Religion is going green.
A spiritual-based trend in being good stewards of the environment – using less electricity and recycling, for example – has found its way to Columbus.
Beginning several years ago, Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministry started the process of making its new home green. For most of its 30-plus years, the social services non-profit was housed in part of the Girl Scout hut in Lakebottom Park. It didn’t have to worry about utilities because it didn’t own the building.
But then a home became available on Lockwood Avenue in midtown.
“When we bought this house, it occurred to me that this house should be green,” said Vicky Partin, missioner of the CVEM.
In 2008, the ministry applied for a grant from the Mildred Fort Foundation. It was intended to be for sustainability, maintenance and renovations of the 75-year-old house.
Before CVEM bought it, the house had been renovated for preparation for sale. For instance, a new heating and cooling system had been installed.
The one-story house with attic and basement was move-in ready, Partin said.
But then, she found out the whole house needed rewiring. Lights had started blinking. More than 30 holes were drilled into the plastered ceilings and walls – no easy task.
Enter Georgia Interfaith Power & Light. Founded in 2003, it’s an offshoot of the national Interfaith Power & Light, founded in 1998 in California. Today, GIPL is a growing organization with more than 500 partner congregations across the state. Its mission is to “engage communities of faith in stewardship of Creation,” according to its website.
The Interfaith Power & Light effort began in 1998 with Episcopal Power and Light and the support of Grace Cathedral in Pasadena as a coalition of Episcopal churches to purchase renewable energy. In 2000, the effort broadened its focus, brought in other faith groups, and California Interfaith Power & Light was born. California IPL developed a successful organizational model that engaged hundreds of congregations, educated thousands of people of faith about what it saw as the moral and ethical mandate to address global warming, and helped pass California’s landmark climate and clean energy laws.
Building on California’s success, this model has now been adopted by 38 sister state affiliates, including the one in Georgia.
Meanwhile, Partin met Georgia IPL co-founder the Rev. Woody Bartlett, as well as the Rev. Canon Sally Bingham who started the national movement. Partin became intrigued.
How could the CVEM house become green? she wondered. After an assessment, the house was renovated in the following ways:
Three energy-efficient, programmable thermostats;
Storm windows and doors in every room;
Energy efficient appliances;
Ceiling fans;
Energy-efficient light bulbs in all the fixtures.
The ministry spent $36,000 in renovations and upgrades, with about two-thirds of that going to green technology and innovation, according to Amy Nerone, the communications and development director at CVEM.
The house, measuring 2,600 square feet, contains several offices; two bathrooms; a reception area; a full-service kitchen; an attic space used for youth gatherings called Infusion; and a front room and dining area used for meals and meetings.
In a recent energy audit, CVEM received an energy rating of 69, with the average being 50. A grade of 75 or higher is considered excellent, Nerone said.
Because the house was vacant for a time, CVEM isn’t able to compare current utility bills with those before. But it can do so now. Energy audits are conducted regularly, and the ministry can apply for grants through Georgia IPL that will help it save even more on utility bills.
In addition, the ministry recycles and uses glass and cotton napkins for meals. On a recent afternoon, Partin produced a dozen or so canvas shopping bags that take the place of plastic ones offered in stores.
Among the congregations in Georgia to receive guidance and assistance from IPL: Emory Presbyterian Church in Atlanta; First Christian Church in Decatur; Norcross First United Methodist; and Princeton United Methodist in Athens.
Meanwhile, Partin hopes the ministry will become a model for others, and for congregations seeking to become better stewards of the environment. Her own church, St. Thomas Episcopal, has also taken steps to become greener.
“It is a huge challenge for churches,” Partin said of making initial changes.
“But some are saving tons of money in their annual budgets. The time is right to do this.”
Allison Kennedy is an independent correspondent. She can be reached at allisonkowen@aol.com
