>>> IN A YEAR THAT HAS SEEN

CLIMATE DISASTERS ACROSS THE

WORLD, THE NEXT GUEST, HE SAYS

THAT ACTION IS A BIBLICAL

MAN

MANDATE.

WALTER KIM IS PRESIDENT OF THE E

V

-- E VANGELICALS.

THIS IS PART OF THE ON GOING

PUBLIC INITIATIVE PROMISE ON

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS TO

CLIMATE CHANGE.

>> CHRISTIANE.

>> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME ON

THE PROGRAM.

>> YOU'RE IN THE NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS AND

LEADING A DISCUSSION AROUND A

REPORT THAT THE ASSOCIATION JUST

ISSUED RECENTLY DISCUSSING

COMBATTING CLIMATE CHANGE AS A

BIBLICAL MANDATE.

TALK ABOUT HOW THIS REPORT CAME

TO BE.

>> IT CERTAINLY WAS AN ESSENTIAL

PART OF WHAT WE MEAN BY THE

ENGAGEMENT OF EVANGELICALS WITH

THE SURGEONS THAT PRESS UPON

SOCIETY AS A WHOLE AND OUR WORLD

AS A WHOLE.

IT'S NOT A NOVEL WORK.

IN FACT, IN 1970, THE NAE HAD A

RESOLUTION ON ECOLOGY LOOKING AT

THE IMPACTS.

THIS IS NOT A NEW TOPIC AND THIS

WORK LOVING THE LEAST OF THESE

IS A SECOND EDITION OF THE WORK

THAT CAME OUT IN 2011.

DESPITE THE WAY CLIMATE CHANGE

IS DISCUSSED IN STARK POLITICAL

TERMS, WE WANT TO RECOVER THE

SENSE THAT IT REALLY IS

FOUNDATIONALLY AN EXPRESSION OF

FAITH AND STEWARDSHIP WITH THE

ANGLE CLIMATE CHANGE HAD ON

COMMUNITIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING

WITH POVERTY AND IT'S NOT JUST A

MATTER OF STEWARDSHIP BUT

SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE MOST

VULNERABLE.

>> IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE

THIS VERY ISSUE IS NOT NEWS AS

WE'RE SPEAKING NOW.

YOU CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE IT

ARRIVES JUST AS IN THE UNITED

STATES AND A SIGNIFICANT NEW

SOURCE OF FINDIUMD FUNDING WAS

BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT COULD

BE A COINCIDENCE ALSO.

WAS THERE SOME MOMENT FOR YOU

YOU SAID THIS IS SOMETHING WE

HAVE TO ADDRESS OR WHAT WAS IT?

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, THERE IS AN

ISSUE OF COINCIDENCE AND A

TIMING OF THE RELEASE OF THIS

DOCUMENT WITH INFLATION

REDUCTION ACT BUT THE ISSUES

STEM BACK TO THE WORK

ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING GLOBALLY

WORKING IN SOME OF THE MOST

VULNERABLE PLACES WHERE THE

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE

DEEPLY FELT.

SO THIS PAST SUMMER, MY FAMILY

HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT SOME OF

THE WORK OF WORLD RELIEF, WHICH

IS THE HUMANITARIAN ARM OF THE

NAE AND IN AFRICA AND I WAS

TALKING TO SOMEONE DEEPLY TIED

TO THE AGRICULTURAL LIFE AND

OVER THE 20 YEARS AS HE WORKED

NEAR THE LAKE, HE SAID THAT THE

SUNGER SEASON IS LONGER NOW AND

WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED BECAUSE

OF THE CHANGE IN THE RAIN

PATTERNS THE CROPS ARE

DIMINISHED IN QUALITY AND THEY

ARE COMING AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF

THE YEAR.

AND IT'S PRODUCING REAL

STRENGTH.

IST ACTUALLY A MATTER OF S

VITALITY OF LIFE AND WE'RE

SEEING THIS HAPPEN AGAIN AND

AGAIN AND AGAIN, EVEN WITHIN

AMERICA THE IMPACTS OF POLLUTION

ON THE DEVELOPING LUNGS OF

LITTLE CHILDREN.

THIS BECOMES A CRITICAL ISSUE OF

CONCERN AND IT'S NOT JUST A

HUMANITARIAN ISSUE, FOR US IT'S

A DEEPLY THO LLY THELOGICAL IS

>> THE FACE OF EVANGELICALS AT

THIS POINT IN SOME PARTS OF THE

WORLD, WHIEDTE CONSERVATIVES

DEEPLY SKEPTICAL ABOUT CLIMATE

CHANGE IN A SURVEY IN JANUARY,

WHITE EVANGELICALS WITH A

RELIGIOUS GROUP LEAST LIKELY TO

AGREE HUMAN ACTIVITY CONTRIBUTES

TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND PRESIDENT

BIDEN'S PREDECESSOR WAS

SKEPTICAL OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND

THAT WHITE EVANGELICALS WERE

AMONG THE GROUPS THAT SUPPORTED

HIM MOST STRONGLY.

