What’s Your Congregation’s Climate Risk Score?

Zillow just announced that – in its home listings – it would now include a Climate Risk Score with each home for sale. The hope is that potential homebuyers will be able to avoid homes in a flood plain, on a fault line, in a tornado zone, or in a hurricane-prone region. In other words: Buyers Beware.

I would love to have this kind of honest assessment for our churches and pastors.

When I served a church in Virginia, we opened Session meetings by sharing our “internal weather.” It helped to identify where everybody was – spiritually and emotionally – after a long day. Elders might share that their internal weather was stormy (maybe some chaos at work?), sunny (all is well), or overcast (a friend is sick?) This was helpful as important business was being discussed because we would have insights about where our colleagues were coming from. And it gave us an idea how we might support each other.

Imagine congregations and pastoral leaders being thoroughly honest about where they are and who they are in terms of Climate Change.

What if pastoral candidates (and any other leader seeking a church position) were told that the church they are considering . . .

• Was experiencing unprecedented dryness? The dryness has impacted spiritual health and fires easily break out where there were never fires before. Members have been forced to move to more fertile communities. (Obviously this church needs a pastor who exemplifies and points us to Living Water.)
• Feels like it’s on the cusp of springtime? New initiatives are about to bloom. Long planted seeds are rooting and poking up out of rich soil. God’s creation is vivid and inspiring everywhere we look.(Obviously this church needs someone who will know how to fertilize and tend the soil and keep the growth coming.)
• Is on fire? (And not in a Pentecost way.) Our church is a hot mess. What we’ve loved is gone. We don’t know where to begin to recover. (Obviously this church does not need an incendiary leader. They need leaders who not only put the fires out, but they know how to repair the soil.)
• Is under a dark cloud? Is the dark cloud actually air pollution – which is hard to get rid of? Or is it a small passing storm that will turn into a sunny day tomorrow? (Obviously this church needs someone who is right beside them in the darkness with the belief that the Light is possible.)
• Is in the eye of a very destructive storm? While this sounds scary, it’s actually quite calm. Yes, a lot of turmoil is going on “out there” but we are okay for now. (Obviously this church needs to stay strong in the midst of a volatile world with a non-anxious presence in leadership.)

And what if interviewing committees were told that the candidates they are considering . . .

• Have been like a hail storm in previous positions? It seems fun (golf balls!) but it can be very destructive.
• Are susceptible to starting wildfires? The sermons are incendiary and there are private comments to certain members that only stoke the flames.
• Have served in the midst of more destruction than a whole season of hurricanes? This pastor has never had a successful pastorate although they seem so amazing.

The reality is that pastors need work and congregations need pastors. Sometimes we accept what we know to be an imperfect situation – and it is an underrated privilege when we have options. But one of the joys of my ministry involves observing individuals and congregations find each other and become The Church as God intended.

Climate Change – in terms of Church World – is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we need the climate to change to the glory of God.