THIS week, the Church Times can announce the line-up of judges within the 2024 Green Church Awards.
The awards recognise the urgent environmental crisis that we’re in, and seek to have fun the efforts being made by individuals and congregations to take care of creation. They are open to Christian groups and church schools of any denomination, within the UK and Ireland.
Dr Ruth Valerio, global advocacy and influencing director at Tearfund, chairs the judging panel. Also on the panel is the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, lead bishop for the environment; the pinnacle of Christian Aid Scotland and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (2023-24), the Rt Revd Sally Foster-Fulton; and the founding father of the Hazelnut Community, Bristol, the Revd John White.
Joining our judging panel from our principal sponsor, Ecclesiastical, is Stuart Blackie, principal risk-management surveyor. Other judges representing our sponsors are Craig Hogg, ecclesiastical account manager at Green Journey; Janie Oliver, Stewardship CEO; Aike Kennett-Brown, Messy Church ministry lead at BRF Ministries; Matt Fulford, Inspired Efficiency founder and director; David Shreeve, Conservation Foundation director; and Rose Gosling, A Rocha Eco Church gold award assessor.
The panel of judges might be in search of projects which have made a positive change up to now two years in buildings, outdoors, and locally. (A constructing project will be nominated even when it has not yet been accomplished.)
There are seven award categories, each with a £1000 prize: Green Building, Land and Nature, Congregation and Community Action, Action on a Shoestring, Green Champion, Training and Education, and Green Health. A gaggle can enter in a number of categories.
Dr Valerio said: “I’m inspired by the entries which are coming in, and feel privileged to get a glimpse into so many churches and organisations doing a lot of things to take care of God’s world. There’s still time to inform us about your efforts, so get your entry in.”
The deadline for entries is 30 June 2024. Details of shortlisted entries might be published within the Church Times through the summer. The awards ceremony will happen at St John’s, Waterloo, London, on 26 September. Photos and videos to accompany entries are encouraged.
The awards are organised jointly with the Church of England’s environment programme, the Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and Eco Congregation Scotland.
Green Church Award 2024 judges
Dr Ruth Valerio, Global Advocacy and Influencing Director at Tearfund
Ruth Valerio is an environmentalist, theologian, and social activist. She was the pioneer of Eco Church while Churches and Theology Director at A Rocha UK. Her doctorate is from King’s College, London, and she or he has honorary doctorates from the colleges of Winchester and Chichester. She is Canon Theologian at Rochester Cathedral, and her home church is an element of the 24/7 Prayer Network. She is the writer of L is for Lifestyle: Christian living that doesn’t cost the earth; Just Living: Faith and community in an age of consumerism, and the youngsters’s book Planet Protectors: 52 ways to take care of God’s world. She also wrote the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2020 Lent book, Saying Yes to Life. She is an everyday contributor on Radio 4 and the BBC World Service, and is a co-founder of the Oikos Network: a worldwide network of peer mentoring groups for Christian environmental leaders from all around the world.
The Rt Revd Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (2023-24)
Sally Foster-Fulton was born and raised in South Carolina, within the United States. While studying at Columbia Theological Seminary in Georgia, she got here to Trinity College, Glasgow, on an exchange scholarship. On completion of her Divinity training, she worked as a chaplain at Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary, and the Royal National Scottish Hospital, Larbert, before training for ministry within the Church of Scotland. In 2016, she was appointed as Head of Christian Aid Scotland. She is serving as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland until 18 May 2024.
The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich
Graham Usher has been Bishop of Norwich since June 2019, and leads the Church of England’s Environment Programme, including the commitment to succeed in net zero carbon by 2030. Bishop Graham’s first degree was in ecological science from Edinburgh University. He has written two books about spirituality and landscape: Places of Enchantment: Meeting God in landscapes (2012), and The Way Under Our Feet: A spirituality of walking (2020). He was previously a member of the Northumberland National Park Authority, and chaired the Northeast Advisory Committee of the Forestry Committee. He is a keen beekeeper and is undertaking work to boost the biodiversity of the historic Bishop’s Gardens, in Norwich.