I THINK SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE

SURPRISED TO HEAR NOT ONLY THAT

THIS REPORT EXISTS BUT CALLING

UPON CO-RELIGIONESTS TO EMBRACE

THIS AS A BIBLICAL CHARGE.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT DISCONNECT?

>> YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT, MICHELLE.

THAT PIECE STUDY NOTED 54% OF

WHITE EVANGELICALS QUESTIONED

THE HUMAN IMPACTS ON CLIMATE

CHANGE AND THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT

IS NEARLY 50% DO AFFIRM IT AND

SO THERE IS WITHIN -- EVEN THE

WHITE EVANGELICAL SEGMENT A

DIVERSITY OF OPINION.

I WOULD WISH TO EXPAND WHAT WE

UNDERSTAND BY EVANGELICALS SO

MUCH, YOU KNOW, TIME AND ENERGY

IS DEVOTED TO CERTAIN POLITICAL

DIMENSIONS OF EVANGELICAL FAITH

AND EXPRESSION BUT WHEN WE THINK

ABOUT THE MOVEMENT OF

EVANGELICALS, THIS TRON

TRANSFORMATIONAL WORK OF JESUS

CHRIST AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE,

GLOBALLY, IT IS AN INCREDIBLY

DIVERSE MOVEMENT EVEN WITHIN

AMERICA THERE IS A RAPID

SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHIC OF THOSE IN

THE AMERICAN CHURCH, HISPANIC

CHURCH WHO THOUGH LOGICALLY

WOULD ALIGN.

IT REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT

EVEN IN THESE OTHER EXPRESSIONS

OF EVANGELICALS, THERE IS A VERY

STRONG CONCERN AND COMMITMENT TO

THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

SO I THINK WE'RE AT AN

INFLECTION POINT WHERE EVEN THE

MOVEMENT OF EVANGELICALS IS

SHIFTING AND CHANGING AND I

WOULD WISH TO AFFIRM THAT THIS

DOCUMENT IS COMING AT A POINT

THAT IS IN FACT INDICATIVE OF AN

EXPRESSIVE OF THE CONCERNS OF

MANY EVANGELICALS, PARTICULARLY

EVANGELICALS OF COLOR WITNESSING

THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN

URBAN CENTERS AND IN THEIR

CONGREGATIONS.

>> IS IT YOUR HOPE WITH THIS

REPORT THAT YOU WILL CONVERT IF

I MAY USE THAT TERM OR YOUR HOPE

YOU WILL ENERGIZE THE PEOPLE WHO

ARE NOT GETTING AS MUCH

ATTENTION BUT WHO DO BELIEVE

THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN URGENT

CRISIS AND AS YOU PUT IT A

BIBLICAL MANDATE?

IS THAT THE IDEA?

>> YEAH, THERE IS A DISTRIBUTION

ON A BELL CURVE.

THIS MAY NOT BE MOVING FAST

ENOUGH AND STARK ENOUGH IN THE

EXPRESSION OF CONCERNS AND ON

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CURVE

THERE MAY BE FOLKS WITH

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT WOULD

MOVE THE NEEDLE WITH THEM BUT

LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO

ARE IN THIS MOVABLE MIDDLE.

FOLKS LOOKING FOR IS THERE A

BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR THIS ISSUE?

IS THIS A LEGITIMATE EXPRESSION

OF OUR FAITH AND THEY'RE ALSO

ASKING IS THERE AN ACCESSIBLE

WAY FOR US TO ENTER INTO THE

SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION FROM

PEOPLE WE CAN TRUST, PART OF OUR

COMMUNITY THAT DON'T SEEM TO

HAVE AN AGAENDA AND FOR THOSE

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION TO HELP

THEM TO PERSUADE, YOU'LL FIND

THAT IN THIS DOCUMENT.

FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR

INFORMATION FOR THEIR OWN

CONSIDERATION, WE WANT TO INVITE

THEM INTO THIS DISCUSSION.

WE DON'T WANT TO BLUDGEON PEOPLE

INTO THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE

THINK THE URGENCY OF THE ISSUE

REQUIRES THE CONVINCING OF AS

MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE IN A

MANNER THAT WINS THEM TO A

CERTAIN POSITION AND I THINK

THIS IS EXPRESSIVE OF THE WAY OF

CHRIST.

>> WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO DO

AS A RESULT OF RECEIVING THIS

REPORT?

DO YOU WANT TO HAPPEN?

>> I WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO

HAVE MORE EXPANSIVE VIEW OF THE

SCOPE OF THEIR FAITH.

