United Methodist Maryland Advocacy Day, 2023
Find Grassroots Groups
This journey — of responding faithfully to the climate crisis — is best undertaken in community. Across our region, we support and encourage a network of grassroots groups where green leaders are finding fellowship and taking climate action together in specific denominations or communities.
See if there is a group like this in your faith community or region, and let us know how we can support and celebrate your work! Are we missing a local green faith group? Are you interested in starting a new one? Please contact joshua @ ipldmv.org.
Climate Equity Groups
We are directly supporting organizers in forming climate action groups of those working for climate protection in Black churches, and in Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities, raising up the leaders we need in our region’s multi-faith movement.
For green leaders in Black churches:
Beloved DMV Environmental Justice Collective
For Buddhist climate protectors:
EcoSangha DMV with One Earth Sangha
For Muslim climate protectors:
Climate Shura DMV
For Hindu, Jain and Sikh climate protectors:
Green Dharma DMV
Regional Multi-Faith Climate Groups:
In Maryland
Frederick Co: Multi-faith Alliance of Climate Stewards (MACS)
Montgomery Co: Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (MC-FACS)
Wicomico Co: Sacred Resilience Wicomico
Tablot Co: Talbot Green Hands
In Northern Virginia *(See also Virginia IPL)
Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS)
Denominational Climate Groups:
For green leaders in CATHOLIC parishes:
In DC & MD: Laudato Si’ Catholics of the DMV / MD Catholics for Our Common Home
In NoVA: Care for Creation Network of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington
For green leaders in BLACK CHURCHES:
Beloved DMV Environmental Justice Collective
For BUDDHIST climate protectors:
EcoSangha DMV with One Earth Sangha
Chesapeake Earth Holders of Engaged Buddhism
For green leaders in EPISCOPAL churches:
In EDOW: Episcopal Diocese of Washington Creation Care Taskforce
In EDOM: GreenGrace (formerly: Md Episcopal Environmental Partners)
In EDOV: Creation Care Committee, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
For HINDU, JAIN and SIKH climate protectors:
In DMV: Green Dharma DMV
For JEWISH climate protectors:
In DMV: Jewish Climate Action Network DMV – Dayenu Circle
In NoVA: Temple Rodef Shalom Dayenu Circle
In Greater Baltimore: The Baltimore Environmental Sustainability Network
For teens: Jewish Youth Climate Movement
For LDS (MORMON) climate protectors:
In DMV: Earth Stewardship East
For green leaders in LUTHERAN (ELCA) churches:
Delaware-Maryland Synod ELCA Creation Care Ministry
For MUSLIM climate protectors:
Climate Shura DMV
For green leaders in PRESBYTERIAN (PCUSA) churches:
In DMV: National Capital Presbytery Earth Care Committee
In Greater Baltimore: Baltimore Presbytery Earth Care Congregations
For UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST climate protectors:
In DMV: UU Mid-Atlantic Network for the Environment (UUMANE)
For green leaders in UNITED METHODIST churches:
In BWCUMC: Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church Creation Care
In VAUMC: The Virginia Conference UMC Creation Justice Movement
Spiritual Support Groups:
For spiritual support and outdoor worship:
In DMV: Wild Earth Spiritual Community
Green Groups - In the order listed above.
Beloved DMV Environmental Justice Collective
The Beloved DMV Environmental Justice Collective is a group of Black clergy and green leaders in the DMV that advocates for environmental justice and sustainable practices within our houses of worship and beyond, hosted Robin Lewis for IPL-DMV.
EcoSangha DMV with One Earth Sangha
One Earth Sangha regional group for Buddhist climate protectors.
Green Dharma DMV
A collaborative space for Dharmic neighbors of DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia to connect over climate consciousness and our shared duty, dharma, of caring for the earth, our common home, hosted by Anjali Gulati for IPL-DMV.
Multifaith Alliance of Climate Stewards (MACS)
Frederick County groups whose steering committee meets monthly. If you’re interested email: MacsFrederickCounty@yahoo.com
Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (MC-FACS)
Working together with us at Interfaith Power & Light, MC-FACS connects Montgomery County congregations to opportunities to undertake climate education, greening, and state or national climate advocacy. Join the google listserv by completing this form.
Sacred Resilience Wicomico
An online space for faith communities across Wicomico County to share our work to care for Creation, cultivate resilience, and work for environmental justice. Co-convened by IPL-DMV and Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake.
Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS)
Works to promote energy efficiency and other climate solutions in Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria. Advocate for local climate policy with your neighbors. Find monthly hub meetings here: https://faithforclimate.org/calendar/
Laudato Si' Catholics of the DMV / MD Catholics for Our Common Home
A lay-led group that mobilizes grassroots Catholic action on creation care and environmental justice by providing a platform for communication and organization.
