At Choral Evensong in Norwich Cathedral, seven Eco Chaplains were commissioned by the The Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Revd Dr Jane Steen, on Monday 19 October.
Liz Dawes, Michelle Goulding, Amanda Hart, Abigail Leach, Hannah Morris, Martin Young, and Richard Wales have been trained to help parishes embed creation care in their mission and ministry, through worship, witness, teaching, pastoral care, discipleship, witness, buildings and land across the diocese.
The primary purpose of this voluntary role is to encourage and support churches to respond to the climate and ecological crisis, by advocating for environmental action, resourcing others, and helping churches on their Eco Church and net zero journey.ntro
Bishop Jane addressed the candidates: “Sisters and brother, God has made each of us stewards of the bounty of creation. God’s extravagant love and generosity means that all can be fed, and all can have home and all can thrive, prividing each takes stewardship of the fragile earth seriously. God showed that moste perfecting in the sending of his Son, who came that we might have life and have it in abundance. God has called each of you to the ministry of Eco Chaplain in this diocese. You are to be encouragers and supporters of churches as they seek to respond to the climate and ecological crisis.”
The Eco Chaplaincy role is supported by the Diocesan Environment Officer and Net Zero Adviser, the Environment and Net Zero Working Groups, and means being the ‘port of call’ in their area for parishes who would like further help as they take action on climate change. If you’re not sure if they cover your area, do check with Barbara or Rosalind first. You can find out a little more about each Eco Chaplain below, along with their contact email.
Revd Liz Dawes
Liz is the Team Vicar in the Sprowston and North Norwich Team Ministry, based in Christ Church, New Catton, and will be available to support parishes in the greater Norwich area. “My love of nature and wildlife began at an early age with an eager interest in birds and I joined the Young Ornithologists Club in Norwich at the age of 10, encouraged by one of my primary school teachers. I have a deeply held belief that God is revealed in the whole of creation and redeems it through his son, Jesus Christ, which compels us to care for our beautiful world and live in harmony with it. I have been involved with environmental concern in the diocese for a number of years, so it is a great opportunity to take this a stage further by becoming an Eco-Chaplain. In my spare time, I am walking the King Charles III England Coast Path with friends, and have so far enjoyed exploring the coastal landscape from Felixstowe to the Humber Bridge.”
Liz can be contacted at: revdlizdawes@gmail.com
Amanda Hart
Amanda worships at Fakenham Parish Church and will be available to support parishes in North & Mid Norfolk. “Here in Fakenham I am fortunate to be living in a region of natural beauty and I am daily reminded of the love of God through creation. Our churches in Norfolk through the centuries are places where we have celebrated the seasons, nature and wildlife. The world is changing and as part of God’s family I want to care for clergy and their churches and enable them to live in harmony with nature, reduce their carbon footprint and improve their sense of wellbeing. We can hear God’s voice in teh treetops, river banks and in the whisper of the sea shore. By listening and learning together we can turn away from the destruction of our beautiful world and make a difference.“
Amanda can be contacted at: ahart2400@hotmail.com
Martin Greenland
Martin has been the Rector of the Acle and Bure to Yare Benefice for over 12 years and will be available to support parishes in the East of the Diocese. On his recent sabbatical he chose to study insects in churchyards across our Diocese, and you can see his findings HERE. “Eco Chaplaincy brings together two things which have been important to me all my life: my membership of the Church and my love of wildlife. And I want to lend my support to our urgent Christian response to the damage we are doing to the rest of God’s creation.“
Martin can be contacted at: rector@aclechurch.plus.com
Abigail Leach
Abigail worships at King’s Lynn Minster and will be available to support parishes across the West of the Diocese. “Having begun my career as an intern for A Rocha UK, creation care is deeply rooted through both my personal and professional life. I have since worked as an ecologist for NGOs and public bodies, across the country, involved with the conservation of wetland habitats. I am currently studying for my PhD, looking into the impacts of environmental change on migratory waterbirds in East Anglia.“
Abigail can be contacted at: abigail.leach67@gmail.com
Richard Wales
Richard worships in the benefice of Great and Little Plumstead, Rackheath with Salhouse and Witton and will be available to support parishes in the East of the Diocese. “I worked as a psychiatrist; it was frequently the case that a person could be made significantly better in the consulting room, but would relapse on return to their usual environment, unless the situation there was also addressed. If we are to pursue justice in a context whereby our shared environment is under attack we all need to become better at caring for our shared home in which everything is connected. I am looking forward to learning more, doing more and helping others to maintain God’s world. To paraphrase Hildegard of Bingen in her Book of Divine Works, those who revere God’s love and work to heal and sustain all of Creation bring forth the fruits of good works by the dew and grace of the Holy Spirit. I hope that I can play a small part in this.”
Richard can be contacted at: richardwales900@msn.com
Michelle Goulding
Michelle worships at Sprowston Parish Churches and will be available to support parishes in the greater Norwich area. “For me, caring for God’s creation is not an optional extra but an expression of our faith and worship. It is about being faithful stewards of the world God has entrusted to us, creating a healthier environment not only for our church congregations but also for the wider community. I believe that every conversation, every act of encouragement and every small change has the potential to plant a seed. If we can inspire just one church, one family or one individual to care more deeply for God’s creation, that seed can grow and spread far beyond what we first imagined. Through caring for creation we have an opportunity to share God’s hope, love and care, helping both our churches and our communities to flourish together.“
Michelle can be contacted at: michelleatsprowstonchurch@gmail.com
Hannah Morris
Hannah is Assistant Curate in the Flegg Parish Churches Team Ministry, and will be available to support parishes in the East of the Diocese. “I’m thrilled to be taking on this role as Eco Chaplain. Caring for creation feels like a natural extension of parish ministry to me, woven through worship, pastoral care, and the everyday life of our churches. Living and serving across the Broads, I see every day how closely our communities are bound up with the land and water around them, and how much that landscape shapes our sense of what it means to be good stewards of God’s world. I’m looking forward to working alongside the other Eco Chaplains, sharing ideas, and helping our churches take practical steps together towards a more sustainable future.“
Hannah can be contacted at: revhannahmorris@gmail.com
Called to be an Eco Chaplain? Train in early 2027!
The next training course takes place over one Saturday in February (date TBC) at Diocesan House in Easton. The training sessions will cover the theological context of our climate and biodiversity crises, our missional response to them, and how to signpost parishes to practical support on working towards net zero, improving biodiversity and progressing through the Eco Church survey.
For a more details of what the role commitment and responsibilities are, please see the role description HERE, complete the application form HERE, or contact Barbara.bryant@dioceseofnorwich.org 07876 634867 for a chat.
You do not need to commit to the role until after training is completed. You will need to have the agreement of your parish priest/incumbent. Please contact Barbara if you would like to book onto the course.