred Wampanoag Homeland.
Our members represent over 40 faith institutions from across the region and diverse religious traditions. The Faith Communities Environmental Network (FCEN) is an informal, all volunteer network, co-chaired by Susan Starkey. We are active members of MA-Interfaith Power & Light.
We are a growing network and welcome your participation. Please contact FCENcapecod@gmail.com with questions and to learn how you and/or your faith community might join in our work.
What We Do
Climate action is a moral imperative for the Faith Communities Environmental Network. United by a shared ethos across faith traditions, we work to protect our Earth Home and all living beings through education, advocacy, and best practices. Our vision is to inspire hope and action for eco-justice, especially for those most impacted by climate change.
As an all volunteer network, we partner across Faith traditions on Cape Cod & the Islands, with representatives of Faith Communities committed to responding to the “Cry of the Earth & the Cry of the Poor”. Members connect regularly to share support, resources, and spiritual strength in the face of eco-anxiety.
Through contemplation, readings, and storytelling, we honor each other’s hopes and fears and strengthen our shared commitment to personal and collective action for environmental justice—all rooted in love for our planet and one another.
Our work is founded upon three pillars of action
We work collaboratively as a diverse community to inspire hope and action to protect the interdependent web of life. Our education work covers a broad range of subjects including:
- Climate Justice
- Green Teams and Creation Care
- Divestment and Socially Responsible Investing
- Importance of Energy Audits
- Renewable Energy Advocacy
- Sustainable Houses of Worship
- Carbon Footprint Reduction
- Ethical Eating
- Nature based solutions
- Local Town Activism
FCEN’s educational outreach begins with 9-10 monthly meetings. Members offer special events, webinars and speaking engagements.
Working individually and collectively in our faith communities, we speak out, together, to advocate for racial, economic, social, and environmental justice as we work to protect Cape Cod, the Islands, and the Earth. Our methods of advocacy take many forms including:
- Editorials and Letters to the Editor
- Calls, texts and letters to elected officials
- Signing advocacy efforts, like NE4OSW, Sierra Club, etc.
- Participating in elected offices and civic roles in our towns on energy, climate, building and conservation committees
Many of our faith community participants are active members of their town energy, climate, and conservation committees and use these forums to advocate for our principles and work to our goals.
Our third pillar of action is sharing best practices. We accomplish this by learning together, sharing information, and modeling best practices by:
- Holding monthly meetings
- Conducting speaking engagements
- Holding webinars and panel discussions
- Sharing educational resources such as books, films, and worship materials
- Promoting Energy audits through MassSave for sustainable houses of worship
- Offering web resources
- Promoting town climate education and advocacy
News & Highlights
Programs & Partners
We face a cascade of crises, from climate emergency to systemic racism to pandemic. MassIPL is working to lift up the voices of people of faith to address these interlocking challenges.
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Our task is both daunting and exciting: to inspire and mobilize people of faith to do our part in bringing about what Joanna Macy calls The Great Turning—the global shift from a destructive, inequitable, extractive economy to a culture of conservation, fairness, and reverence.
For decades, MassIPL has helped Massachusetts people of faith fulfill our responsibility to be caring stewards of our houses of worship, our homes, and the earth. As public advocates, we have called our political leaders to meaningful action for climate justice.
We must also tell our stories—stories of suffering, of compassion, of ingenuity, of courage—to touch hearts and incite action. We must spread our message of conservation and renewable energy to more and more congregations throughout the Commonwealth. We must organize people of faith as unstoppable activists for public policies that advance environmental, social, and racial justice.
The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology is an international multireligious project contributing to a new academic field and an engaged moral force of religious environmentalism. With its conferences, publications, monthly newsletter, and website, it explores religious worldviews, texts, and ethics in order to contribute to environmental solutions along with science, policy, law, economics, and appropriate technology.
Contact: Rev. Brian McGurk (St. Christopher’s), bmcgurk@stchristopherschatham.org
Temple of Understanding: Eco-justice for All
In 1960, Juliet Hollister (1916-2000) created the Temple of Understanding (TOU) after a realization that the world was in grave danger unless the gifts, wisdom, and insights of religious traditions could be recognized and cultivated to promote positive social change.
Contact:
Grove Harris, groveharris@gmail.com
Alison VanDyk, alison@templeofunderstanding.org
Parliament of World Religions
Our mission is to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and to foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions to address the critical issues of our time.
Contact:
Grove Harris, groveharris@gmail.com
Alison VanDyk, alison@templeofunderstanding.org