CHURCH CLIMATE groups will be among those joining The Big One, a weekend mass rally in London to demand an end to fossil fuels, that will include a Pilgrimage to Parliament.
A group from the Pastorate is planning to travel to London to join the rally for the first day on Friday 21 April, when Christian groups will gather in the gardens of St John’s Church, Waterloo, at 12 noon for an hour of prayers, songs and witness before a Salvation Army youth band will lead them on the Pilgrimage to Parliament Square, where there will be prayers for the government.

The group is being organised by Alison McQueen of City’s Green Group and Eileen Newington, Wales Synod Green Advocate. Alison said: ‘I am traveling to London to join with thousands of other Christians, and thousands of other concerned people, to protest outside the Westminster Parliament and make our voices heard by those in power.

‘I feel desperately worried about global heating and biodiversity loss and the calamitous state of our planet. It is imperative we all do
everything we can individually by the choices we make in our lives.
‘But I believe real changes that can stop global heating and biodiversity loss need to be made urgently by governments around the world. This is why I want to be part of such protests, and this one in particular, as it involves the powerful act of praying with other Christians.’

Eileen said: ‘I remember travelling to London in 2009 with others from the Pastorate to take part in The Wave ahead of the Copenhagen climate summit, and I’m glad of the opportunity to join with thousands once more to add my voice to the call for change.
‘I’m looking forward to meeting people from other synods and organisations at The Big One and to be representing Wales on the day. I think it’s really important that the Church is visible in calling for climate action and justice and I’m excited to meet and walk alongside
activists from Christian Climate Action.’
The recent Report of the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, revealed what Dr Chris Jones of the Met Office and one of the authors of the report called ‘the sheer scale of the ambition required to avoid the worse consequences of climate change’.
He said: ‘We know that climate change is already happening and the world has already witnessed extreme events associated with the relatively modest warming we have seen so far. In fact, the world now is the coolest it is going to be at least for many decades.’

Green Christian, one of the groups taking part in the mass rally, says this is the moment for ordinary, law-abiding people to come out in support of what groups like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil are saying about how serious the situation is – but without resorting to their methods. It says the science is clear – Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations has declared: ‘We are firmly on track towards an unliveable world.’
Alison urges: ‘Please do consider joining our Pastorate group to travel to London. We would be delighted to have you.’ To join the party, contact Alison or Eileen via our Contact Us form:

The family-friendly protest will continue over the weekend (April 21-24), ending at 6pm each day. Christian Climate Action is holding a prayer vigil throughout and organising different activities for public worship. See Christian Climate Action’s website for the latest
plan.

Green Christian’s Andii Bowsher offers this prayer, written by Barbara Echlin, Green Christian Vicechair, for supporters at home to pray at noon on Friday 21 April:
Compassionate God, you know our hearts and share our sorrows.
We are hurt by the despoiling of the living Earth, which we love.
We are angry at the loss we contemplate.
We long for words of comfort, yet find them hard to hear.
Turn our grief to active love
Turn our anger to energy for repair of the world
Turn our guilt to solidarity
and by your forgiveness make us whole with all creation. Amen