We are Baptist pastors, denominational leaders, ethicists and theologians who are committed to pursuing the twin moral imperatives to care for the poor and for creation, two imperatives drawn from an abundance of passages in the Bible. Planet Earth is the Lord’s and we are caretakers of it. When we guard the environment, we also protect the marginalized and those most vulnerable to droughts, floods, deteriorating ecosystems and diseases.
We believe “The American Clean Energy and Security Act,” a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, advances practically the moral demands to care for the earth and its poorest inhabitants.
We understand that this bill is a comprehensive one that promises to create millions of clean energy jobs, to advance American security from foreign oil, to protect the planet by capping global-warming gases, to increase electricity from renewable energy sources and to improve energy efficiency.
We are thankful this bill provides support to help the global poor adapt to the impacts of climate change. We wish the bill provided more funding to help the marginalized and those most at risk—those least responsible for climate change. Nonetheless, an imperfect bill will not keep us from speaking up and encouraging our fellow church members to support this legislation. We are determined that the tyranny of moral perfectionism will not block the urgency of moral realism.
Our letter today is a continuation of that earlier moral witness.
On April 28, 2008, more than 140 Baptist leaders from 25 states and the District of Columbia endorsed a Baptist Center for Ethics letter calling on the U.S. Senate to pass climate-change legislation. That letter applauded Senators John Warner and Joseph Lieberman for introducing bi-partisan legislation and the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works "for beginning to address this important moral issue."
We call today on the U.S. House of Representatives to strengthen and to pass without delay “The American Clean Energy and Security Act.”
Sincerely,
Robert Parham
Executive Director, Baptist Center for Ethics Baptist Center for Ethics P.O. Box 150506 | Nashville, TN 37215 | www.ethicsdaily.com Robert Parham, Ph.D. | executive director | 615-415-2348 | robert.parham@ethicsdaily.com
Board of Directors, Baptist Center for Ethics
Kevin Heifner, chair, Baptist Center for Ethics Keith Herron, pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo. Joseph Phelps, pastor, Highland Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky. Sara Powell, former moderator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia Carol Richardson, associate pastor, First Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn. Reggie Warren, former president, Baptist General Association of Virginia Aidsand Wright-Riggins, executive director, National Ministries, American Baptist Churches-USA
National Baptist Leaders
David Burroughs, president, Passport, Inc. Charles Deweese, executive director, Baptist History and Heritage Society Jack Glasgow, moderator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship David Emmanuel Goatley, executive secretary-treasurer, Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention Sumner Grant, executive director, Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board, American Baptist Churches-USA Virginia R. Holmstrom, executive director, American Baptist Women’s Ministries Emmanuel McCall, former moderator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Roy Medley, general secretary, American Baptist Churches-USA Rob Nash, Coordinator for Global Missions, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Bo Prosser, Coordinator for Congregational Formation, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship William Shaw, president, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., and pastor, White Rock Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Penn. Reid Trulson, executive director, International Ministries, American Baptist Churches- USA Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Alabama Baptist Leaders
James Evans, pastor, Auburn First Baptist Church, Auburn Brent McDougal, coordinator, Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Arkansas Baptist Leaders
Wendell Griffen, pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock Steve Sheely, pastor, Rolling Hills Baptist Church, Fayetteville C. Drew Smith, administrator, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia Stanley Wilson, pastor, Providence Baptist Church, Little Rock
California Baptist Leader
Glen Stassen, professor, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena
Colorado Baptist Leader
Miguel de la Torre, professor, Iliff School of Theology, Denver
District of Columbia Baptist Leader
Lynn Bergfalk, pastor, Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church
Florida Baptist Leaders
Barry Howard, pastor, First Baptist Church, Pensacola Ray Johnson, coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida
Georgia Baptist Leaders
Elizabeth Allen, associate director of admissions, McAfee School of Theology, Atlanta Frank Broome, coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia Bob Browning, pastor, Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain Greg DeLoach, pastor, First Baptist Church, Augusta John Finley, pastor, First Baptist Church, Savannah Jimmy Gentry, pastor, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Carrollton David Key, director of Baptist Studies, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta Matt Rich, minister for adult spiritual formation, Wieuca Road Baptist Church, Atlanta Robert Walker, pastor, Peachtree Baptist Church, Atlanta Bill Wilson, pastor, First Baptist Church, Dalton
Illinois Baptist Leaders
Jacki Belile, founding minister, Living Well Ministries, Chicago Catherine Burris-Schnur, pastoral psychotherapist, Center for Religion and Psychotherapy of Chicago Keith R. Cerk, pastor, First Baptist Church, Waukegan Alice B. Greene, pastor, Irving Park Baptist Church, Chicago Larry Greenfield, executive minister, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago Tripp Hudgins, pastor, The Community Church of Wilmette Zina Jacque, pastor, Community Church of Barrington Lynne Kelley, communication coordinator, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago Carol McVetty, pastor, North Shore Baptist Church, Chicago Gonzalo Palacios, pastor, First Baptist Hispanic Congregation, Waukegan Jason Platt, pastor, Montrose Baptist Church, Chicago Gonu Rajamani, pastor, India Baptist Telugu Church of Greater Chicago Elizabeth Ritzman, pastoral counselor, AltCare Health Center, Oak Park Robert V. Thompson, pastor, Lake Street Church of Evanston Linda Tossey, pastor, Community Baptist Church, Warrenville
Kansas Baptist Leaders
Heather Entrekin, pastor, Prairie Baptist Church, Prairie Village Molly Marshall, president, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Shawnee Kentucky Baptist Leaders James Byrd, pastor, Third Baptist Church, Owensboro Bob Fox, pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Georgetown E. Glenn Hinson, professor, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky Mark Johnson, pastor, Central Baptist Church, Lexington David Platt, pastor, Deer Park Baptist Church, Louisville
Louisiana Baptist Leader
Samuel C. Tolbert, president, Louisiana Home & Foreign Mission Baptist State Convention, Inc.
