Climate Conference: “Faithful Responses to Climate Change”
September 20, 2025 @ 8:00AM — 4:00PM Central Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
St. Andrews Episcopal Church: 6401 Wornall Ter Kansas City, MO 64113 Get Directions
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Climate Conference - "Faithful Responses to Climate Change"
Central Seminary’s Buttry Center for Peace and Nonviolence presents the 2025 Climate Conference entitled “Faithful Responses to Climate Change”. This conference will be focused on educating, inspiring, and connecting congregations and people of faith for responding to the challenge of climate change. Keynote speakers from both theological and scientific perspectives will speak to the urgency of addressing climate change, the impacts it is already having, the theological and ethical questions it raises, and the ways to faithfully respond that will have an impact.
CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS ARRIVE
8:00am (CT)
Visit Climate groups' tables or the Farmer's Market
CHECK-IN BEGINS
8:30am (CT)
CONFERENCE BEGINS / OPENING REMARKS
9:00am (CT)
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
9:30 - 11:45am (CT)
Note: Virtual guests will be able to view the keynote addresses only due to audio visual limitations.
Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda is Professor of Theological and Social Ethics with a joint appointment at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PTLS) and Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She is a member of the Core Doctoral Faculty of the Graduate Theological Union, and is Founding Director of the PLTS Center for Climate Justice and Faith. She received her Ph.D. in Christian Ethics from Union Theological Seminary, New York. She has lectured or consulted throughout the world on theological ethics addressing matters of climate justice. Her ethical approach weds Earth ethics to liberation theologies including eco-feminist theology. Among the books she has written is Resisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological-Economic Vocation (2013) and Building a Moral Economy: Pathways for People of Courage (2024). Having lived for many years in Seattle, she loves hiking in the woods and mountains, and relishes their life-giving beauty.
The Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman is a climate and environmental scientist, pastor, educator, and advocate. She serves as the President and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network. Jessica received her Ph.D. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has held research positions at John Hopkins University, University of Michigan, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where she researched how climate has changed throughout Earth’s history. Prior to joining EEN, Jessica was a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy. Jessica regularly speaks on issues related to climate change, pollution, children’s health, the clean energy transition, environmental stewardship, and the intersection of science and faith. Jessica is co-founding Pastor at her church, which she planted in 2016 with her husband Chris in Washington, DC. Jessica is passionate about leading church communities towards positive solutions to safeguard our cities, neighborhoods, and the next generation from the effects of a warming world and life-threatening pollution.
LUNCH
11:45 - 12:45pm (CT)
A CONVERSATION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
12:45 - 1:45pm (CT)
BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose one)
2:00 - 3:00pm (CT)
- “Building Economies for Life in Response to Climate Crisis: God’s Work in a Global Communion” - Dr. Cythia Moe-Lobeda
- "Engaging Evangelicals in Climate Conversations and Action" - Dr. Jessica Moerman
- “Climate action and advocacy at state and national levels” - Sheri Ellwood with Kansas Interfaith Action and partners
- “Climate action and advocacy at regional, city, and local levels” - Mike Kelly with Climate Action KC
- “Going Solar and Electrifying Everything: Transitioning off fossil fuels in homes and churches” - Tarris Rosell with Bill Wood and Brad Kaye from Cromwell Solar
CLOSING
3:15 - 3:45pm (CT)