Clergy from many traditions in Boston blocking construction of fracked gas pipeline: American Baptist, Buddhist, Episcopal, Hindu, Jewish, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Unitarian Universalist. 

This morning 16 interfaith Clergy sat down on the edge of the trench being dug by Spectra Energy in West Roxbury, Massachusetts and halted construction on the lateral fracked gas pipeline being constructed in the city of Boston. This action kicks off a new project – ClergyClimateAction.org – which is being supported by the Climate Disobedience Center.

In welcoming our new Fellow, Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, we are also proud to be helping launch her project ClergyClimateAction.org. This project fits in so many ways with the principles of the Center, but most importantly engages with principle number six:

6. Challenge the leadership of the environmental movement and religious communities to serve the purposes for which those institutions were created; centered on moral imagination rather than policy and political feasibility.

ClergyClimateAction.org invites clergy from all faith traditions to engage in soulful leadership by exemplifying the “task of re-centering society imbued with the hope, joy and serenity which only flow from living in the truth.”

The goal of the project, which is starting in the Boston area, is to network together clergy across the country who are eager to find colleagues to explore this faithful action with. In addition to offering networking with like-minded clergy to engage in climate disobedience, Rabbi Shoshana will be collecting and sharing resources to help clergy use their experience to engage their congregations more deeply in the climate challenge.

Our goal is to be able to bring the full range of services and experience of the Climate Disobedience Center to help clergy conceive of and plan action, and follow that action through into the legal system to stand up and say that taking bold direct action on climate is necessary and upholding the moral law.

Are you a member of the clergy wanting to engage more deeply in this work and join a network of colleagues to take powerful action? Sign the letter to begin. Rabbi Shoshana will follow up with you – once she’s out of jail.