The Bishop & Council of the Diocese of East Tennessee along with Courtney Shea of the Carbon Neutral Task Force and representatives from Solar Alliance gathered on Tuesday, May 19, to celebrate the newly installed solar panel and battery backup system at the diocesan house. Bishop Cole gave a few remarks (see below for the text) before the ribbon cutting.
Bishop Cole’s Remarks
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and all who dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1
Good morning. First, thank you to all who have joined us today, especially members of the Diocese of East Tennessee’s Bishop & Council, Diocesan Staff, the Carbon Neutral Task Force, and representatives from Solar Alliance, our partners in energy sustainability.
We gather today to celebrate not only the completion of a significant project, but the beginning of a journey.
At our annual gathering at diocesan convention in 2024, the clergy and lay delegates of East Tennessee voted to set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. With that goal in mind, we sought to lead by example here at the diocesan house, making efficiency improvements in our facility and investigating the feasibility of a solar panel system.
With research and design by Solar Alliance and counsel and sage advice by members of Bishop and Council, we invested in a solar panel and battery system to power the operations of the diocesan house, and I am excited to say that system is now fully live and functioning well. With the integration of the solar panel and battery backup system, we are futher along on our journey to carbon neutrality.
In addition, we are reinvesting the realized utility savings into the Small Church Energy Efficiency Fund, a fund dedicated to providing grants to small parishes across East Tennessee to help with facility efficiency improvements. This fund will compound the climate positive impact of this project and assisting our smaller communities with reducing their utility burdens, thus increasing funds for ministry.
While this earth is our home, the Psalmist reminds us that it is first and ultimately the Lord’s possession, not our own. And since the days in the Garden of Eden, our first call has been to be stewards and keepers of this earth.
As we continue to see and experience the effects of climate change here in East Tennessee and across the globe, it has become all the more imperative for us to invest in local, grassroot initiatives to address climate change.
It is our hope that our journey toward carbon neutrality inspires others to join us and take action in any form to make a difference.
Closing Prayer
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.