The Earth Church International

. . . is a small, not for profit, faith based organization. We work at local levels to effect a positive change in the environment.

Some of the programs are involved in are:

• Lawns to Gardens - the Lawns to Gardens program, run by volunteers, helps low income and handicapped individuals prepare organic gardens.
• Workshops range in subject from alternative energy and transportation to starting cottage industries.
• Discussion Groups - we have irregular meetings with interested individuals, usually on Wednesdays, to discuss the changing world, the environment, economic globalization and other topics that affect our lives on a personal and community level.

We promote the belief that the world is alive. We do not indorse any specific doctrine or dogma. We ask our members to get involved and support their own ideas and beliefs with action. Our members volunteer, attend discussions, join in celebrations, and communicate with other organizations and individuals with similar interests.

While we do not actively solicit donations from our members, we do appreciate donations. In 1996 we were awarded 501(C)3 status which means that all donations are tax deductible. The Earth Church owns a small facility at 2540 Eye St., Arcata, CA., for our office and discussion groups - we are presently seeking funds to build a larger meeting facility.

We are not going to ask you to sell your home and donate all the money to us. No one here wants you to shave your head and wear a robe. We do ask members to see the world as an integrated living organism - each part, oceans, atmosphere, soil and animals, as interconnected; that small events have larger consequences. In following this vision, we ask volunteers to get involved in their community and the world.

We are not going to conscript you or anyone else into any specific course of action. We see this as a voluntary process where behavior follows belief. You may be asked to question what you believe, to leave yourself open to ideas. There are suggested readings but everything is on a voluntary basis. We do not award points for what you read and it will not raise your standing in the church. We do not teach the unknowable as truth. Our feet rest on the Earth. The Earth Church International is here to assist you. We want to develop a sense of community based on friendship and concern.

To become a member of the Earth Church International or find out more about our organization send us E-Mail.

The Earth Church International, Inc
Statement of Belief

1. The Earth and the universe of which it is a part are sacred because they have created the conditions that support life.

2. The Earth has all the characteristics attributed to other gods, to other creators. The Earth is certainly omnipotent and omnipresent, impelling, and loving. It is the most awesome body that intimately affects us every single moment of our lives. For this reason it deserves of all of us care, respect and worship. We enjoy a priceless gift living within the confines of the Earth's body, drinking of her precious waters and nourished by her myriad life forms.

3. No life form, including the human race, has a future in the destruction of the ecosystem it depends on for life. On the other hand, human life in harmony with the rest of the earthly life forms is eternal, for all practical purposes.

4. We have become, we are, the stewards, the caretakers, of the Earth. Whether we like it or not, or want to be or not, we have inherited this grave responsibility and have not the ability, nor the moral right to ignore this fact. The only choice we have: to be benevolent stewards or irresponsible stewards. We are the only beings on the Earth, who have this choice. It is up to us to decide what the next chapter of our existence will contain. Ours is a choice between eternal life, generation unto generation, or our own biological extinction and the extinction of other life forms. It is that simple.

5. Humankind has already reached awesome heights of achievement. We have developed a unique conscience and a capacity for compassion and love. We have the potential for life at peace, in harmony with the other earthly life forms. It would be a tragedy of utmost consequence to us to lose this existence. Life is precious and our descendants have a right to the same quality of life that we enjoy. Other life forms also have a right to participate in the evolutionary process. Our present way of living subverts our future and wreaks havoc with other forms of life; it is a crime against life itself. To survive, to be saved, we must change our attitude towards life and our relationship with the Earth. Our salvation is in living our lives, judging our laws, and conducting our businesses by with one thought in mind the well being of the whole community of Earth life.

6. This is what "salvation" or "being saved" really means: that we as a species do not destroy ourselves but instead live on, through our children and our grandchildren, and all subsequent generations. To develop, change and fulfill our potential while inhabiting this Garden of Eden, this precious planet, our home, our host, and our mother.

7. Earth Church stewards, ministers, teachers, and members pledge to work to pass the planet on to the next generation, in better condition than it was during our generation. The Earth Church community is dedicated to learning and the teaching, which will make these events possible.