Developed by United Bible Societies (UBS), Scripture Union International (SUI), and the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) – in partnership with and facilitated by A Rocha International – Creation Care: A Biblical Mandate is a landmark statement affirming that environmental stewardship is deeply rooted in Scripture.
This milestone anchored a momentous month in Indonesia, where A Rocha International’s Kuki Rokhum and Dave Bookless joined three major conferences. Their presence reflected a rapidly growing conviction across international ministries: caring for God’s creation is not separate from Christian mission, but an integral part of it.
Shaped heavily by the concerns of a younger generation, the new mandate challenges the global Church to integrate creation care into everyday discipleship, teaching and mission. At the UBS Fellowship Event in Indonesia, where over 240 leaders celebrated 80 years of Bible partnership, young ambassadors explicitly challenged the movement to safeguard the future of God’s world. To help ministries respond, Kuki and Dave spearheaded an international workshop to unpack the statement and establish frameworks for global collaboration.
The momentum continued at the Patmos Global Summit on Bible engagement, where delegates from various mission agencies and Christian organizations examined global research on how different cultures engage with Scripture today. Immediately following, a regional creation care gathering in Papua – hosted by Yappenda, a member of the Friends of A Rocha Network – drew 35 participants from local churches, theological institutes and NGOs. Attendees shared practical, local success stories spanning conservation, environmental education and sustainable agriculture.
Real-world partnerships are already proving the power of this shared biblical foundation. Participants highlighted initiatives like Ekologia – a partnership between the Portuguese Bible Society and A Rocha Portugal that inspires schools and communities through environmental education – and a student climate change essay competition in Eswatini that attracted more than 8,000 entries.
Together, these gatherings offer profound reasons for hope. By uniting organizations that collectively reach millions of believers, Creation Care: A Biblical Mandate provides the strategic foundation needed to bring environmental stewardship further into the mainstream of global Christian practice.
Please pray for the partnerships and friendships that emerged from these gatherings, for wisdom as new opportunities develop, and for churches and Christian organizations around the world seeking to live out this biblical mandate.
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