CREATION CARE
The diocese’s mission priority for discipleship is to empower the growth of our congregations to connect with God’s creation and practice environmental stewardship through prayer, formation, service and sustainable practices.
CONTACTS & LEADERSHIP
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson
Assistant Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson
Assistant Bishop
EMAIL
A native of Texas and a graduate of Yale, the University of Texas School of Law and Fuller Theological Seminary, the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson’s early career was spent in the practice of commercial financial law. She was ordained in 2009. Following her ordination, she served first for two years as assistant rector at St. Stephen’s in Wimberley, Texas, and then as vicar of Saint Elizabeth in Buda, Texas, until her consecration as bishop suffragan of the Diocese of West Texas in 2017. Throughout her ordained career, Brooke-Davidson’s focus has been on congregational development, evangelism and formation, with a particular passion for developing adaptive leadership capacity in ordained and lay leaders.
Immediately prior to joining the Diocese of North Carolina as the assistant bishop on November 1, 2022, Brooke-Davidson served as the assistant bishop in the Diocese of Virginia, a position she held from 2019 until 2022. She is no stranger to transition, as part of her role there was working alongside the Rt. Rev. Susan Goff, bishop suffragan and the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese of Virginia until the consecration of the Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson, who was elected the 14th bishop diocesan ion June 2022. As assistant bishop, Brooke-Davidson served in a full range of capacities, including Sunday and other visitations; oversight of the diocesan regional structures, including the deans; oversight of the Committee for Congregational Mission; support of persons in the ordination process; congregational development; conflict transformation; and work with other diocesan committees and commissions.
In her role as assistant bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, Brooke-Davidson focuses on Christian formation, church redevelopment and leadership training.
Brooke-Davidson is joined in North Carolina by her husband, Carrick, an environmental attorney and sports enthusiast. They have two grown daughters, Emma and Kate.
Follow Bishop Jennifer on Facebook.
Joy Shillingsburg
Joy Shillingsburg
Mission Strategy Coordinator
919-521-5927
EMAIL
Joy Shillingsburg is a lifelong educator who served as the director of youth and outreach at St. John’s, Wake Forest, for more than a decade before joining diocesan staff. Prior to serving at St. John’s, Joy spent 15 years as a classroom history teacher outside of Philadelphia and in the Wake County Public School System. Her commitment to teaching historical truths and how these truths have the power to liberate and transform our lives and society has been a through line of her work. At St. John’s, Joy led vibrant intergenerational programs that linked formation rooted in Becoming Beloved Community to vibrant outreach ministries. As an extension of her work as director of youth and outreach, Joy founded Wake Forest Community Table. This thriving nonprofit served more than 25,000 meals from 2020 through 2022 while connecting diverse members of the community to each other through quarterly gatherings that explore the history, laws, personal stories, and systems that necessitate the twice-weekly meal distribution.
Joy lives her faith by serving her neighbors and is deeply committed to leading diverse stakeholders to do the work of Becoming Beloved Community. Joy earned her M.S. in History Education at Villanova University. She lives with her family in Wake Forest. Joy loves biking, hiking, traveling, and podcasts almost as much as reading!
DIOCESAN LEADERSHIP COMMITMENTS
- Encourage and promote creation care and environmental stewardship in worship services, liturgical calendars, formation materials and advocacy.
- View creation care through a racial equity lens and connect the work of the Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry and the RJRC to congregations and missions.
- Model care for God’s creation through implementing sustainable practices in our workplaces, participating in advocacy efforts, and participating in continuing education focused on protecting and preserving the environment.
- Collaborate with the Chartered Committee Environmental Ministry, the Bishop’s Council of Advice on Public Policy and other local and national environmental advocacy groups to empower congregations and missions to care for creation.
CONGREGATION & INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENTS
- Become a deeper green church by connecting creation care to worship, service and formation offerings.
- Commit to restoring the earth by completing an energy assessment, adopting eco friendly practices such as waste reduction, sustainable landscaping, conservation of resources and maintaining/restoring wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
- Form a creation care team to connect the congregation to advocacy opportunities, creation care resources, and encourage sustainable practices at church, home and in the community.
- Learn the direct impact of climate change on low-income communities and people of color and work as agents of change through prayer, sustainable practices, and engaging in local initiatives and worldwide advocacy efforts.
ORGANIZATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
- Composting
- Electric Vehicles
- Native Gardens
- Solar
RESOURCES
CONTACTS TO HELP YOU
Members of the Chartered Committee for Environmental Ministry invite you to contact them to help you with your work in a number of areas:
- Information and assistance about day programs and retreats at The Trees | Henry Kennelly
- Clergy development | The Rev. Caleb Tabor
- Assistance with organizing, building or expanding parish Creation Care teams | Stan Meiburg
- Assistance with the network of people and organizations with experience and knowledge in the Creation Care arena | David Tamer
- Environmental legislation, legislative activities | Carl Sigel
- Liaison for the NCIPL Energy Working Group & NC Council of Churches, and the ICCT | Carl Sigel
- Information and assistance with the “Love God, Love God’s World” curriculum | Joe Rabenstine
FORMATION
TIPS
BE INSPIRED
Disciple: ‘The Earth is the Lord’s and All That Is In It’
[Image] Destruction and debris in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, after the island nation was struck by Hurricane Irma—the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the Leeward Islands—in September 2017. A reflection …
Disciple: The Theology of Creation Care
By the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson On behalf of the Rt. Rev. Sam Rodman, who is on sabbatical as this is written, and myself: Greetings, beloved, in the name of God the Creator, …
Disciple: Feeding Body and Soul
As families continue to struggle with the lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, ministries that meet basic needs—including feeding ministries—remain in high demand. While churches across the Episcopal …