The Revd John White, Hazelnut Community Founder
John White is originally from the United States, and is now a vicar within the Church of England. He is the founding father of the Hazelnut Community. Hazelnut supports churches in creating eco congregations on their land to deepen worship, welcome their community, and combat climate breakdown. He also runs Hazelnut Community Bristol: a church that worships outside and runs a community garden.
Stuart Blackie, Principal Risk Management Surveyor, Ecclesiastical
Stuart Blackie joined Ecclesiastical in October 2021, having worked for greater than 16 years within the insurance industry in quite a few risk-management positions, following the sooner a part of his profession in constructing surveying and fire safety management. He is a chartered surveyor, has a level in fire safety, and is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He was also key to the establishment of the climate change working group in Ecclesiastical, and is actively involved in developing climate-related thought leadership and guidance. He has a robust interest within the built environment, and is actively involved in supporting churches of their understanding of climate change and the routes towards net zero.
Craig Hogg, Ecclesiastical Account Manager, Green Journey
Craig Hogg oversees the day-to-day operations of Green Journey, supporting the energy needs of church clients. Over the past seven years, he has worked with 1000’s of churches to enable tangible reductions of their environmental impact through the adoption of renewable energy contracts, energy auditing, and sustainability advice. He is proud to work with churches of all denominations on their journey towards a greener and more sustainable future.
Janie Oliver, Stewardship CEO
Janie Oliver became Stewardship’s recent CEO on 1 January 2024. She trained as a chartered accountant in South Africa, but has spent the vast majority of her working life within the UK, firstly in quite a few senior finance positions with Barclays Bank, before moving into the charitable sector eight years ago. Before joining Stewardship, she led the Just Money Movement (previously often known as the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility): a charity searching for to influence on issues related to faith and funds. She also spent 4 years working on the forefront of social investment, as director of finance and operations for Access Foundation, pioneering their total-impact investment approach of their £60-million endowment. She is keen about social justice, and has held quite a few trusteeships.
Aike Kennett-Brown, Messy Church Ministry Lead
Aike Kennett-Brown has led the BRF ministries Messy Church team since 2022, which supports the Messy Church network nationally and internationally. Her own Messy Church journey began in 2010, initially as a volunteer leader, and, after further training, as a Messy Church Pioneer at her church. She joined the diocese of Southwark in 2017, supporting parishes of their ministry with children, young people, and families, including hosting Messy Celebrations at Southwark Cathedral, exploring Messy Communion, Baptism, and Science. She is currently involved in a Messy Church Goes Wild! group, that meets monthly in the skin space of a Church of England school in Greenwich.
David Shreeve, Conservation Foundation Director
David Shreeve received an MBE within the King’s first Birthday Honours for his work as director of the Conservation Foundation and environmental adviser to the Archbishops’ Council. He was also awarded a Lambeth Degree in recognition of his influence on the Church’s understanding of environmental issues. He is the co-author of How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change A Christian?; Don’t Stop on the Lights; and Sharing Eden: Green teachings from Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Matt Fulford, Inspired Efficiency Founder and Director
Matt Fulford led the delivery of the UK’s first net zero carbon church in 2010, and various others since. He founded Inspired Efficiency in 2013. Inspired Efficiency currently delivers the church energy and decarbonisation audit programme for the diocese of Oxford and the Church in Wales, in addition to the national audit programme for the C of E delivered through parish buying. He has been the energy and sustainability adviser to the diocese of Gloucester Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) since 2010. He sits on the case-work committee for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), and the Church Building Council (CBC) committee. He instigated the recent change within the C of E’s faculty rules to permit a greater concentrate on the necessities of delivering net zero carbon, and is the technical adviser to the working group.
Rose Gosling, A Rocha Eco Church Gold Award Assessor
Rose Gosling is a senior steward at Summerbridge Methodist Church, in North Yorkshire, and a preacher. The church was awarded its Eco Church gold award in 2020. She is an A Rocha speaker and a Gold Award Assessor. She is a member of the Net Zero Board of the Yorkshire North and East Methodist District.
