Caring for creation

Why does the Minster care about creation?

We believe that God made the world and that we are caretakers of his creation on behalf of the generations to come. This is not an optional add-on to Christian faith; it is part of who we are as the Church.

What is the Minster doing about it?

Beverley Minster received the A Rocha Bronze Eco Church award in 2022 and is currently working towards Silver. The framework covers five areas of church life. In Worship and Teaching, we work to incorporate care for creation into preaching, prayer, and the church year. In the management of our Land — the churchyard, the Sanctuary Project wildflower area, the Quiet Garden, the Secret Garden — we manage what we have for biodiversity and access. In Lifestyle, we encourage one another to take small steps that add up: less car use, less heating, less plastic, more time outdoors. In the Management of Buildings, we are formulating a delivery plan for the Church of England’s commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030 — no small task in a Gothic building of this size and energy profile. In Community and Global Engagement, we work through Beverley Churches Together and with the East Riding Council to encourage joint action.

What does the Eco Church group do?

It meets several times a year. Its activities include lectures and events with environmental speakers, and the steady, less visible work of pushing on the Minster’s own carbon footprint. New members are very welcome.

To get involved in the Eco Church group, please ask at the Parish Centre, who will pass your name to the group’s coordinator.

What can I do at home?

The Minster publishes a short set of eco tips each month — small, practical things anyone can do, from everyday changes around the house to taking part in citizen science: recording what you find with the iNaturalist app, spending ten minutes counting pollinators, or joining a wildlife survey. They appear on the Minster website, and they are deliberately modest: the point is the habit, not the heroics.

The Minster’s Eco Creed

There is much further to go, and we are honest about that. The Minster’s own Eco Creed says it best:

We believe that God made the world and “it was good”. We share in his creativity as caretakers of his beautiful creation on behalf of the generations to come. We acknowledge, though, that through negligence and greed we have damaged and destroyed much of the planet. We believe that climate change is happening now, and that it impacts in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, who contribute least to global emissions. We believe that we need to repent, to change the way we live, and rediscover our calling to care for the whole of creation.

Section 22 of 26 in the Companion