Power & Light founder touts environmental leadership by churches

In this mention

Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light (TIPL), a new program of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, launches in Knoxville to mobilize churches and religious organizations around environmental stewardship. The initiative, inspired by Rev. Sally Bingham's Episcopal Power & Light model, aims to encourage congregations to examine their practices and educate members on faith-based environmental ethics. SACE program organizer Gil Melear-Hough reports strong community enthusiasm for the inclusive interfaith approach.

The program has caught on with enthusiasm. The group here wanted to be inclusive of all religious organizations and encourages anyone to join.
Gil Melear-Hough

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Good Morning, East Tennessee

Power & Light founder touts environmental leadership by churches

What is role of churches in preserving the earth?

For members of a newly formed group in Knoxville, their churches are taking a leading role.

Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light (TIPL) is a new program of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. The goal of TIPL is to provide a guiding light, so to speak, for the community at large regarding environmental issues. The group is made up of ministers and laypersons from religious organizations across our community.

The idea originated from the Rev. Sally Bingham, minister of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Bingham has started Episcopal Power & Light programs in several states in America.

According to Gil Melear-Hough, program organizer at Southern Alliance: "The program has caught on with enthusiasm. The group here wanted to be inclusive of all religious organizations and encourages anyone to join."

The premise behind the program is that if the church examines its own practices and makes changes, it is making changes while also educating congregants.

Power & Light works? TIPL is bringing the Rev. Bingham to Knoxville for a public talk at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Church of the Good Samaritan.

In addition to the public talk, she and other ministers will provide a service at Ijams, where each minister will speak on his or her faith's beliefs and ethics in preserving God's creation.

For more information on these events, contact Melear-Hough at 865-637-6055.

SACE is one of the 41 member groups of Community Shares, a fund-raising organization working to make the world a better place in East Tennessee's own backyard. For more information or to join Community Shares' workplace giving campaign, call 522-1604.