Guided by the Holy Spirit, Mount Olive’s Justice Ministry helps the congregation to follow God’s call to “do justice” (Micah 6:8). We provide educational opportunities and options for action.
Five Guiding Principles
- We are created in the image of God, called to be as Christ, and steeped in the Holy Spirit.
- True justice comes from God; wise justice work is guided by Christ’s example and grounded in love and mercy.
- Doing justice begins with personal and collective acknowledgement of injustice, humility, and transformation.
- Justice work centers the voices and needs of people and creation affected by injustice.
- Justice work requires courage, especially as we become aware of our role in injustice.
Five Emphases
Climate Justice
Guided by God the Creator, we work to diminish climate change and environmental racism through education, advocacy, and direct action, recognizing that climate change most harms communities least responsible for it.
Current Action
- Give an annual gift from the congregation’s budget to Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light
- Attend upcoming climate justice workshop Duluth, including a youth component
Gender Justice
Propelled by God’s expansive love for all creation, we strive to dismantle institutional and internal patriarchy and eradicate the sin of misogyny, co-creating with the Divine a world in which every person and all of creation flourishes.
Current Action
- Reconsider language about gender and race on Mount Olive’s website
Racial Justice
Embraced by God’s unconditional love, we recognize, address, and dismantle the internal and systemic white supremacy culture inherent in America’s original sin of slavery.
Current Action
- Under development
Indigenous Justice
Enlightened by the Holy Spirit and with humility, we acknowledge past wrongs done to Native American peoples, seek to make amends, and strive to prevent further harm to Indigenous communities.
Current Action
- Under development
Economic Justice
Led by the Gospel and rooted in grace, we advocate for economic justice and dignity for all—especially for immigrant and refugee neighbors in our community and beyond—through advocacy, education, and accompaniment.
Current Action
- Partner with Iglesia Dios Habla Hoy’s food drive to serve primarily Spanish-speaking families in Mount Olive’s neighborhood
Climate Justice
Mount Olive strives to achieve a “gentle with the earth” approach to every aspect of parish life.
Mount Olive took an important step toward this commitment in 2017, when as part of a $2.7 million renovation, the congregation installed an innovative geothermal system to heat and cool its building. This shift to using renewable energy, along with an array of solar panels already in place, drastically reduced the congregation’s reliance on fossil fuels. The goal is to make Mount Olive carbon neutral by 2030.
For More Information
- Contact the Vestry director of Justice Ministry for more information.
- Read about the church’s geothermal installation in this FAQ and this Minnesota Star Tribune article.
- Review the performance of Mount Olive’s solar panels.
How You Can Participate
- Educate yourself about climate justice issues, and lower your personal carbon footprint.
- Read and live into “Gentle with the Earth,” a statement adopted by the congregation in 2017. It acknowledges, “The world we serve is not just the people of the earth; it is also the world in which humans live, the environment—earth, air, water, soil.”
- Learn about the “Paris Pledge for Action,” a commitment from thousands of organizations worldwide to actively support the 2015 agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
- Explore Responding to Climate Change: A Guide for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion, a downloadable resource from The Christian Century.
- Consult this directory of climate justice statements, organizations, and resources.
- Join congregational discussions and advocacy opportunities. Watch for information in the Olive Branch newsletter.
- Investigate the history of Mount Olive’s involvement in the climate issue, including our partnership with Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light.
- Check out resources from Interfaith Power & Light and Green Christian.
- Refer to The Money-Saving Guide to Going Green at Home for kid-friendly tips.
- Sign up to receive climate justice action alerts from Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light and ELCA Action Alerts.
- Join ELCA Advocacy, which addresses numerous justice issues.
