Redlands faith leaders: Healing the Earth is a moral imperative

The following statement was delivered at the conclusion of Redlands’ Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 22, 2025, by Henry Craig Hadley, pastor of Paradox Church on behalf of the Interfaith Climate Action Coalition of Redlands.

The coalition—formed with support from Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action (ANCA)—includes leaders from local faith communities who have met over the past year to explore how people of faith can work together to address climate change. Their message emphasizes shared values, spiritual responsibility, and collective action.

The full statement is published below.

Good afternoon!  Thank you for that introduction and for a few minutes of your attention.

The group you see here on stage represents the Interfaith Climate Action Coalition of Redlands, a group of leaders from ten of Redlands’ faith communities. 

We came together over the last year with the help of Accelerating Neighborhood Climate Action, also known as ANCA,  because we believe passionately that we need to care better for the Earth, and we believe that when we act together, we strengthen each other in doing that. 

We’re so pleased to see so many people participating in our City’s Earth Day today.

When asked by our friends at ANCA what we could do collectively for Earth Day, we asked to speak together at this gathering.

We wanted to testify as a united group that each of us and all of us agree that we have a very big, very real problem with climate change and environmental degradation in our world, and that humanity can’t wait any longer to act.  Further, we believe that stopping the devastation and healing the Earth is one of the most urgent moral issues of our time.

As people of faith, we’re committed to advocating for the common good.  Although there are differences among us regarding aspects of our religious beliefs, we’re very much united in this.  Harming the environment harms all who dwell on the Earth, especially the poor and future generations.  

Why is this a faith issue?  As religious leaders we agree that the Earth and everything on it were created in a generous and loving act of our Creator God.  Caring for the Earth and all that dwells on her shows respect and love to our Creator and helps us keep our own dignity.

Caring for the Earth also shows our love for the rest of humanity and for the rest of creation.  The Earth came about with reason, with logic written into its design.  In balance, it can provide for all of our needs.  But when one part or another is degraded or overused, all of it starts to break down.  We’re seeing that now. Climate change is bringing increasing harmful weather patterns, and the loss of species is reducing the bounty that was meant to exist for all.

We stand before you today, leaders from Baptist, the Baha’i faith, Episcopal, Latter-day Saints, Lutheran, Methodist, Paradox Church, Presbyterian, Restoration, Roman Catholic and United Church of Christ faith communities in Redlands.

We’re grateful for your presence and activity. We urge you to continue acting and advocating at home, at work, in your neighborhood, and with your elected officials.

Thank you for your kind attention. May all of your activities today be blessed and fruitful.