The Diocesan Creation Care Commission was formally approved by Diocesan Council in May of 2025. The Commission was chartered to provide leadership to members of the diocese on the care, remediation, and sustainability of God’s creation. 

The commission strives to be a resource for all parishes, from those that have well-established Creation Care/Green teams to those who are in the early stages of their journey with Creation Care. The current educational and advocacy goal of the Commission is to focus on carbon emissions and climate change. Since this goal intersects with question 13 of the Parochial Report, the commission has adapted an easy-to-use tool to help each parish reflect on the scope of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The tool will be available online in January, along with information to assist with using the tool. Members of the commission are also available to advise and assist as necessary. Feel free to contact the commission through communication resources such as Circle. We are eager to help in any ways that we can!

Current members of the Commission are as follows:

Jeanette Ettin, St. Dunstan’s, Davison

Amy Freeman, St Jude’s, Fenton

Tobi Hanna-Davis, St. Luke’s, Kalamazoo

John Howarth, Emmanuel, Hastings, co-convenor

Mary Huisman, Grace, Holland

Steve Mulder, St. Mark’s, Grand Rapids

Robert Schirmer, Emmanuel, Hastings

The Rev. Linnea Stifler, retired

Jan Strait, St. Andrew’s, Grand Rapids

The Rev. Anne-Marie Warner, St Luke’s, Kalamazoo

The Rev. Nurya Love Parish, co-convenor