As the White House undoes scores of environmental regulations and protections, some Christian leaders are inviting their congregations to do as the Bible asks, and be good stewards of the land.

After years of decline, the number of Christians in the US has stabilized. But as they file into church on a Sunday morning, only a few will hear about the state of the planet the Bible calls on them to steward. According to a 2025 study, although almost 90% of US Christian faith leaders across all major denominations believe in at least some degree of human-caused climate change, only around half have ever discussed it with their congregation.

One of the paper's researchers, Stylianos Syropoulos, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona's school of sustainability, puts the disconnect down to many factors. "Just because they care about it doesn't mean they feel obligated to talk about it," he said, adding that pastors may feel ill-equipped to bring it up. "Or some might feel it's not their role. Climate change, at least in the US, is a heavily politicized issue."

That is not lost on Reverend Mattson of the Hope Episcopal Church in Pennsylvania, who sees divided views on climate change in the US as a reason to talk about it rather than stay quiet. He criticizes what he calls "Second Coming capitalism" — the idea that we can consume at will "because eventually God will come back, destroy the earth and make it new." Mattson argues that this narrative stems from a misreading of Genesis, where the call to "fill the earth and subdue it" is taken to mean exploitation rather than stewardship.

He has involved his church in climate advocacy, reforestation and protection of the Great Chesapeake Bay Watershed. One state away in Maryland, Brother Ken Taylor's efforts to weave environment and climate awareness into his sermons at St Nicholas Lutheran Church have met with a varied response. "There's a very loud minority of people, who when we have dedicated a series of Sundays about climate, say 'why are you bringing so much politics into the pulpit?'" Taylor said. Some have even left his church.

Despite pushback, Taylor's congregation plants native species, has set up water dispensers and bins for hard-to-recycle items, and is getting involved in clean water protection. Both pastors emphasize a gradual approach. Mattson: "We tend to approach the life of faith from a position of running towards light, not away from darkness. I didn't tell you to not run your gasoline lawnmower. What I said was: think about pollinators. Jesus said: consider the lilies of the field. Just think about it."

Source: www.dw.com