Pastors at some Evangelical churches in Latino communities are preaching that environmental stewardship is a religious imperative.

Navarrete: “We find in many scriptures that God’s creation, it is to be protected, we strongly believe in this.”

Sergio Navarrete leads the Southern Pacific District of Assemblies of God, which includes more than 330 churches in southern California, southern Nevada, and Hawaii. He is part of Por la Creacion, an alliance of faith leaders seeking to educate and engage Latinos on environmental issues.

Navarrete: “As Hispanics, we are very much attached to earth, to our rivers, to parks.”

The members of Por la Creacion encourage local congregations to get involved. One effort is a water conservation campaign in the Colorado River Basin. They also lead outdoor trips for young people, to instill a love of nature and concern for its future. The goal is to create a new generation of Christian Latino environmental stewards.

Navarrete: “The next generation of our children and grandkids – we’re working very hard in getting them involved in … protection of our land.”

Reporting credit: Justyna Bicz/ChavoBart Digital Media.
Photo: Used with permission of the Utah Office of Tourism.