Global Ministries and Disciples Women on the Move

A delegation of 14 women from Global Ministries and Disciples Women’s Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada is on a two-week visit to Kenya to listen to and learn from women in Kenya about how we live out what it means to be the body of Christ with women in Kenya and the whole world. The Woman-to-Woman visit has been made possible through a collaboration with Global Ministries and the Just Communities program of the Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC).

On September 8, the Disciples Women’s Ministries and Kenyan women leaders from the OAIC, Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the National Council of Churches of Kenya, the Friends Church, the African Brotherhood Church, the International Christian Church, and the Anglican Church of Kenya visited the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi to learn about this UN agency’s work on environmental issues.

Significantly, UNEP is the only UN agency headquartered outside North America and Western Europe. Established in 1972, it has been monitoring the state of the environment, using science to inform global policy making, and coordinating responses to the world’s environmental challenges for more than 50 years. Today, the world faces a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution. 

The joint women’s delegation learned about UNEP initiatives, the Gender Desk, and Faith for the Earth Coalition, which has 7000 members and 90 accredited organizations from all faiths. The Coalition plays an important role in bringing faith values and perspectives on caring for God’s creation into policy making; strengthening faith and science approaches to environmental protection issues; and leading by example through ‘greening’ investments, assets, and infrastructure such as buildings. We also learned about the work of UNEP’s Gender and Safeguards Unit to ensure that government leaders recognize the interconnectedness between gender equality and the environment, and that the priorities of women are included in the policies and treaties signed by the 193 member states of the United Nations. Women’s voices are important at the decision-making tables, influencing policy-making, and ensuring that gender action plans accompany all agreed policies on the environment.

We pledged to act to plant trees, promote the use of organic fertilizers, educate our congregations on the harm that plastic pollution causes to fish, animals, birds, and our bodies, recycle plastics in our homes and churches, continue to educate ourselves on climate change, and advocate for living in harmony with all of God’s creation.

As women of faith from the US, Canada, and Kenya, we will strengthen our sisterhood in Christ by learning, collaborating, and advocating for change together. We look forward to sharing more information about this amazing engagement.

Organization of African Instituted Churches