09 Jan 2026
 
Care for Our Common Home, Climate Change, Conference, Creation

Creation Care Conference

“Let Justice Flow Like Rivers”

All-Ireland Churches to Gather for Landmark Creation Care Conference

Newry, 17th  January 2026

Church leaders, politicians, theologians, scientists and grassroots practitioners from across Ireland will come together in Newry this January for a major all-Ireland conference on Creation Care, organised by the Irish Council of Churches in partnership with the Irish Inter Church Meeting and Church Leaders.

Entitled “Let Justice Flow Like Rivers”, the conference will take place on Saturday 17th January 2026, from 10.00am to 3.30pm in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry and will focus on how churches can respond credibly and practically to the ecological crisis through theology, science, reconciliation and action.

Andrew Muir MLA, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, will attend, alongside a government representative from the Republic of Ireland, highlighting the all-island significance of this gathering. The conference will be chaired by BBC reporter Louise Cullen, who will act as MC for the day, guiding participants through keynote sessions, discussion panels and commitments for action.

High-profile keynote speakers

The morning programme will feature three keynote contributions bringing together theology, science and lived experience:

Dr Hilary Marlow:

Fellow, Graduate Tutor and Director of Studies at Girton College, Cambridge, and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity. She teaches Hebrew Bible and Biblical Hebrew and is a leading scholar in ecological hermeneutics, exploring how Scripture shapes Christian responsibility towards the natural world. She is the author of The Earth Is the Lord’s: A Biblical Response to Environmental Issues and is currently editing the Oxford Handbook on Bible and Ecology. Her research also includes interfaith engagement, particularly through Scriptural Reasoning, bringing Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions into dialogue on Scripture and creation. Dr Marlow is a trustee of the Christian conservation charity A Rocha and regularly speaks to academic and wider audiences on faith, Scripture and care for creation.

Professor Jim McAdam OBE:

Retired agricultural and environmental scientist with over 40 years’ experience in government research and Queen’s University Belfast, will bring a scientific perspective. His work includes peatland restoration, agroforestry, ecosystem services and a major 2023 climate change and carbon storage study for Lough Neagh.

 

Dr Gail Gunst Heffner

Author of Reconciliation in a West Michigan Watershed, cofounder of Plaster Creek Stewards and a leading practitioner in church-based environmental restoration, will reflect on reconciliation between communities, churches and damaged ecosystems, drawing on real-world watershed recovery projects.

These keynote sessions will be followed by moderated discussion and questions from participants.

 

From Reflection to Action: Churches Sharing Lived Practice

In the afternoon, the focus will shift from inspiration to implementation, with a substantial session entitled “What contributions can and do churches make to Creation Care?” Churches from different traditions will share concrete experiences, challenges and measurable impacts.

Contributors include:

  • Eco Congregation Ireland, outlining how churches are engaging spiritually, practically, locally and globally in care for creation.
  • The Moravian Church, reflecting on Creation Care in the context of a minority church with historic buildings and limited resources.
  • Methodist Centenary Church, Dublin, sharing volunteer-led sustainability initiatives and lessons learned from long-term commitment.
  • The Archdiocese of Dublin, presenting its Energy Masterplan, including data-driven approaches to reducing emissions, energy costs and land use impacts.

A facilitated Q&A will allow participants to explore how these approaches can be adapted in their own contexts.

The conference as a clear objective: to equip churches across Ireland to move from concern to commitment in caring for creation. The day will conclude with a shared liturgical moment and a “River of Hope” pledge, inviting participants to name one concrete action they will take — personally or within their church — in response to the ecological crisis, particularly in relation to water, land and climate justice.

By bringing theology, science and lived church practice into conversation, organisers hope the conference will strengthen cooperation across denominations and encourage measurable, hope-filled action rooted in faith.

Tickets are £10 to be purchased at https://letjustflow.eventbrite.ie

Further info from: info@irishchurches.org