A Rocha UK are delighted to announce that the Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey circuit has achieved a Bronze Award as an Eco Circuit. This is the first such award in the country and is the result of many working together to make this possible.
Sue Keegan von Allmen, superintendent minister of the Winchester, Eastleigh and Romsey circuit writes, “I was delighted when members of Romsey Methodist Church proposed that we should become an Eco-Circuit. We agreed to do so in December 2018. Since then we’ve been developing policies and sharing the process with individual churches. The circuit staff and local preachers have had training sessions, the staff spent a quiet day reflecting on climate change, and the number of services in which eco-issues are explored has increased. In Winchester and Romsey there are regular ecumenical events. And one of our smaller churches is seeking to become an eco-church.
One of the things we’ve changed, is that we’ve agreed to hold meetings in churches closest to the centre of the circuit, to reduce travelling and to share cars. Covid-19 is having an unexpected impact on that. We’re having meetings using video-conferencing, so it’s reducing our carbon-footprint, and I hope that might change the way we work in the future. We will need to meet face to face to do some work and to ensure those without internet access aren’t excluded, but I hope that along with clearer water and less polluted skies, our ways of living and working will also have been questioned.”
The Eco Circuit award signifies a considerable effort on Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey circuit’s part and critically a positive commitment to caring for creation. Helen Stephens, A Rocha UK’s Church Relations Manager encourages other Methodists Districts to get involved and that this award “will be a real inspiration for other circuits to sign up and progress with Eco Circuit.”
Solar panels at Romsey Methodist Church.
