Concerns Regarding Climate Change Held by Evangelicals in the Mediterranean Region
In recent years, the Mediterranean Sea has been breaking temperature records, with 2025 forecasted to continue this trend. This warming, however, is not just a scientific concern but a call to action for Evangelical communities worldwide.
Over the past five decades, Evangelicals have shown a growing consciousness about environmental responsibility, as evidenced by numerous documents, statements, and books. Some notable examples include the Resolutions on Creation Care of the National Association of Evangelicals (1970-71), An Evangelical Commitment to Simple Lifestyle (1980), On the Care of Creation: An Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation (1994), and more recent statements such as An Urgent Call to Action: Scientists and Evangelicals Unite to Protect Creation (2007), Creation Care & The Gospel - Call to Action (2012), and The Evangelical Call to Action on Biodiversity (2020).
One of the most pivotal evangelical statements regarding the environment is the 1973 Lausanne Covenant, which integrated social and environmental issues into a broad evangelical mission framework. Since the 1990s, the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) has issued multiple creation care statements, reflecting evangelical engagement with environmental issues. Other significant statements include the 2000 "Call to Action" from the National Association of Evangelicals, the 2011 "Chicago Declaration on Climate Change", and the 2016 "Evangelical Climate Initiative".
The motivation for creation care, from an Evangelical perspective, is ultimately dictated by love for God and His honor. This love compels Evangelicals to take action to protect His creation, ensuring it remains sustainable for future generations.
The effects of Mediterranean Sea warming are particularly felt in countries that are not the main producers of greenhouse gases, leading to issues such as droughts, floods, rising temperatures, and changes in seasons. The rising sea temperature is causing extreme weather events on land, as seen in the floods that swept through 75 towns in Valencia in autumn 2024, resulting in 227 deaths.
Evangelicals, such as Michael Wickham based in Spain, have been teaching about climate change for many years and have contributed to books, publications, and talks. Wickham observes an increase in young people taking interest in creation care and communicating this message. He sees a social justice aspect in this issue, as the affected countries are not the ones causing the warming.
Wickham and other Christians in Spain aim to model more responsible consumption, travel, waste disposal, and energy use. They believe that the Bible emphasizes the responsibility of humans to care for the world in a sustainable manner and act out of concern for the world they are leaving to future generations, but also because they believe it is a mandate from God to care for His world.
The action of ecological commitment, from an Evangelical perspective, is closely connected to evangelizing the world and should be part of a co-belligerent effort. However, co-belligerence and collaboration in creation care should never be at the expense of the gospel.
In light of these challenges, Evangelical Focus has launched a sustainability challenge, inviting people to join #TogetherInThisMission. The hope of cosmic restoration in Christ should fuel the search for justice, peace, and ecological commitment, as we strive to care for God's creation.
- Beyond scientific concerns, the warming of the Mediterranean Sea serves as a call to action for Evangelical communities worldwide, particularly in raising awareness about climate change and its effects on health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health.
- In line with a commitment to environmental responsibility, Evangelicals have produced numerous statements over the past five decades, including the 1973 Lausanne Covenant, which integrates social and environmental issues into a broader evangelical mission.
- Recognizing the interconnectedness of creation care and spirituality, Evangelicals like Michael Wickham in Spain advocate for more responsible consumption, travel, waste disposal, and energy use as a mandate from God and a means of caring for future generations.
- Engaging in a sustainability challenge such as #TogetherInThisMission, Evangelicals aim to unite efforts in environmental science, climate-change action, and support for the environmental-science community as part of their broader mission to share the gospel and restore cosmic harmony.
