Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) recognized three individuals and an organization for their exceptional environmental achievements at PEC’s virtual Annual Gathering.
Dr. William P. Brown, the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, received the William Gibson Eco-Justice Award for his long-term dedication to teaching and preaching on environmental issues in the Old Testament.
He is a co-founder of Earth Covenant Ministry, an organization of Presbyterian churches in the Atlanta area that later became part of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light.
Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light (AIPL) was presented with the Restoring Creation Award for working in community gardens and backyard gardens for more than a decade. Many of the garden locations have been on church properties, where congregations have been engaged.
Drew Hill and Hudson Davis received PEC’s Emerging Earth Care Leader Award for showing exceptional promise as future leaders. Hill, a young adult from Santa Fe, New Mexico, is passionate about social progress, protecting the environment and serving the public. From an early age, Davis was captivated by prehistoric and modern animals and the sanctity of nature.
Brown has received numerous awards, grants and academic chairs. In addition to teaching and preaching on environmental issues, Brown has written 12 books and was editor of “Engaging Biblical Authority.” He is currently completing a major commentary on the Psalms for the “Old Testament Library Commentary” series for Westminster John Knox Press. Next will be a commentary on Genesis 1–11 in the new Interpretation series, also to be published by WJK Press. He has assisted with writing Creation care overtures for previous General Assemblies.
AIPL’s network of growers had 21 community garden locations, seven new partners, and several small backyard gardens in low-wealth communities. AIPL has involved a total of 74 interns, trainers, and students and has engaged more than 22,000 people each year to learn about growing some of their own food in sustainable ways.
AIPL provides 13,725 pounds of nutritious fresh produce and other food items to food pantries and no-cost markets. A total of 43,300 pounds of organic matter was diverted from landfills over a two-year period. AIPL interns also shared organic waste from the organization’s gardens with chickens at on-site coops and added organic matter to onsite compost bins. AIPL is reaching even more people in more low-wealth communities by awarding 10 $2,000 grants.
Davis is a 24-year-old scientist serving the Mammoth Site, located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. As the assistant science educator, he lives out his childhood dreams of being a paleontologist while getting to pass on the power of curiosity about the natural world to the next generation.
Davis embodies his faith while teaching about the amazing world we live in. He runs classes and tours at the site and leads the summer camp program, a free weeklong program. During the summer, he’s a supervisor for the Mammoth Site’s Internship Program, helping mentor 6–8 college paleontology students. Hudson also helps design exhibits for the museum and dig for fossils of ice-age animals in local caves.
Hill is a young adult from Santa Fe, New Mexico, passionate about social progress, protecting the environment, and serving the public. Raised in the community of First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe, Hill was a youth deacon and ruling elder prior to graduating from high school, working as summer staff at Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center and serving as a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer in Washington, D.C.
He received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree at the University of New Mexico, graduating in 2024. He was a Young Adult Advisory Delegate during a previous General Assembly. Since completing his degree, he has worked as a district staffer for U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez of Las Cruces.
Hill has worked with the Advocacy Committee on PEC overtures for the 2026 General Assembly and serves on the Advisory Committee of CANOPY, the Creation Action Network of Presbyterian Young Adults.
Presbyterians for Earth Care (Click here to read original PNS Story)
Let us join in prayer for:
Matthew Warmbier, Administrative Assistant, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation
Renee Warner, Operations Administrator, Operations, The Presbyterian Foundation
Let us pray:
Merciful God, continue to work through your people to nurture those you are calling to serve your people and work for justice and peace. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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