Mission

When founded in 1998, our initial purpose was to articulate a right relationship to forests. There were no policy plans or anticipations of where this would lead. It was simply understood that forest conservation was an issue filled with contention and not well informed by theology or religious organizations.

Initially, our mission stated:

A coalition of religious groups will explore, identify and extend religious values to the preservation and restoration of public forests, and the rural communities which are dependent upon them. Our intent is to bring religious leadership, members of religious congregations, and eventually government leaders into moral and ethical understanding surrounding the issues of forests.

Over time, we compiled a national RCFC Declaration >
A series of policy positions emerged as an outgrowth of our study and forest exploration. The advisory statements covered a breadth of issues and views. One offered an apology to society for neglecting to articulate a theology of forests. Another emphasized a generic theology that would shape an understanding of forests. A crucial statement emphasized action.

These policy positions include the following four calls based upon religious principles:

  1. the immediate end to all cutting of ancient and old growth forests,
  2. the end of commercial logging on public land,
  3. the redirection of taxpayer industry subsidies into forest restoration and restoration jobs, and
  4. prayer and a search for wisdom by churches and synagogues on the spiritual value of forests.

From these four initial elements to our religious position, a series of implications derive which give us our programs and initiatives.
See Programs >

Our concerns throughout the development of these positions have been: obedience to God, care for neighbors (especially loggers), health of rural communities, future sustainability, and the many non-economic values of the forests.

Since the first initiatives by our coalition, many other religious groups have developed policy positions and declarations around forests. All of these are included on this website, and together form a comprehensive view of forests.

 

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