Sewanee’s School of Theology hosts webinar on how churches can address climate change post-Hurricane Helene

[Episcopal News Service] Hurricane Helene’s unprecedented destruction upon inland communities throughout the Southeastern United States that were previously considered safely outside hurricane zones has renewed calls to research and mitigate climate change. The powerful Category 4 storm has killed at least 230 people, half of them in North Carolina, since it made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Sept. 26.

“We have to find a way to respond to the storm and … do the long-term planning,” East Tennessee Bishop Brian Cole said during an Oct. 23 webinar hosted by the University of the South’s School of Theology in Sewanee, Tennessee, called “Churches and Climate Change After Helene.” Cole is one of 30 Episcopal bishops on the board of trustees of the University of the South, which is owned and governed by The Episcopal Church’s 28 Southeast dioceses.

Andrew Thompson, associate professor of ethics and director of the Center for Religion & Environment at the School of Theology, facilitated the webinar’s discussion, which addressed how churches and communities can respond to climate change in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Sara McIntyre, sustainability manager of Sewanee’s Office of Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability, also spoke during the webinar.

“I think the biggest thing that Helene has done for us in terms of climate change is it’s really brought home that, to those who maybe haven’t been as engaged in this work, climate change really is happening,” McIntyre said. “It’s here; it’s real. It’s not a future incident that we’re working to change. It’s a present instance that is happening now.”

McIntyre mentioned that some of Helene’s worst destruction happened in areas located more than 300 miles from the Atlantic coast, including Chattanooga in the Diocese of East Tennessee, and Asheville in the Diocese of Western North Carolina. This shows that “no place is really excluded” from climate change.

Helene was most catastrophic for Asheville due to extreme flooding.

Climate change exacerbated Helene’s strength and devastation, according to a recent study released by the World Weather Attribution, an international network of scientists who conduct research on how climate change impacts extreme weather events. Climatologists say more catastrophic storms are expected in the future as global temperatures continue to rise.

The webinar focused on Helene, but the speakers mentioned that Hurricane Milton, which made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, less than two weeks after Helene – is another example of climate change impacting the strength and frequency of hurricanes. At peak intensity, Milton, a Category 5 storm, became the fifth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, killing at least 32 people in the United States.

With Milton, Cole said, there’s a sense of “despair, in a sense that we don’t get to do just one [hurricane] at a time.”

Cole, McIntyre and Thompson said it’s important for churches and communities to prepare for long-term responses to climate change, including adapting and improving infrastructure, restoring natural ecosystems, establishing a support system among communities and engaging with policymakers.

“While we often think of climate change and climate politics in very global terms, sometimes there are very immediate kinds of local decisions and questions that affect planning, our ability to be ready, to be able to respond,” Thompson said.

Webinar participants used Zoom’s chat function to ask questions. Several people asked how dioceses and congregations can effectively strategize for hurricane preparedness. McIntyre said the first step is to think about and analyze region-specific possible risks, such as flooding, high temperatures, crop failures, strong winds, grid failures, aging infrastructure and access to transportation. She also recommended taking advantage of readily available toolkits for risk management from reliable sources, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross.

Thompson mentioned that the 81st General Convention in June 2024 passed Resolution B002, “Build Eco-Region Creation Networks for Crucial Impact,” which calls on The Episcopal Church to create a pilot program of three “Eco-Region Creation Networks” that would link Episcopalians across dioceses and institutions as they implement nature-based mitigation strategies to climate change. The networks would focus on the transformation of food systems, restoring and preserving native biodiversity, monitoring water quality and conserving water supply. In September, Executive Council’s Joint Budget Committee recommended spending $90,000 to establish the networks. Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe affirmed the investment.

The webinar’s three speakers all endorsed addressing climate change from a theological perspective.

“It matters to me because of love. Love the neighbor; love God; love God’s world,” Cole said. “When things are falling apart, the spirit of God is going to stay here. God doesn’t give up on God’s creation. …We don’t give up on each other. We don’t abandon each other.”

Episcopalians can learn more about the church’s commitment to addressing the global climate crisis on The Episcopal Church’s Creation Care website.

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