Faith & Work – The Environmentalist
It was around midnight on the Copeland Islands counting the nests of Manx shearwaters that I realised I wanted an environmental job. I was 12 years old.
The next year I committed my life to Christ and my passion became sharing the good news of the gospel. Through school and Queen’s University, where I studied and then worked in the School of Geosciences, I was always involved in evangelism.
Later as a missionary in South America my wife and I continued to share the gospel and encourage children and teenagers to commit to Christ.
I have learnt recently from Revd Dr Chris Wright that care for creation, social justice, and taking action are all important aspects of the gospel. As Tom Wright wrote about ecology, “The resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit mean that we are called to bring forth real and effective signs of God’s renewed creation even in the midst of the present age.”
Today I am a civil servant. I develop agri–environment–climate schemes and controls for inspections to ensure that farmers look after farmland habitats, prevent pollution, and reduce carbon emissions. I am passionate about this job because it helps care for creation and make the environment in Northern Ireland a better place. God has called me to this work – perhaps he called me at the age of 12 – and I work for Him.
I am convinced that changing to low energy light bulbs is not enough. I believe the church must speak out for climate justice on behalf of the poor and displaced and to act as a prophetic voice calling society to change direction.
Stephen Trew