Most of us are aware of the steps we can take to be more eco-friendly, and some of us even do small tasks every day to help keep our Earth clean. However, John McFadden and Heather Bennett partnered up to inspire and equip people of faith to become better stewards of the Earth. Blessed Earth Southeast has been thriving since 2014.
Executive Director, Heather Bennett, has always had a love for creation. It all started when she read “Serve God, Save the Planet” written by Dr. Matthew Sleeth. “I was excited to read something that finally connected the dots for me. I asked my husband Ryan, who is a United Methodist Pastor, to read the book. When I realized Ryan had a meeting in the same town where Dr. Sleeth lived, I asked my husband to try and meet him!” Heather continued about how her husband’s meeting with Matthew Sleeth and his wife set in motion her call to action. “My husband, Ryan, was in luck. The Sleeth’s were hosting a clergy luncheon. Ryan attended the luncheon in hopes it would get me off of his back about reading the book, but when he had a conversation with the Sleeths, he admitted he was very honest with them. He discussed with them that he didn’t really see the connection between his faith and creation care. The Sleeths sent Ryan home with a box of “Serve God, Save the Planet” books. From Genesis to Revelation, what Ryan discovered was a biblical call to care for God’s creation. This was over ten years ago.”
Since then, Ryan Bennett has been a member of the Blessed Earth Board and advisory team, and Heather has written articles for their website. She also received her Masters in Sustainability from Lipscomb University. The Sleeths and Bennetts, to this day, are family friends and loyal ministry partners.
John F. McFadden (PhD) became a part of Blessed Earth, as Senior Fellow, in March of 2019. McFadden has over 35 years of sustainability, conservation, environmental and not-for-profit experience. His background includes community engagement, urban and rural forest restoration, watershed and wetland assessment, restoration and education.
McFadden exhibits a strong love for nature, and his return to his Christian roots are portrayed in all of his work. “They are forever linked together in my life,” explained McFadden. “From a young man playing in the west hills around Nashville, Tennessee, to surviving a massive heart attack when I was 48, I am indebted to God’s creation for life.” The partners passion, drive, and exuberance of what God has called them to do, has earned them an admirable reputation in the community and across the state and country.
Blessed Earth’s mission is to inspire and equip Christians and other people of faith to become better stewards of the Earth. Since it was founded, Blessed Earth has led groups and workshops on Sabbath and creation care retreats, led workshops for church groups and teachers, and even preached sermons. “We will continue working with faith based groups on three initiatives: We encourage houses of faith to preach, teach and practice creation care, and we work with faith groups to help them move toward daily operations that have less negative impact on natural resources and promote healthy behaviors for their members. Also, we are currently working with faith groups across 10-12 states to carry out the largest tree planting in the country.” McFadden went on to explain how Tennessee currently holds the one-day record planting 190,000 trees with 25,000 volunteers. They believe that by working together with other believers across the southeastern United States, that they can plant one million trees, in a day, with over 100,000 volunteers.
“Trees are one of God’s finest works of creation in that they not only provide us with oxygen, food and shelter, but they save us money and make us feel better!”
“We need community members to support the mission with their presence, presents, and actions. Obviously, with our goal to plant one million trees in one day, helping to plant trees is going to be a huge need of ours! Folks can also do the simple things like recycling in the church offices, and using ceramic or paper cups, instead of foam or plastic.”
For more information and tips about how you can help take better care of the earth, or to get involved with Blessed earth, you can check out their website at blessedearthtn.com. if you are interested in coordinating a tree planting, please contact John McFadden at john@blessedearthtn.com. if you have questions or would like to request Blessed earth Tennessee for speaking, workshops, retreats or have other requests, please contact Heather Bennett at heather@blessedearthtn.com.