Maryland Baptist Leader
Edward Williams, pastor, First Baptist Church, Wheaton
Mississippi Baptist Leader
Bert Montgomery, pastor, University Baptist Church, Starkville
Missouri Baptist Leaders
Jim Hill, executive director, Baptist General Convention of Missouri Scott L. Stearman, pastor, Kirkwood Baptist Church, St. Louis
Nebraska Baptist Leader
Tom Wiles, pastor, First Baptist Church, North Platte
New York Baptist Leaders
Alan Newton, executive minister, American Baptist Churches, Rochester Genesee Region Donald Rasmussen, interim executive minister, American Baptist Churches of New York State
North Carolina Baptist Leaders
Tony Cartledge, professor, Campbell University Divinity School, Buies Creek Roger Gilbert, pastor, First Baptist Church, Mount Airy Wayne Hager, pastor, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Raleigh Larry Hovis, coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina David Hughes, pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem Bill Ireland, pastor, Ardmore Baptist Church, Winston-Salem Tommy Justus, pastor, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Mars Hill Ken Massey, pastor, First Baptist Church, Greensboro Tim Moore, pastor, Sardis Baptist Church, Charlotte Richard Pierard, retired professor, Hendersonville Glenn Phillips, pastor, First Baptist Church, Goldsboro Ron Poythress, pastor, Triangle Baptist Church, Raleigh Mike Queen, pastor, First Baptist Church, Wilmington Robert Prince, pastor, First Baptist Church, Waynesville Guy Sayles, pastor, First Baptist Church, Asheville Layne Smith, pastor, Viewmont Baptist Church, Hickory Jeffrey and Tonya Vickery, pastors, Cullowhee Baptist Church, Cullowhee Larry Wilson, pastor, First Baptist Church, Biscoe
Ohio Baptist Leader
Marvin A. McMickle, pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Cleveland
Oklahoma Baptist Leaders
Bruce Prescott, executive director, Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists Larry Stevens, pastor, Noble Avenue Baptist Church, Guthrie George Young, pastor, Holy Temple Baptist Church, Oklahoma City
Pennsylvania Baptist Leader
James E. McJunkin Jr., executive minister, Philadelphia Baptist Association
Rhode Island Baptist Leader
Liliana Da Valle, executive minister, American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island
South Carolina Baptist Leaders
Marion Aldridge, coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina Fred Andrea, pastor, First Baptist Church, Aiken; Beverly Greer, missions coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina Stuart Jones, associate pastor, Fernwood Baptist Church, Spartanburg Johnny McKinney, pastor, Boulevard Baptist Church, Anderson Robert Shrum, pastor, Oakland Baptist Church, Rockhill James R. Thomason, pastor, First Baptist Church, Anderson
Tennessee Baptist Leaders
William Buchanan, pastor, Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church, Nashville Bob Byrd, religion professor, Belmont University, Nashville Sam Davidson, president, Cool People Care, Nashville Stan Elliott, pastor, First Baptist Church, Clinton Darrell Gwaltney, dean, Belmont University, Nashville Ircel Harrison, center director, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Murfreesboro Mark McEntire, professor, Belmont University, Nashville Bill Shiell, pastor, First Baptist Church, Knoxville Mike Smith, pastor, First Baptist Church, Murfreesboro Ed Sunday-Winters, pastor, Ball Camp Baptist Church, Knoxville Andy Watts, religion professor, Belmont University, Nashville Gene Wilder, pastor, First Baptist Church, Jefferson City
Texas Baptist Leaders
Kyle Childress, pastor, Austin Heights Baptist Church, Nacogdoches Charles Foster Johnson, interim pastor, Broadway Baptist Church, Ft. Worth Phil Lineberger, pastor, Williams Trace Baptist Church, Houston Robert P. Sellers, professor, Logsdon School of Theology, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene William M. Tillman, professor, Logsdon School of Theology, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene Joe E. Trull, editor, Christian Ethics Today Steve Wells, pastor, South Main Baptist Church, Houston
Virginia Baptist Leaders
Daniel Bagby, professor, Baptist Theological Seminary, Richmond Bill Booth, pastor, Vinton Baptist Church, Vinton Daniel Carro, ambassador, Latino Ministries, Baptist General Association of Virginia Michael Cheuk, pastor, Farmville Baptist Church, Farmville Larry Coleman, pastor, Churchland Baptist Church, Chesapeake Paul Dakin, music/youth minister, Marion Baptist Church, Marion Tommy McDearis, pastor, Blacksburg Baptist Church Skip Irby, pastor, West End Baptist Church, Suffolk Tom Leland, pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville Joe Lewis, pastor, Second Baptist Church, Petersburg Bill Nieporte, pastor, Patterson Avenue Baptist Church, Richmond Dave Stancil, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bristol Alan Stanford, pastor, Leesburg Community Church, Leesburg John Tadlock, interim pastor, Orcutt Baptist Church, Newport News Chuck Warnock, pastor, Chatham Baptist Church, Chatham David Washburn, pastor, First Baptist Church, Waynesboro
Washington Baptist Leader
Marcia Patton, executive minister, Evergreen Association of American Baptist Churches
Wisconsin Baptist Leader
Arlo R. Reichter, executive minister, American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin