Ecological Leadership and Ministry

The Certificate in Ecological Leadership and Ministry offers students vocational training and mentorship in ecospiritual advocacy for the Earth, our common home. The program weaves together academic coursework, community building, and contemplative practice to integrate ecological concerns into religious and spiritual leadership. Through monthly colloquia, participants learn from leaders in the field blazing creative pathways in a range of settings—including churches, nonprofits, retreat centers, and academic programs—to foster climate justice, biodiversity protection, and sustainable lifestyles in the spirit of the Living Village project. These gatherings offer students a valuable networking opportunity to help forge vocational paths of service in the field. Students put their faith into practice through fieldwork with community-based organizations engaged in ecological work. These may include churches focused on climate justice; local nonprofits engaged in urban forestry, biodiversity conservation, and shoreline protection; or climate organizations supporting the renewable energy transition. Students in this certificate program are expected to take three courses in Religion and Ecology; attend the annual Graduate Conference in Religion and Ecology (GCRE); attend five of six monthly colloquia throughout the school year; and complete forty hours of service in environmental ministry, education, or advocacy.