Creation Care and Justice
Baptist Mission Australia takes an integral mission approach, loving God's people and all of His creation.
The biblical call to creation care
Throughout Scripture, we see God’s deep care and concern for the created order. In the very first chapter of Genesis, God declares creation to be “very good” and entrusts humans with the responsibility to tend and keep the garden (Genesis 1:31, 2:15).
The Psalms are filled with praises of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, affirming that “the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalms 24:1)
This theme continues in the New Testament, where Paul writes that the whole creation is groaning as in childbirth, eagerly awaiting redemption (Romans 8:22). In Colossians, he affirms that in Christ “all things hold together” and that through him God will reconcile all things on Earth and in Heaven (Colossians 1:17, 20).
From these and many other passages, we develop a theology of creation care rooted in God’s love for the world God has made. As God’s image-bearers and representatives, we are called to love what God loves, protect what God has made and steward the Earth’s resources wisely for the flourishing of all.
God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things through Jesus Christ, whether things on Earth or things in Heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
COLOSSIANS 1:19-20
We’re creation carers
Baptist Mission Australia takes an integral mission approach, loving God’s people and all of His creation. We care for creation and social justice In places like South East Asia and Mozambique, Baptist Mission Australia is engaged in creation care initiatives alongside local ministry partners, sharing God’s love in practical ways by prioritising people’s wellbeing and hope for a better future.
As the world faces challenges like environmental disasters, persistent poverty and displacement, an integral mission approach, where God’s love is shared through word and deed, is essential.
For example, our partnerships in Myanmar provide humanitarian relief and support to displaced people (many living in refugee camps) as well as mission-focussed leadership education and training.
Integral mission, which integrates proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel, is highlighted in several partnerships across Asia and Africa.
We are learning that creation care and justice are inseparable from evangelism and discipleship in fulfilling the mission of God in today’s world.
Featured project
Waste Bank project in South East Asia
We care for creation and social justice
Through our Baptist Mission Australia team members and ministry partners around the world, we recognise that environmental issues and social justice concerns are deeply intertwined.
The effects of climate change, pollution, deforestation and other forms of ecological destruction fall disproportionately on the global poor. Subsistence farmers see their crops threatened by changing weather patterns. First Nations peoples are displaced from their lands. Impoverished communities often bear the brunt of toxic waste and contamination.
This teaches us that creation care is not just an environmental issue, but a matter of advocating for the vulnerable and oppressed. A truly holistic approach to mission must incorporate both ecological sustainability and concern for human dignity and wellbeing.
We cannot claim to love our neighbours while disregarding the environmental conditions that impact their health and livelihoods.
Above all, we must recognise that the Earth and all in it belongs to God. As the Bible affirms, there is enough for all our needs if we share God’s resources equitably and sustainably. This is the vision of shalom that the church is called to embody and proclaim.
Creation care is not an optional add-on to the service of Baptist Mission Australia, but an essential expression of Christian discipleship and witness in the world that God so loves. Grounded in love for God and neighbour, informed by Scripture’s vision of the reconciliation of all things, integral mission seeks the flourishing of all creation.
As we face the complex social and environmental challenges of our time, may we as God’s people recommit ourselves to this vital dimension of our calling. Through prayer, reflection and courageous action, may we faithfully serve as mission-motivated caretakers of God’s world.
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation… all things have been created through him and for him.
COLOSSIANS 1:15-16
