Church-sponsored ‘Prayer and Action’ webinar shares how-tos in response to Los Angeles-area wildfires

[Episcopal News Service] Church leaders from the Diocese of Los Angeles shared how Episcopalians can best show prayerful solidarity and help people who’ve been impacted by the ongoing wildfires that have killed 29 people and destroyed over 16,000 homes and buildings across 50,000 acres throughout the region.

“It’s going to take many years of rebuilding and recovery, and I have no idea what that looks like,” the Rev. Melissa McCarthy, the Diocese of Los Angeles’ canon to the ordinary, told the 90 participants gathered online for a “Prayer and Action’ webinar in response to the fires. “The complexities are much more than I could have imagined. …None of this is normal.”

The Episcopal Church’s Office of Creation Care in cooperation with the Diocese of Los Angeles organized the Jan. 30 webinar, which was facilitated by the Rev. Melanie Mullen, the church’s director of reconciliation, justice and creation care.  

The Rev. Lester V. Mackenzie, The Episcopal Church’s chief of mission program and a Southern California resident, offered prayers on behalf of Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe: “I bring prayers and presence and a commitment to being and standing with Los Angeles, grieving, praying and working and healing.”

The official cause of the wildfires hasn’t been determined, but drought-like conditions and hurricane-like Santa Ana winds have exacerbated them over the last month. Climate change also has played a factor in the severity of the wildfires, as burning fossil fuels contributes to hotter temperatures and a dryer atmosphere, according to research from the University of California Los Angeles and the World Weather Attribution, a collaboration of international scientists.

As climate change has worsened over the last decade, eco-theology, which critically examines the relationship between religion and nature, has grown among many religions, including Christianity. Examining extreme weather events like the wildfires from an eco-theological perspective is done “by asking what it reveals to us about God, about creation, about the interconnection and interdependence of all created things and of the call of our Christian life and response,” said Payton Hoegh, spiritual communities director for the Center for Spirituality and a postulant in The Episcopal Church.

“Through this lens, we can acknowledge the environmental factors … that led us to the unbelievable destruction and loss that we’ve seen,” he said.

The wildfires started on Jan. 7. The next day, they burned down St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Altadena’s building. The wildfires also burned down 40 homes belonging to members of St. Mark’s. The congregation is now gathering for Sunday worship services at nearby St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Eagle Rock for the foreseeable future.

All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena’s building was spared despite being in an evacuation zone, but 72 families have lost their homes, and many others are still displaced and unable to return to their homes, according to the Rev. Susan Russell, the Diocese of Los Angeles’ canon for engagement across difference and a part-time clergyperson at All Saints. The church is serving as a meeting space with free internet for the community. A pro bono legal clinic and grief groups have occupied the space in recent weeks.

Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor told participants that atmospheric scientist Katherine Hayhoe predicted the worst-case scenario affecting the region now during a November 2024 webinar hosted by the Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change. She said that a confluence of climate change, wind gusts, drought conditions and a spark of fire would lead to such a tragedy “sooner rather than later,” Taylor said during the webinar. 

“I take no satisfaction … from observing that experts have anticipated this moment,” he continued. “Now that it’s occurred, I think we have a responsibility … to find out how we can make our Earth safer.”

The Earth’s temperature breached 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in 2024. As global temperatures continue to surpass record levels due to human-induced climate change and the El Niño weather pattern, scientists say more extreme weather events like wildfires will occur, including heatwaves, hurricanes, severe rain and increased flooding.

Sarah Nolan, All Saints’ director of giving, development and economic justice, noted that Altadena’s Black residents were disproportionately devastated by the Eaton fire, which is 99% contained. Nearly half of Black homes, 48%, were destroyed or sustained major damage, compared to 37% of homes owned by non-Black residents, according to data compiled by UCLA.

“A lot of this kind of conversation that we are having as a community is looking at how we can be part of the rebuilding process, part of the support process and making sure that we are continuing to build partnerships with organizations that are doing that work…” Nolan said. “Climate refugees is something we’re seeing not just across global places, but now across our country. …For me, thinking about what it is for our church communities to be climate resilience centers – both as physical spaces but also as networks and connectors – that is something that we are looking into at All Saints and with the diocese as well.”

Katie Mears, Episcopal Relief & Development’s senior technical specialist, U.S. disaster and climate risk, stressed the need to “draw a line really firmly” between climate justice and the need for affordable housing.

“I’ve heard stories from the folks in L.A. this idea of climate and disaster gentrification in a world with not enough affordable housing in general, but particularly not enough affordable housing in lower risk areas,” Mears said. “Work on affordable housing, wherever we’re doing it, that’s in lower risk areas is work on climate adaptation.”

The Diocese of Los Angeles and Episcopal Relief & Development have teamed up to provide cash assistance to anyone who’s been impacted by the wildfires. Donations can be made through both organizations’ websites.

McCarthy recommended that everyone should “become a climate activist” to help prevent future extreme weather disasters like the wildfires.

“Figure out how you can resist the latest round of executive orders that are going to have a direct impact on the warming of our planet,” she said.

Mullen told webinar participants that networking is key to “keeping up this fight, this multi-layered work.” She also encouraged participants to connect with the church’s Office of Government Relations to keep up with climate policy updates.

“We are a movement in this Episcopal Church, this branch of the Jesus Movement, pursuing work on climate adaptation, fighting climate change,” Mullen said.

Episcopalians can learn more about the church’s commitment to addressing the global climate crisis on its website.

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.