The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants too. Because God is the one who established it on the seas; God set it firmly on the waters.
Psalm 24:1-2
Mid-American Baptist Churches is holding a retreat in February, highlighting Creation Justice and care of God’s earth. The retreat, meeting February 10-12, 2020 at Dayton Oaks Camp in Dayton, Iowa, will center around “Care for Creation: Earth. People. Sabbath.”
Mid-American Baptist Churches holds the minister’s council retreat annually as a way for lay people and clergy to find renewal, continuing education, worship, and build relationships. This year, the focus is on caring for the earth, others, and ourselves through times of rest. All are invited to attend. There is a significant cost savings for first time attendees. Meals and lodging are provided with the registration cost.
Guest Speaker Matt Russell, executive director for Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, will lead portions of the event. He spent his career working in non-profits and advocating for social justice. For the first 11 years, he trained for and worked in ministry and the last 16 years did secular work focused primarily on economic and environmental sustainability.
Before coming to Iowa Interfaith Power & Light, Matt worked at the Drake University Agricultural Law Center on issues concerning retail agriculture, land tenure, conservation, climate change, farmer veterans, rural development, state food policy, and federal farm policy. Matt studied for the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, and earned an M.S. in Rural Sociology from Iowa State University.
His work on sustainability has taken him to 26 states, the District of Columbia, Scotland, Italy, and Cuba. He served on the Iowa Farm Service Agency State Committee of the USDA from 2010 through 2017. Matt is a fifth generation Iowa farmer and he co-operates Coyote Run Farm, a 110 acre farm in rural Lacona where they raise fresh produce, heirloom tomato plants, and grass-finished beef.