THAT'S NOT ABOUT PERSONAL

TRANSFORMATION, WHICH I THINK

EVANGELICALS ARE STRONG ON THIS

NOTION OF COMING TO JESUS IN A

PERSONAL WAY BUT THERE IS A

PUBLIC DIMENSION AND

RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR FAITH,

CIVIC EXPRESSION OF FAITH AND

THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

BECAUSE IT HAS PROFOUND IMPACTS

ON THE MOST VULNERABLE.

THE PEOPLE JESUS WOULD CALL US

TO CARE FOR, THE LEAST AMONG

THESE AND BY MAKING OUR KIND OF

SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND MISSION

IN THE WORLD TO INCLUDE THE

PUBLIC DIMENSIONS OF FAITH,

WE'RE JOINING TOGETHER WITH

LITERALLY MILLIONS OF CHRISTIANS

AROUND THE WORLD.

OUR GLOBAL BROTHERS AND SISTER

WHOSE HAVE INCORPORATED THIS AS

A PART OF THEIR FAITH BECAUSE IT

IS NOT A LUXURY.

DEALING WITH DeFORESTATION FOR

MANY AROUND THE WORLD IS NOT A

LUXURY.

>> WHITE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS

ARE IDENTIFYING WITH THE

POLITICAL ACTORS IN THE LAST

COUPLE OF DECADES, THE PRIORITY

IS NOT ADDRESSING THE POOR AND

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND

OFFERING CARE AROUND THE WORLD

AND SO I THINK THE QUESTION

WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES

YOU THINK THAT IS POSSIBLE?

IT'S NOT A SECRET WE LIVE IN AN

ANGRY TIME AND SOME OF THE

PEOPLE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE

KIND OF ANGER IN OUR POLITICS

HAVE BEEN PROMINENT EVANGELICAL

CHRISTIANS.

>> IF YOU GO TO LOCAL

COMMUNITIES, LOCAL CHURCHES,

EVANGELICAL CHURCHES HAVE BEEN

AT THE FOREFRONT OF SOUP

KITCHENS, PROVIDING TRAMA CARE,

OF ENGAGING IN RACIAL

RECONCILIATION.

THAT MIGHT BE HARD TO BELIEVE

GIVEN THE PUBLIC NATURE OF THE

DISCOURSE AT TIMES BUT IT IS

ALSO THE CASE THAT GLOBALLY,

EVANGELICALS HAS BEEN

FOUNDATIONAL IN THE FORMATION OF

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF

PHYSICIANS WHO AT GREAT

SACRIFICE TO THEIR OWN WELL

BEING AND I ASSURE EVANGELICAL

INSTITUTIONS IN CHURCHES ARE AT

THE FOREFRONT OF PROVIDING CARE

FOR THE REFUGEE CRISIS UNFOLDING

THERE.

AND I WISH TO THAT KIND OF WORK

TO ADD THE RECOGNITION THAT

BENEFITTING BLESSING, LOVING OUR

NEIGHBORS NEEDS TO INCLUDE A

CONCERN ABOUT THE ISSUE OF OUR

ENVIRONMENT.

IT'S AN ASPECT OF OUR STE

STEWASTEWAR

STEWARDSHIP GENERALLY AND

EXPRESSION OF OUR SOLIDARITY.

>> TELL ME WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE

A YEAR FROM NOW IF YOU HAVE THE

IMPACT YOU HOPE TO HAVE, WHAT

DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>> THE PERSONAL CHOICES THAT WE

MAKE WITH OUR TREATMENT OF WASTE

AS AN ASPECT OF THE DISCIPLESHIP

AND CHOICES MORE GREEN TO THINK

ABOUT THE ENERGY AND ADVOCATES

TO INCLUDE THE DISCOURSE OF THE

IMPORTANCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND IMPACTS OF POLLUTANTS IN

ENVIRONMENT AND HAS THIS

PROFOUND DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON

AGAIN, CHILDREN.

IN PARTICULAR, WE IN ORDER TO

HAVE THIS KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE

ETHIC OF LIFE, NEED TO

UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE SUFFERING

FROM THE IMPACTS OF POLLUTION

ARE REALLY NEEDING ADVOCATES AND

AGAIN, THIS SHOULD BE A PART OF

OUR DISCIPDISCIPLESHIP.

>> I DON'T WANT TO SAY THIS IS

ONE SIDE OF THE POLITICAL AISLE,

RIGHT, CERTAINLY PEOPLE ON THE

POLITICAL LEFT HAVE BEEN

UNWELCOMING, DISMISSTIVE OF

PEOPLE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH

THEM.

WE HAVE SEEN EXAMPLES OF THAT.

BUT IT JUST SEEMS IN RECENT

YEARS THERE IS A BELLIGERENT OF

TONE, DISMISSIVE, DEMEANING

POSTURE TOWARDS PEOPLE THAT

DON'T AGREE WITH THEM, THAT

PEOPLE HAVE COME TO ASSOCIATE

WITH PEOPLE ON THE POLL -- P

POLITICAL RIGHT.