Chesapeake Earth Holders of Engaged Buddhism
The Earth Holder Community are an Earth Justice Initiative in the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, inspired by the teachings of Zenmaster Thich Nhat Hanh. They bring mindfulness, compassion, healing, and non-violence to protecting each other, all beings, and the Earth.
Episcopal Diocese of Washington Creation Care Taskforce
This Episcopal DC & MD suburbs based group is committed to promoting respectful care of God’s creation, and particularly to working against climate change and on behalf of climate justice.
Jewish Climate Action Network DMV (JCAN DMV) - Dayenu Circle for DMV
Mobilizes our communities to protect the sacred Earth and all her fullness, Jewishly and locally through monthly meetings.
Temple Rodef Shalom - Dayenu Circle
Jewish group based in Falls Church, VA. Dayenu is building a movement of American Jews confronting the climate crisis with spiritual audacity and bold political action. Jewish support for climate solutions, building collective power with national and global movements, and raising up a spiritual, religious, and moral voice is core to their work.
Contacts: Lawrence MacDonald at lawrencemacdonald @ gmail.com to get connected to the group meetings.
The Baltimore Environmental Sustainability Network
The new Baltimore Environmental Sustainability Network (BESN) from The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and Adamah focuses on implementing eco-friendly practices in the Baltimore region. BESN aims to educate Jewish community members about Jewish views on climate activism as well as engage the community and promote sustainability through legislative advocacy and community hands-on programming.
Jewish Youth Climate Movement
A Gen Z-led movement dedicated to combating climate change and environmental injustice from a Jewish lens. Several kvutzah or chapters/groups exist in the DMV. Visit their website below and sign up to learn more!
Earth Stewardship East
Network of Earth Stewardship East is a chapter of LDS Earth Stewardship for the DC region that works on environmental stewardship in their congregations. All are welcome, they are not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though many in the group follow that faith. Monthly meetings or conference calls. Email east @ ldsearthstewardship.org if you have questions.
Creation Care Ministry of the Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCA
Creation Care Ministry’s mission is to inspire, educate and support individuals and congregations in the DE-MD Synod of the ELCA who want to become engaged in the growing ecumenical movement to protect the earth, our common home, from the destruction caused by harmful human activities.
National Capital Presbytery - Earth Care Committee
DMV Presbyterians committed to creation care. The network gathers representatives from NCP Earth Care Congregations for support, to exchange ideas, to recruit and help new members, and to work together on larger issues affecting the Presbytery. The network’s members are eager to help any congregation interested in becoming certified or applying for a grant. Contact Elder David Kepley in the email button below to get involved.
Baltimore Presbytery Earth Care Congregations
Earth Care Congregations are congregations in the Presbytery of Baltimore that have committed to the “Earth Care Pledge” and accomplished a specific number of actions toward caring for God’s earth in four categories: worship, education, facilities, and outreach. Visit their website below to learn more about how to become one.
UU Mid-Atlantic Network for the Environment (UUMANE)
UU MANE is a newly created group of UUs from across the DMV (and DE) region working to commit to a one-year climate spirituality focus in congregational life, adopt a default plant-based food policy for congregational events, advocate for cutting greenhouse gas emissions at the local and state level, reduce CO2 emissions of their congregational facilities and grounds, establish environmental justice allyship, and confront planetary overshoot.
BWCUMC Creation Care Group
The Creation Care team usually meets on the third Friday of each month at 1 pm via Zoom. Contact pastorkatie1 @ gmail.com for the link and to join the Basecamp email group for the latest information.
The Virginia Conference UMC Creation Justice Movement
The Virginia Conference UMC Creation Justice Movement’s mission is to participate with the Spirit of God in connecting and supporting groups within The United Methodist Church and beyond for the work of creation, care, justice, and regeneration.
Wild Earth Spiritual Community
Inter-spiritual community that meets twice monthly for spiritual practices in nature. Email wildchaplainsarah @ gmail.com with any questions.
Water & Wilderness Church
Led by Father Pete Nunnally, Water and Wilderness Church is for anyone anywhere who yearns for a wilder faith in a bigger God. It’s more than a church, it’s a watershed community of people near and far who seek authentic connection to God and one another through nature-based worship, book studies, and immersive nature retreats. It’s expansively Christian, radically affirming, and unbounded by artificial borders and rigid doctrine.
Festival Center - Climate Justice Collective
Coalition of grassroots climate justice activists. The collective requires a one-year commitment. A collective year consists of two semesters: a “January – April” winter semester and a “September – November” fall semester.