EcoPreacher
Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World
Lexington Theological Seminary, The BTS Center, and Creation Justice Ministries are partnering to offer a series of experiences and resources to help you hone the craft of preaching in the context of a changing world and a changing church. We seek to equip and encourage preaching that is rooted deeply in Scripture and theology — preaching that gets at the heart of what it means to be human and to live faithfully in a climate-changed world.
One of the most urgent features of our changing world is the accelerating reality of climate change, manifested ever more concretely in the form of extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, warming temperatures, and rapidly rising levels of climate anxiety, especially among younger generations, all of which disproportionately impact vulnerable and historically marginalized communities.
In one way or another, nearly every human being on the planet has been affected by climate change over the past twelve months, and the impacts are devastating for our more-than-human kin, as well. No longer can we think of climate change as a future challenge. We are living in a climate-changed world.
Our world is crying out for bold, prophetic moral leadership that can truthfully name the predicament and transform the misguided priorities that have brought this crisis to our doorstep. Those who preach have a unique opportunity — and responsibility — to offer a compelling moral witness in this moment, to provide spiritual guidance in the quest for understanding, connection, and resilience in a world in need of social and ecological healing and wholeness.
We are delighted to offer an array of programs, resources, and research findings to encourage and equip preachers to rise to the urgency of this moment, while helping to nurture supportive and life-giving relationships among preachers. We hope you’ll join us.
Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World is a collaborative project of Lexington Theological Seminary, The BTS Center, and Creation Justice Ministries that is made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
EcoPreacher Cohort
September 2024 – June 2025
Online
a 9-month cohort of learning, companionship, and exploration
Sermon Coaching Groups
January - June 2025
Online
a six-month opportunity for companionship, sermon feedback, and theological reflection
Rev. Dr. Carolyn Sharp, EcoPreacher Homilietician in Residence, delivered the sermon below at our "Politics in the Pulpit" event in October 2024
Program Partnership
“Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World” is a collaborative project of Lexington Theological Seminary, The BTS Center, and Creation Justice Ministries that is made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The mission of Lexington Theological Seminary is to prepare faithful leaders for the church of Jesus Christ and, thus, to strengthen the church’s participation in God’s mission for the world. Lexington Theological Seminary seeks to be a servant of the church preparing men and women for ministry in congregations through:
- innovative instruction
- flexible curriculum
- congregational experience
- compassionate engagement with the needs of society
The Seminary offers an online program that is competency-based, congregation-centered and developmental in its commitment to prepare people for leadership in congregational ministry. As an integral part of the church, the seminary serves the church as a theological resource and as a center of continuing education for clergy and lay leaders.
Creation Justice Ministries’ mission is to educate, equip and mobilize communions and denominations, congregations, and individuals to protect, restore, and rightly share God's creation. Creation Justice Ministries’ membership includes Baptist, Historically Black, Orthodox, Peace, and mainline Protestant traditions. With a particular concern for people who are most vulnerable and marginalized, Creation Justice Ministries provides collaborative opportunities to build ecumenical community, guides people of faith and faith communities towards eco-justice transformations, and raises a collective witness in the public arena echoing Christ's call for just relationships among all of creation.
With roots dating back to 1814, The BTS Center is a private operating foundation in Portland, Maine, building on the legacy of the former Bangor Theological Seminary. Today The BTS Center seeks to catalyze spiritual imagination, with enduring wisdom, for transformative faith leadership. Guided by the vision of human hearts renewed, justice established, and creation restored, The BTS Center offers theologically grounded programs of continuing education and spiritual / vocational formation, including workshops and retreats, learning cohorts, courses, public conversations, and projects of applied research, all with an intention to cultivate and nurture spiritual leadership for a climate-changed world.
