Yale University Library

Guide to the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology Archives
Record Group No. 225
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Overview

Repository: Yale University Divinity School Library
409 Prospect St.
New Haven, CT 06511
Email: divinity.library@yale.edu
Phone: (203) 432-5301
Fax: (203) 432-3906
Call Number: Record Group No. 225
Creator: North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology
Title: North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology Archives
Dates: 1986-2007
Physical Description: Total archival boxes 23; total linear footage 9'
Language(s): In English.
Summary: These archives document the work of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology, an ecumenical group that was formed in 1986 to highlight environmental dimensions of the Christian tradition, help Christian individuals and churches become more ecologically responsible, and work with people of other traditions in the common effort to create a more sustainable global society.
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Administrative Information

Provenance

Gift of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology, 2010

Information about Access

This collection is open for research.

Cite As

Archives of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology, Record Group No. 225, Special Collections, Yale Divinity School Library

History

1985 Fr. Albert Fritsch of Appalachia Science in the Public Interest, David Haenke of the Ozarks Bioregional Project, and Fred Krueger of the San Francisco-based Eleventh Commandment Fellowship, decided to initiate a Christian Ecological movement in North America
1986 May An initial planning conference in Syria, Virginia was attended by forty people from various denominations.
1986 Incorporated as the North American Conference on Christianity and Ecology, a nonprofit organization
1987 Aug First conference held in Indiana was attended by more than 500 people.
1987, 1988 Offices were established in San Francisco and Washington, DC.
1987-1991 Following a successful conference in 1987, the organization almost immediately experienced power struggles, personality conflicts, and financial disputes between various factions on the Board of Directors. These controversies resulted in the resignations of a number of board members, a lawsuit by former board member John Freda for expenses incurred as secretary, and the founding of the North American Conference for Religion and Ecology by former executive co-director Don Conroy. Financial instability stalled the organization’s rapid growth and closed the offices in San Francisco and Washington, DC. With the resignations of many of the first generation of Board members, an austerity budget, and the shift to an entirely volunteer staff, the organization recovered its footing.
1988-1991 Six regional NACCE conferences were held. In addition to holding regional Earth Day conferences and co-sponsoring Soil and Water Stewardship Week with the National Association of Conservation Districts, NACCE cosponsored an environmental seminar in Russia in 1991.
1989 Conference: "Survival of the Planet: A Challenge to Faith Communities" (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
1991 The NACCE journal, Firmament, was replaced by its newsletter, Earthkeeping News
1992 Established local groups in Illinois and North Carolina.
1993 Formed a Hospitality Network and Speakers Bureau, organized conferences in four different states, and co-sponsored the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago
1994 Sponsored collaborative projects and regional coalitions, such as the Christian Youth Ecology conference, which were cosponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Ecumenical Ministries of of Southern California
1996 Conference: "Discerning the Signs of These Times" (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
1996 Congress of Earthkeeping Ministries, which hosted “town meetings” on four trends affecting churches: eco-feminism, eco-justice, science and cosmology, and alternative economics. As a result of the conference, NACCE focused its efforts on sponsoring local eco-church circles to strengthen faith communities’ care for creation.
1998 Changed its name to the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology, reflecting its shift from conferences to grassroots coalition-building and local eco-church circles
2001 Conference: "Spirit and Religion in the Ecological Age: Empowering Environmental Work" (Little Rock, Arkansas)
2004 Conference: "Bringing the Church Back Down to Earth," cosponsored by The Center for Progressive Christianity (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Description of the Papers

This collection thoroughly documents the development and operations of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology and provides insight into the Christianity and ecology movement in the United States from 1986 to 2006. The mission statement of the NACCE indicates its areas of interest and activity: "The continuing devastation of Earth is a crisis of the human spirit. To address this crisis: 1)We will invite people into a loving relationship with Earth through the formation of local earthkeeping circles; 2) We will teach reverence for God’s creation, with the understanding that humans are embedded in the natural world; 3) We will cooperate with other organizations concerned with ecology and social justice; 4) We will promote the study of ecological issues in the context of biblical theology and contemporary science."

Series I, Organization and Policy Records, contains legal documents related to the incorporation and name changes of NACCE, case files from Freda v. NACCE, by-laws, and other documents related to the founding and activities of the organization.

Series II, Board and Committee Records, contains minutes and other documents from the Board and Executive Committee meetings, lists of Board members from different periods, and correspondence pertaining to the recruiting and resignations of Board members.

Series III, Correspondence of Board Members, contains letters to and from individuals who were members of the Board of Directors.

Series IV, Programs and Conferences, documents programs, conferences, consultations, and workshops produced by NACCE.

Series V, Membership Records, includes membership lists, forms, and correspondence, as well as the organization’s mailing lists.

Series VI, Publications and Publicity, contains NACCE’s two serial publications, Firmament and Earthkeeping News, brochures, articles about the organization and its activities, audio and video tapes, photographs, and other documents.

Series VII, Financial Records, contains financial statements, ledgers, tax forms, grant proposals, and other records and correspondence by Board members pertaining to finances.

Series VIII, Collected Material, includes conference material and other documents from related organizations, resources from outside NACCE, and documents relating to individuals both within and outside of the organization.