Christians to pray for God's creation

Christians of all denominations will unite in London this Saturday to pray for political leadership in protecting creation.

An ecumenical service will be held at St Matthew's Church in Westminster where Christians will pray that British and world leaders act urgently at
the ongoing climate conference in Bali to avert the dangers posed by climate change to the whole of creation.

They will then join a national demonstration to demand that Britain's representatives at the Bali conference lead by example by cutting Britain's greenhouse gas emissions further and faster.

The service will be one of a number of events to be held on Saturday during the National Campaign against Climate Change's rally and march.

Ann Pettifor, Campaign Director of Operation Noah, will address the
meeting.

She said: "DIY global repairs will no longer do. Individuals cannot limit the impacts of climate change on [...] the flooded homes of people on the coasts of Bangladesh or the plains around Tewkesbury, or the burnt- out homes of people in California and Greece.

"We need to work together, in community, at an international level and under government leadership. Britain needs to bring down emissions much further and faster than the Government so far intends.

"For that to happen we need a powerful social movement, led by people of faith, for a transformation in government attitudes, in our
economic policies and in lifestyles."

She said that the day of protest was about pressuring politicians "for bold, meaningful action to safeguard creation".

Following the service, Christians from all walks of life will join other groups and march from Westminster to the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square. They will demand that British and world leaders take the urgent action needed to prevent catastrophic climate change.

The National Demonstration in London will be one of many demonstrations on climate change taking place all around the world on the same day, midway through the United Nations climate talks in Bali, where world leaders will be discussing the threat from global warming and co-ordinating responses to the threat.

Operation Noah, Christian Ecology Link, EcoCongregation and the Student
Christian Movement, joint organisers of the service, have encouraged all their supporters along with all those concerned about climate change to join in the service and the march.


St Matthew's Church, Great Peter Street, Westminster on 8 December, at 11 o' clock.