• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Opioid Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Opioid Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

Praying in Opposition to Fracked Gas Pipelines

Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director · September 18, 2017 · 1 Comment

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline met more opposition last week. This time in the form of a prayer gathering by faith leaders outside the Department of Environmental Quality office. DEQ and the Cooper administration are currently considering a 401 water quality permit application that the pipeline must have before moving ahead with construction later this fall.

Susannah Tuttle, Director of NC Interfaith Power & Light, brought word to the assembly of a resolution adopted by the NC Council of Churches Governing Board condemning the construction of pipelines such as the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The Council of Churches, a statewide ecumenical organization spanning eighteen different denominations, counts more than 1.5 million North Carolinians as members of its participating bodies.

Tuttle read from the resolution entitled “Statement Opposing Fracked Gas Pipelines”. The statement read in part, “We resolve that any new investment in energy infrastructure based on the extraction of fossil fuels is morally reprehensible and, as people of faith, we believe it is an abuse of the God-given gift of creation for which we are charged to care.”

Greg Yost, a pipeline opponent from Madison County, also spoke. Yost was on day nine of a two week, water-only fast, sitting each day in front of the DEQ entrance. Yost explained that his presence there is meant to signal that the Cooper administration’s pipeline decision is at root a spiritual issue. “During this period of waiting,” Yost said, “we are physically passive, but spiritually active. We are helping the Governor and [DEQ] Secretary Regan understand that bold leadership on their part will be met with support by North Carolinians across the state, no matter what [pipeline developer] Duke Energy may want.”

The Reverend Mac Legerton, a United Church of Christ minister from Robeson County, facilitated the service. Legerton, who still works daily to help his community recover from the devastation of Hurricane Matthew, opened a time of prayer for victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Legerton brought with him a native flowering plant that he says will now be passed from county to county in eastern North Carolina to be watered by rivers, creeks, and wetlands that the proposed pipeline would cross. The flower will then be returned to DEQ and offered as a living sign of the importance of its duty to see that North Carolina’s water resources are protected.

On Friday, September 15th DEQ announced a decision will be delayed – likely until mid-December – on whether to permit the controversial project.

Without fanfare or press release late yesterday, the state issued a four-page “request for additional information,” part of its duty under the federal Clean Water Act to ensure the natural gas pipeline won’t harm the over 320 rivers and streams and hundreds of acres of wetlands in its path.

We must continue our prayers that this pipeline will be permanently rejected by the strong leaders of North Carolina. Blessed Be!

 

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Environment

Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

About Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director

Susannah Tuttle joined the staff in August 2011. She received a Masters of Divinity degree from Starr King School for the Ministry at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. In 2004 Susannah was hired as UNC Chapel Hill’s first Sustainability Research Associate and went on to co-initiate Trace Collaborative, LLC a consulting firm specializing in the implementation of sustainability within the design and construction industry. Susannah currently serves on Interfaith Power & Light’s national Board of Directors, Southeast Climate & Energy Network Board of Trustees, Duke Energy’s NC Eastern Advisory Council, and UNC School of Law’s Center for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Economics (CE3) Advisory Board.
Learn more about NC Interfaith Power & Light: ncipl.org.

Reader Interactions

More Like This

A Win for the People and Planet: Atlantic Coast Pipeline Cancelled!
From Domination to Dominion
Advent Guide: Epiphany Sunday, January 5

Comments

  1. Avatarcarole troxler says

    September 18, 2017 at 9:17 pm

    thank you

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

Praying in Opposition to Fracked Gas Pipelines

Latest Tweets

We need to start a new chapter. That means new leaders who hold militants accountable for attacking democracy. It means new actions to stop the spread of lies. And it means new rules to empower voters instead of those who undermine the will of the people. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/Qk94…

About 14 hours ago

We recall Dr. King’s urgency for change as we soon inaugurate a new President + the first woman of color VP. Despite violent and racist attacks on our democracy, the will of the people prevails and we continue our work to better our democracy. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/cr10…

Yesterday

We are excited to have 2 climate justice advocates join our team this spring as interns, Noely Bernier and Dani Bahena Bustos! Please take a moment to read Noely and Dani’s stories, and join us in welcoming them to our team! ncchurches.org/2021/…

About 2 days ago

Join @NCJews4Justice for a webinar tonight discussing the Wilmington Coup of 1898. Speakers and participants will be drawing lessons from the coup to the current political moment we find ourselves in. Follow the link to register. carolinajewsforjusti…

About 2 days ago

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." -Martin Luther King Jr pic.twitter.com/teit…

About 3 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

We will heal together. #StrongerTogether #InaugurationDay twitter.com/ncchurch…

About 11 hours ago

RT @CDCgov If you’ve had #COVID19, you should still get vaccinated. Experts aren’t sure how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering, and reinfection is possible. More: bit.ly/3g5amLz. #SleeveUp pic.twitter.com/Yrne…

About 16 hours ago

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” Thank you Dr. King for your wisdom and leadership. We hope to continue honoring your vision for justice and peace every day. pic.twitter.com/hpVi…

About 3 days ago

Awesome things to come this year - subscribe and stay in touch! #MindfulTogether twitter.com/ncchurch…

About 5 days ago

So important and needed. You are so loved. twitter.com/NAMINCar…

About 5 days ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @faithinplace The US has rejoined the #ParisClimateAgreement! "We hope the Biden Administration will continue to advance ambitious & durable climate action that centers #EnvironmentalJustice & care for the most vulnerable in our communities and our common home.”@sbhendershot @interfaithpower twitter.com/ILCleanJ…

About 10 hours ago

RT @EJinAction President @JoeBiden We have 2.4 million miles of #fossilfuel pipeline in our country, enough to go to the moon and back twice. It’s time to rescind the #KXLPipeline permit- it’s time to protect our #planet, our most vulnerable people and invest in clean energy & infrastructure✊🏾. pic.twitter.com/2Q4U…

About 10 hours ago

RT @NC_Governor When the previous administration withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, I said North Carolina was staying in. I commend President Biden for rejoining the Agreement and making the fight against climate change a priority. - RC

About 10 hours ago

RT @interfaithpower Biden’s Build Back Better plan is a giant step in the right direction to care for our neighbors + climate, and rebuild our economy with justice. It’s #TimeToAct to build back better. Add your signature to call on our leaders to take bold action: bit.ly/TimeToActClim… pic.twitter.com/tqCr…

About 11 hours ago

RT @ncchurches We need to start a new chapter. That means new leaders who hold militants accountable for attacking democracy. It means new actions to stop the spread of lies. And it means new rules to empower voters instead of those who undermine the will of the people. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/Qk94…

About 11 hours ago

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine