About Us

Lutheran Earthcare Australia and New Zealand (LECANZ) has been established to work across the Lutheran Church in Australia and New Zealand (LCA/NZ). Its role is to assist the LCA/NZ in fulfilling a resolution it made in 2015 at its General Convention of Synod.

The resolution states:

The LCA affirms that a prime responsibility of Christians is to be responsible stewards of creation and all life on the planet and encourages LCA members, congregations, groups and agencies to:

• Intentionally and regularly include God’s gift of creation and our stewardship and care in prayer and worship, individual and group study and church decision-making.
• Encourage, implement and model ways of living and working that minimise the production of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Examine the long term implications of an economy which readily consumes and throws away.
• Act to reduce waste and implement the sustainable use and recycling of earth’s resources.
• Wrestle with issues of resource and environmental justice for poor communities, nations and future generations.
• Engage in dialogue, discussion, shared learning and action with decision-makers and environmental groups in the wider community.

LECANZ has been given the following role as defined in its charter:

• providing a web-based repository of earth care resources;
• developing new resources and providing access to existing worship resources, study resources and devotional materials in the area of earth care, and to encourage their use by individuals, congregations and agencies in the Church;
• providing resources and support for congregations and agencies in the Church to reduce their negative impacts on God’s creation;
• providing advice to the Church on issues related to the care of God’s creation, and encouraging the development and adoption of policies consistent with earth care;
• encouraging, supporting and coordinating with the existing and future earth care initiatives of congregations and agencies of the Church; and
• liaising and coordinating with the many faith-based and secular groups who are also concerned with earth care.

LECANZ reports to the Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions and operates through a Committee which is appointed by the Commission. The Committee consists of 5 members, one of which is a Pastor of the LCA/NZ. The current Committee members are:

• Rev Tim Castle-Schmidt, Onkaparinga, SA District
• Neil Bergmann, Brisbane, Queensland District
• Rosa Hoff, Brisbane, Queensland District
• Steve Loffler, Box Hill, Victorian District
• Lisa Rohrlach, Port Augusta, SA District