The following article was written by Bill Jordan and will appear in the 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study.
Take one second career minister who is a lifetime outdoorsman and has an undergraduate degree in biology and put him with a small church that dates back to 1871 in a community with rural roots and a growing suburban population, and see what happens. The Jacksonville Church is engaged in the mission: “To serve Jesus Christ by caring for God’s creation and its people.”
Pastor Dana Eglinton was a contractor who built energy efficient houses. Before he heard God’s call to ordained ministry he believed that a Christian is responsible for the care of God’s earth. In worship, Bible study and retreats the church explored many avenues of service and discipleship related to the care of the earth. Eglinton discovered that there were already people in the congregation who were concerned about environmental issues. Together, pastor and people developed the Jacksonville Presbyterian Church Earthcare Ministry.
The Earthcare Ministry reached out to the neighbors of the congregation members with the distribution of compact fluorescent bulbs and an invitation to join the congregation in caring for creation. Other projects include working with the High School Science Club in building bird houses on property that is void of trees. Members of the congregation are involved with a watershed project that monitors chemicals in creeks and streamsas well as in clean-up projects in their township. All ages enjoy canoe and camping trips, and outings where the emphasis is on enjoying the earth and caring for God’s creation and all of God’s creatures.
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