DOES THAT CONCERN YOU?

>> I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE

BELIGERENCE IN OUR SOCIETY AND

DISCOURSE AND THE WAY IN WHICH

WE PRESENT OTHER PEOPLE AS YOU,

YOU KNOW, DESCRIBED NOT WRONG

BUT EVIL OR IDIOTS.

E VO

EVANGELICALS MUST BE CONCERNED

ABOUT THE POSTURE OF THEIR FAITH

AND THE WAYS IN WHICH

EVANGELICALS AT TIMES CAN ENTER

INTO PUBLIC DISCOURSE I WOULD

SAY IS NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE WAY

OF CHRIST THERE ARE MOMENTS

PEOPLE OF FAITH SAY STRONG

THINGS ABOUT THE INJUSTICES THAT

EXIST IN OUR SOCIETY BUT THE

COURSENING OF OUR DISCOURSE, THE

GENERAL BELIGERENCE WHETHER FROM

EVANGELICAL LEADERS OF SEGMENTS

OF SOCIETY IS NOT JUST UNHELPFUL

BUT WRONG AND WITH THE ISSUE OF

CLIMATE CHANGE, IT'S TOO

IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THIS

CONVERSATION RELEGATED AND INTO

THIS SPACE OF BELIGERENCE THE

DEEP DESIRE IS EVANGELICALS IS

NOT A SOURCE OF THE BELL IGEREN

OF IMPORTANCE AND COMPLEXITY.

WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY.

I WOULD HOPE CHRISTIANS AND

EVANGELICALS IN PARTICULAR WOULD

LEAD IN A WAY TO DEMONSTRATE

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE

PRINCIPLE BUT ABOUT THE POSTURE.

>> ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE

COMMON CAUSE WITH PEOPLE YOU

DISAGREE IN OTHER CONTEXT TO

ADVANCE CLIMATE CHANGE AS A

PRIORITY?

BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY WHERE THE

RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, ISN'T IT?

I THINK OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE

EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT ON THE

POLITICAL CONTEXT IN THE LAST

COUPLE YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY,

DECADES EVEN IS FOCUSED ON

ABORTION AND SAME SEX

RELATIONSHIPS AND IN OPPOSITION

TO BOTH AND MANY PEOPLE SAID THE

BASKET OF ISSUES NEEDS TO BE

BRO

BRO

BROADER.

ARE YOU WILLING TO SAY IT CAUSES

SUFFERING AS YOU SAID AROUND THE

WORLD TO THE DEGREE THAT IT

NEEDS TO BE HIGHER ON THAT

BASKET OF PRIORITIES?

ARE YOU WILLING TO SAY THAT?

>> YES.

WE HAVE THIS GUIDING DOCUMENT

CALLED FOR THE HEALTH OF THE

NATION AND IN THAT IT INCLUDES

EIGHT AREAS.

NOT COMPREHENSIVE IN THAT.

IT COVERS EVERY CONCERN THAT

EVANGELICALS COULD HAVE WITH AN

EXPRESSION OF THEIR FAITH BUT

COVERS EIGHT AREAS OF CIVIC LIFE

AND ENGAGEMENT FOR THE HEALTH OF

THE NATION AND STEWARDSHIP AND

RACIST JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS

IN ADDITION TO ISSUES RELATING

TO THE SANCTION OF LIFE AND

RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES.

IT'S AN EXPRESSION AND AN

INDICATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE

APPLICATION OF A GOSPEL FAITH,

OF A GOOD NEWS FAITH SO THE NAE

ACTUALLY HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN

ALL THE MAJOR REFUGEE

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES, WHETHER THE

AFGHAN REFUGEE CRISIS OR

UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS.

WE'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK AT

THINKING AND LEADING IN THE

AREAS OF IMMIGRATION REFORM.

WE'VE ALSO BEEN REALLY SEEKING

TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF RACE

JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION.

IN FACT, THAT'S A MAJOR

INITIATIVE AT THE NAE.

SO WE BELIEVE THAT FOLLOWING

JESUS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE

AND NOT EVEN AN ISSUE EASILY

REDUCED TO ANY ONE TOPIC.

IT IS EXPANSIVE.

AND THERE ARE MILLIONS OF

EVANGELICALS WHO LOOK FOR, LONG

FOR AND IN FACT, ARE LIVING THIS

KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE FAITH.

EVEN IF THOSE WHO DOMINATE THE

PUBLIC DISCOURSE ARE OFTEN

ALIGNED IN MORE NARROW WAYS.

>> DR. WALTER KIM, THANK YOU FOR

TALKING WITH US.

>> THANK YOU, MICHELLE.