News Release
Evangelical Environmental Network

Today, Christian organizations launched the #ClimateVigil campaign, calling on millions of Christians in the U.S. and around the world to “light a candle for our climate.” #ClimateVigil arrives on the heels of the latest UN scientific report on climate change, which confirms what many people can now see with their own eyes: that dangerous climate impacts are upon us and the consequences will be even worse than they are now unless we all take urgent action.

#ClimateVigil released a launch video on its website and Indiegogo crowdfunding page.

The first phase of the #ClimateVigil campaign is to produce the world’s first, major Christian music album to focus on the climate crisis. The renowned Christian worship collective, The Porter’s Gate Worship Project is recording the album in Paris this September. (To pre-order the album and support the #ClimateVigil campaign, you can find #ClimateVigil on Indiegogo.com.) Major musicians have already signed on as songwriters and recording artists: Paul Zach, Liz Vice, Jonathan Ogden, Leslie Jordan, Latifah Alattas, Andy Squyres, IAMSON, Ike Ndolo, Kate Bluett, John Arndt, and Jon Guerra. More artists are signing on and will be announced soon.

“The Porters Gate community is excited to bring the Biblical conversation about caring for God’s creation and advocating for climate justice deeper into the church through worship and music,” said Isaac Wardell, Director of The Porter’s Gate. “We are singing together what we believe about God’s love for everyone, the value of His created world, and our commitment to caring for His creation and each other,” added Wardell.

“Climate change affects all of us, but especially those who have contributed least to the problem and have the fewest resources to adapt, like the poor, our kids, and future generations,” shared Rev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, Vice President of the Evangelical Environmental Network, one of the organizations behind the #ClimateVigil campaign. “That’s an injustice that the church needs to respond to. And like other movements for justice, we need songs to sustain, guide, and inspire us. We believe this worship album can provide the church with those songs as it seeks to respond faithfully to the climate crisis.”

The second phase of the campaign is a global candlelight vigil and virtual concert on November 6, scheduled to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. The Porter’s Gate will debut select songs from the new album during the event, and the full album will be released in Spring 2022. The album drop will launch the third phase of the #ClimateVigil campaign: a U.S.-based tour to share its climate-focused music and message with as many communities as possible.

The #ClimateVigil’s message seeks to call Christians to deeper faith, hope, and love in the face of our climate crisis. Its proposed solution to the climate crisis is a worldwide movement of prayer and action. “Love God. Love people. These are the greatest commandments in the Bible. That is why Christians are responding to our climate crisis,” said Peter Fargo, one of the #ClimateVigil organizers and Director of the Million Prayer Mission.

“In this moment of record-shattering climate impacts, I cannot think of a better time for this album and the global vigil we are planning on November 6. God’s power and light are piercing through the darkness of our climate crisis,” said Chris Elisara, Director of the Creation Care Taskforce for the World Evangelical Alliance, another organization supporting the #ClimateVigil campaign. “The Bible says, ‘the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.’ For those of us called to love God and neighbor—and that includes every Christian—the overwhelming evidence of our climate emergency leaves us on our knees in prayer. That’s where we find the strength to stand and act.”

The growing #ClimateVigil coalition currently includes the World Evangelical Alliance, World Renew, Million Prayer Mission, Evangelical Environmental Network, and The Porter’s Gate Worship Project.

To support the movement and fund the album, find #ClimateVigil on Indiegogo.com.  

For more information, please contact:

• Evangelical Environmental Network: Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, kyle@creationcare.org 
• Million Prayer Mission: Peter Fargo, peter@millionprayermission.org
• The Porter’s Gate Worship Project: Isaac Wardell, theportersgate@gmail.com
• World Evangelical Alliance: Chris Elisara, celisara@worldea.org

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Evangelical Environmental Network is a ministry that inspires, equips, educates, and mobilizes evangelical Christians to love God and others by rediscovering and reclaiming the Biblical mandate to care for creation and working toward a stable climate and a healthy, pollution-free world.

Million Prayer Mission is a Christian ministry committed to inspiring a million prayers to solve our climate crisis.

The Porter’s Gate Worship Project is a sacred ecumenical arts collective reimagining and recreating worship that welcomes, reflects, and impacts both the community and the church. It was founded in 2017 with a mission to be a “porter” for the Christian Church — one who looks beyond church doors for guests to welcome.

World Evangelical Alliance is a global organization of evangelical Christian churches, serving more than 600 million evangelicals, founded in 1846 to unite evangelicals worldwide.

World Renew, compelled by God’s deep passion for justice & mercy, joins communities around the world to renew hope, reconcile lives, and restore creation.