VALLEY FORGE, PA (10/4/19)—On October 1, 2019, the ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary welcomed Rev. Rebecca Driscoll into the newly created position of Minister for Creation Justice.
As the Minister for Creation Justice, Driscoll will work in close collaboration with the ABCUSA Creation Justice Network, the staff of the Office of the General Secretary, and other national and regional staff members to create and cultivate initiatives to engage American Baptist congregations in conversations and actions toward creation justice. The funding for this position comes from the continuation of a grant given to the Office of the General Secretary in order to support and empower women in ministry. The position compliments already well established American Baptist ministry programs focused on matters of racial and economic justice, commitment to creative partnerships, and new ways of living the Gospel.
This ministry sits at the intersection of American Baptist faith communities and environmental justice bringing a sound biblical and theological foundation to the work of creation care and enhancing the presence of creation care ministries throughout the 33 American Baptist regions. Driscoll says, “As American Baptists, we have a unique opportunity to bring a voice of prophetic Christian witness to and for the protection of God’s creation.”
Driscoll will begin this role as she completes her time as the Women in Ministry Intern for the Office of the General Secretary. Ordained by the Old Colony Association in The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, she served as Associate Pastor with both First Baptist Church of Attleboro and Candleberry Chapel.
Her passion for environmental sustainability, creation care, and healthy food systems can be seen in her previous work as a Park Ranger in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, as the Program Coordinator of the hunger relief non-profit organization The Campus Kitchens Project at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and as a Housing Advocate Intern for the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.
Driscoll also serves as a member of The Creation Justice Network’s Steering Committee.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.