Global Ministries’ EarthKeepers program offers United Methodists a meaningful opportunity to engage with environmental justice, connect with creation, and develop practical projects that serve their communities. Through both in-person and virtual trainings, participants are equipped with tools to launch and grow sustainability-focused initiatives within the church.
Among those answering this call are three youth members from the Korean United Methodist Church of San Diego, (Euijin Lee, Serena Lee, Sunny Park) all juniors in high school, guided by their youth pastor, Rev. Janice Lee. The group participated in the Spring 2025 online EarthKeepers training and will be commissioned in November, marking an inspiring step forward in youth-led environmental ministry.
Their creation care project, titled the “Somang Project”, Somang meaning “hope” in Korean, seeks to reduce food waste within their church by establishing a composting system that can eventually extend to the surrounding community. Recently, the team’s vision received a $3,500 grant to help launch their efforts.
The Earthkeepers program serves as both a training and incubator. It provides a collaborative environment where participants design and plan environmental projects to implement in their local contexts. Training topics include eco-theology, community organizing, and project planning. The program also emphasizes and educates on topics such as anti-racism, recognizing its relevance and intersection with environmental and community challenges.
Common project areas include food waste reduction, renewable energy, water stewardship, and food security, all framed within the broader mission of creation care and justice. Many churches may be unaware of their environmental impact or unsure how to begin addressing it. EarthKeepers offers a structured, supportive space to begin this work faithfully and practically.
This November, the impact of that work will be celebrated globally. Seventy-two new EarthKeepers will be commissioned by Global Ministries in an online service on Tuesday, November 4, at 8 p.m. ET, affirming their call to creation care and blessing their ministries. This service will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/GlobalMinistries.
The 2025 Global Ministries Earthkeepers reside in the following conferences:
California-Nevada
Rev. April Sousa
California-Pacific
Euijin Lee
Janice Lee
Serena Lee
Sunny Park
Melanie Branson
Florida
Dr. Jack Grove
Rev. Lee Hall-Perkins
Great Plains
Rev. Kristi Bishop
Christopher “Chris” Decker
Horizon Texas
Carson Warden
Rev. Dr. Thomas “Tommy” Brumett
Joshua “Josh” Brumett
Cassidy Barrett
Wendy Owens
Leila Prichard
Susan Bruster
Rev. Dr. Tim Bruster
Celeste Spencer
Rev. Rob Spencer
Kentucky
Ashley Vipond
Michigan
Sandra White
Rev. Ryan Wieland
Missouri
Lindsey Ready
Mountain Sky
Sean Orner
Carolyn Tarr
New England
Maria Castle
Elaine Trench
New Mexico
Kathleen Duncan
Dr. Idolia “Dodie” Hawkins
Dr. Andy Stoker
North Carolina
Susan Jacques
Dorothy Kester
North Georgia
Rev. Mark LaRocca-Pitts
Jeff Fuller
Oregon-Idaho
Barbara “Barb” Reuter
Rev. Zaida F. Huereca
Louise Darling
Pacific Northwest
Sharon Feucht
Patricia “Pat” Gray
Vanessa Perkinson
Chelsey Reese
Rev. Jacqueline “Jackie” Celin
Laura Osborn
Dr. Gwen Wood
Judy Le Blanc
Sarah Lai
Rev. Ruth Marston-Bihl
Kathryn Rauhauser
Melanie Wienecke
Lourdes Tifre
Karen Biggers
Gail Huggins
Rev. Dan Gerhard
Dr. Darold Ward
Janet Ward
Andi Villar Arroyo
Peninsula-Delaware
Dr. Tolbert Nyenswah
Rev. Emanuel Johnson
Rio Texas
Jenny Monahan
Tennessee-Western Kentucky
Heather Bennett
Kathryn Hofeldt-Provost
Martha-Ann Pilcher
Texas
Anne Blakely-Barloco
Upper New York
Elizabeth “Betsy” Croft
Virginia
Lauri Snider
West Virginia
Jeffrey “Jeff” Matheny
Melanie Matheny
Western North Carolina
Rev. Steven “Steve” Bergkamp
Mark Casper
Anna Garner
Wisconsin
Paul Schumacher
Photos are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjChqQP
To read more about EarthKeepers projects and to get updates on 2026 trainings, join the Global Ministries Creation Care Network by downloading the app or visiting Join the Creation Care Network | Global Ministries
