Glory Growing on Trees

Glory Growing on Trees ¹

by Craig Sorley. 11-03-2004.

A report from Kenya

Are you a believer who has held God-given convictions about the environment, but have felt isolated in your church because no one else seems to share those convictions? That’s the way I have felt for years. But about 18 months ago that began to change when my wife and I left the U.S. to join a project initiated by a missionary in Kenya. In January of 2003 we moved to Brackenhurst, a beautiful conference center surrounded by tea fields in the highlands of Kenya. Our job was to develop an environmental program centered on a biblical perspective of creation.

Brackenhurst is a facility belonging to the Baptist mission of Kenya situated just 35 minutes from the capital city of Nairobi. The property encompasses about 100 acres of land, much of which remains undeveloped. A few years ago a neighboring forestry expert approached Mr. John McKelvey, the missionary and acting director of Brackenhurst, to suggest an indigenous tree planting program. The proposed plan was approved, and today Brackenhurst has a tree nursery and boasts over 600 tree species on its compound, a majority of which are indigenous to Kenya. In a nation where indigenous trees and whole forests are rapidly disappearing, this effort in forest restoration is now celebrated as a welcome sight by many.

But that was only the beginning of the story. Africa is a continent facing an environmental crisis that is unprecedented in history. Rapid deforestation, land degradation, pollution, and the loss of bio diversity plague the region and threaten the future of its people. Unfortunately, as the landscapes of Africa struggle under increasing pressures, much of the church continues to remain silent on the topic.

Familiar with the seriousness of the situation, and the need for the church to embrace its responsibility in stewarding the creation, John realized that Brackenhurst was positioned to play a significant role in addressing the issue. The conference center hosts over 25,000 visitors annually, many of whom are leaders of mission agencies, NGOs, churches, and secular institutions. The center is also situated next to a Bible college which trains hundreds of pastors each year. What began as the collection and planting of indigenous trees has now given rise to the Brackenhurst Environmental Program (BEP), a full fledged effort to bring a Christian perspective to bear on environmental concerns in East Africa.

The most notable highlight of our work this past year was a successful conference which we organized in partnership with Food for the Hungry International. For three days in mid-January over 230 delegates and 16 speakers from the U.S. and Africa attended a landmark gathering here at Brackenhurst entitled the “International Conference on God and Creation: Rediscovering the Biblical Mandate for Environmental and Agricultural Stewardship.”

This event was designed to reach African pastors, church leaders, farmers, missionaries, and other leaders with a message of environmental stewardship based on the Word of God. The Lord’s hand of favor was with us, because He blessed the gathering beyond our expectations. Pastors, missionaries, and representatives from numerous NGOs came. People donated funds to assist those who could not afford the full costs. The presentations were excellent, the worship inspiring, and numerous attendees confessed that their views about God’s creation had been transformed.

On several occasions an atmosphere of humble repentance hung over the audience as speakers pointed out a simple truth: Christians need to wake up to our responsibility in this arena and take action because the careless treatment and destruction of a magnificent creation is nothing less than an insult to the Magnificent Creator God whom we claim to love and worship.

To top off the conference on the final day we were privileged to have a visit from the famous environmental Professor Wangari Maathai , who years ago started the Greenbelt Movement in Kenya. She is now a high ranking government official, second in command for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. Professor Maathai expressed her delight to see so many Christians gathered together to focus on the issue at hand and talked briefly about her own commitment as a Christian. She revealed in a compelling way the deep concerns she holds about the continuing degradation and dwindling beauty of her nation.

Results of the conference so far have been positive with quite a number of delegates writing back to describe how they have begun to take action on their new found perspective. We have also had an encouraging follow-up meeting with Wangari Maathai herself, where she communicated an interest in learning more about the scriptural principles emphasized at the conference. She fully agrees that a biblical viewpoint on the environment needs to be widely promoted across the county. Kenya is said to be 80% Christian, but unfortunately the land does not bear witness to this fact.

So here at Brackenhurst we are hopeful. The conference allowed for seeds of change to be sown, and some of that seed has fallen on good soil. We are praying that these seeds will germinate and multiply, and that one day thousands of churches and believers across East Africa will embrace their responsibility in both environmental and agricultural stewardship. Ultimately, this is the primary objective of our program. So what else are we doing to achieve this end?

In the past couple months, with the onset of the long rains, our activities have been dominated by a range of tree planting and educational efforts with local churches, schools, and private landowners. But the Brackenhurst Environmental Program is working to respond to the environmental crisis in a variety of ways.

Here are some of the strategies and initiatives that the project has undertaken so far:

• Spreading and implementing a biblical message about creation by discipling and educating the church.
• The development and distribution of biblically based educational brochures and publications on the environment.
• Promoting the planting of indigenous trees through our indigenous forestry program.
• Environmental education programs for schools.
• Exploring creative ways to link efforts in environmental stewardship with efforts to spread the gospel and reach the un-reached. Partnerships and collaboration with churches and Christian organizations.
• Passing on our vision to local and national government leaders through the building of relationships.
• Energy conservation, waste management, and the promotion of techniques or demonstrations in natural resource and agricultural stewardship.

Realistically speaking, our environmental program at Brackenhurst is still in its infancy, and by most standards our ministry is relatively small. But we do have an ambitious vision for the expansion and growth of this work, and are praying that God would pave the way for that to happen.

One of the true delights about being here in Kenya is that people are enthusiastic and responsive to the message of stewardship. It makes sense to them because the vast majority of people here are still farmers, fishermen, or pastoralists. Numerous pastors and church leaders that I have spoken with often respond by saying, “This is a good message I have not heard before. I never knew that the Bible had so much to say about caring for the environment.” Indeed it has been a refreshing experience compared to back home, where talking about environmental concerns with fellow believers is often met with disinterest. Not only are church leaders open to this message, but leaders in local schools have responded positively as well. We have the freedom to integrate a Christian perspective into our environmental education efforts in schools, and this is an opportunity that we would never have in many other parts of the world. So the prospects are very encouraging, and we are gearing up to shift more of our efforts into area churches and schools.

At Brackenhurst we delight in the remarkable beauty, diversity, and value of the creation, and we believe that God has uniquely positioned this ministry to address an issue that is only gaining more attention as time goes by. Our educational programs are helping Kenyan Christians understand the biblical call to care for all of God’s creation, including the endangered African Crowned Eagle, rhinos, (see photos on back cover) and other animals that grace the forests and grasslands of the Kenyan landscape. God has thoughtfully combined a unique place with a unique set of people and circumstances, and these factors set an exciting stage for the future. There is a desperate need to disciple the church on this topic, and we are hoping that others will partner with us in this venture. Our prayer is that God will surround us not only with the people but also the resources necessary to expand the horizons of our efforts. With His help we can begin to recapture this lost ground for Christ and make tangible progress in building a hopeful and more sustainable future for the people of Kenya and beyond.

1. http://www.thegoodsteward.com/article.php3?articleID=2316
2. Since this article was written, Professor Maathai has been named the 2004 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, one of the highest honors a person can receive.