Shipley Baptist Church gains Silver Award from A Rocha
Caroline and Martin with the Silver Eco-Church Award
The Yorkshire Baptist Association is delighted to celebrate Shipley Baptist Church’s achievement in receiving the prestigious Silver Award from A Rocha. This recognition reflects their dedication to environmental stewardship and their commitment to integrating creation care into church life.
A Rocha UK is a member of a global network of Christian organisations working to protect and restore the natural environment. Through its Eco Church Award Scheme, churches are encouraged to embed sustainable practices into their worship, buildings, community engagements and personal life styles.
A Testament to Hard Work and Commitment
Revd Dr Keith Jones shared this exciting news with us highlighting the incredible efforts the church has undertaken to achieve this award. Revd Keith further explained “Shipley Baptist Church, West Yorkshire, has been working hard over the summer months to complete requirements for the award of a Silver level from A Rocha, who run the eco-church award scheme. With help from Shipley in Bloom, our garden areas have been developed as an eco-friendly environment. Internally the Church has worked hard at re-cycling and introducing environmentally friendly features”.
Their commitment to environmental care has not only transformed their physical environment but has deeply influenced their worship and teaching “This autumn, a series of services over eight weeks were devoted to "Creation Change" using materials from the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT)”. In addition, their weekly news letter featured practical advice to encourage members to adopt sustainable habits in their daily lives.
A Whole Church Effort
Revd Dr Keith Jones further acknowledged the effort of the church. He noted that the journey towards achieving the Silver Award has been led by two dedicated Deacons, Caroline Whitehouse, as Eco-Champion and Martin Butterworth as Property Deacon. Their leadership has inspired the entire congregation—from the youngest members in Junior church to the oldest—to actively engage in caring for God’s creation.
Notably, the church had also explored key environmental issues such as air pollution, portable water access, sustainable transport and recycling. They even introduced “Walk to Church Sunday”, encouraging members to reduce their carbon footprint.
A Well Deserved Celebration
To mark this fantastic achievement, Shipley Baptist Church held a special Church Meeting on Sunday, 17th November 2024, where the congregation came together to reflect on their journey. The celebration continued with a community launch featuring pie and peas, bringing people together in fellowship and gratitude.
Congratulations!!!! Shipley Baptist Church
May your commitment to sustainability continue to inspire others in the years ahead.