In a sunlit meetinghouse powered by solar panels, members of Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting gather monthly to share vegetarian meals and discuss their role in combating climate change. As the Quaker congregation celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, members have embraced environmental action as both a practical necessity and a spiritual calling.

"It's almost a moral imperative," says Helene Hilger, a member of the Meeting. "I have a grandchild…It's the only thing you can do to ensure they have a future and can enjoy being in the world the way that I have. The thought that that's going to get lost is daunting. So I feel like it's something I have to decide on. What else would I do?"

While many congregation members were already engaged in climate activism as individuals, the absence of a coordinated effort within the meeting inspired Sarah Whitman to establish a Climate Action Committee, which she did this past summer. That committee now has six members.  

To begin such a committee, Chestnut Hill Friends drew from a climate action “playbook” created by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, the overarching organization for citywide Quaker meetings. The playbook focuses on five categories for climate action: activism, education, carbon footprint reduction, finance, and mourning loss/instilling hope.

This approach relies on established Quaker organizations like the Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT), a grassroots action group founded by Quakers from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting that challenges corporations to turn away from fossil fuels. This form of advocacy typically occurs through peaceful demonstrations, such as sit-ins at corporate facilities or attending stakeholder meetings for companies such as Vanguard and PNC Bank. Others have spent time lobbying national and state legislatures or sending postcards to representatives. 

"[Activism] is very important and maybe the hardest sell, because you have to step aside and learn some stuff before you can effectively lobby," Hilger said. 

To help members learn more about climate change and how to be a greener global citizen, the Chestnut Hill Meeting has also instituted a monthly vegetarian practice during their post-worship social hour on the third Sunday of each month. At these gatherings, members share favorite meat-free recipes or go out for community meals at Hosers Central Kitchen at the Market at the Fareway. 

Whitman says these small educational steps can be an enjoyable part of a long-term plan.

"Going out for lunch: it's education, but it's also accessible, it's fun, it's building community," she says.

The Meeting's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint is not new. 

Their meetinghouse, constructed in 2015, earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, a prestigious recognition for environmentally sustainable buildings. The construction of this building came after much discussion among the whole meeting, as members were committed to having the meetinghouse be environmentally friendly. Solar panels provide half of the building's power needs, while the grounds showcase native plant gardens and innovative rain gardens for managing stormwater runoff.

On the financial front, the Meeting encourages members to support sustainable businesses and products. Whitman says the meeting has plans to host financial advisors who can help members evaluate the environmental impact of their investment portfolios.

The spiritual dimension of this environmental work shows up in the Meeting's "walks for resilience," where members commune with nature while processing their feelings about climate change. These walks, designed to help members mourn the loss of climate change, embody the Meeting's approach to both acknowledging environmental grief and nurturing hope for the future.

They’re also a good time for members to bond. 

“I think doing this together is a way to not get overwhelmed and depressed,” says Whitman. “I think working together is better than working alone. Doing individual things is probably not that effective, but the whole community starts to be more effective.”

The climate initiatives align naturally with core Quaker values: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship. While these principles could guide work on various social justice issues, Whitman and Hilger say, the Meeting prioritized climate action due to its urgency.

"We don't have a lot of time to take action because of the way climate works," Hilger emphasizes. "There are feedback loops and if one thing goes amiss, it triggers other things going amiss and builds on itself…[Social justice topics] are all urgent but this one really can't wait. The science won't let it."

For Chestnut Hill Friends, working to protect the environment is not only an important cause for humanity, but it is also deeply tied to their spirituality.

"At some level, nature is sort of the ultimate expression of spirit," Hilger reflects. "You can believe in a spiritual existence at many levels, but the natural world is one of the most fundamental ways to see the spiritual connection between all things."

To learn more about Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting and its Climate Action Committee, visit chestnuthillquakers.org or attend a Sunday worship service.