Climate change course aims to persuade evangelicals to go green

A new climate change course is targeting evangelical Christians, hoping to persuade the notoriously sceptical group to go green.

Only four per cent of Christians think the environment is one of the most important issues facing the UK, according to 2015 polling, and conservative evangelicals are much less likely than other Christians to be concerned by the impact of climate change in the future.

Plastic waste is increasingly recognised as an environmental disaster, in part thanks to the BBC's Blue Planet documentary.Pixabay

Tenants of the King is a new course designed to persuade climate-sceptic Christians that the New Testament teaches them to live sustainably.

'We wanted to provide something for Christians who struggle to see the connection between environmental issues, the teaching of the Bible and their daily walk as Christians,' said Stephen Edwards, from Operation Noah, a Christian climate change charity launching the programme.

'We've put together a Bible-based, Jesus-focused study guide which we hope can help communicate environmental issues from a Christian perspective, equipping believers to take confident personal and political action.'

It is backed by the bishop of Kensington, Graham Tomlin, as well as Rev Mark Melluish, from New Wine, Dr Ruth Valerio, of Tearfund, and Dr Justin Thacker, of Cliff College, who have contributed video reflections for the small group discussions.

Valerio said: 'We live in an amazing world that God has placed us in and has asked us to look after. As a church we have got a part to play in responding to God's call. I want to recommend this resource as a way to learn about the calling God has given us to take care of this world.'