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Our Faith Statement
A Rocha’s distinctive Christian contribution to creation care:
1. The conviction that Christ is Lord
A Rocha’s work is a response to God’s love for the whole creation, revealed in the Bible and personally in Jesus Christ. A Rocha, therefore, is not simply an association of people with a common Christian cultural heritage and shared interests in nature conservation, but an organization in which caring for God’s handiwork is done out of the conviction that Christ is Lord. This establishes the character of our work as both grateful and hopeful. It defines our methods which reflect the conviction that we are undertaking work to which we are called by Christ. Therefore, an expected part of the work of employees and trustees is praying for each other and encouraging each other according to the Christian Bible, and the main objective of all our work is to give glory to God.
2. Practical action
Our niche as one among many Christian environmental organizations is that we put God’s call to care for creation into practice in multiple local contexts worldwide. Our projects reflect a great diversity of cultures, communities, ecosystems and approaches. Our aim in all of them is to be characterized by good science and good biblical theology, by healthy involvement in local communities and local churches, and by being prepared to work alongside others who may not always share our beliefs. We seek to communicate the significance of our work to many audiences − particularly to those involved in the conservation world and to the global Christian community − and these explanations are born out of work with nature and out of convictions lived.
3. Credible advocacy
Our practical conservation activities give us credibility in the conservation world. While A Rocha is distinctively Christian, we choose not to speak exclusively to Christian audiences. We are working to show God’s love for ALL creation, including all people. Some of our communications and environmental education activities are targeted helping churches care for creation. The professional credibility of the work that we do in practical conservation also enables us to speak to those who do not share our Christian convictions.
4. Diversity of cultures
In the context of the emerging realities of globalization and exclusion, A Rocha celebrates mutual relationships within a large number of A Rocha National Organizations. We work with a diversity of local habitats, a diversity of species, and also with a diversity of cultures. Our trustees and professional employees have a diversity of languages, and national and ethnic backgrounds. This is so important to the effectiveness of our work. Our emphasis on community leads us to value our exchange of worldwide perspectives and our learning from one another.