by OAKLAND POST
So, when I say that Faith Baptist is Oakland’s first Resiliency Hub, many people wonder, “What is a resiliency hub?”
“Things that shock a community have to do with climate, but more urgently they have to do with systemic inequities,” writes the author of a Christian Science Monitor article titled “Resilience hubs: A new approach to crisis response.”
He was referring to police shootings, civil unrest, the expansion of homeless encampments, and other issues. The resiliency hub approach to these inequities leverages a trusted local organization, such as a church or community center, to assist neighborhoods in preparing for and responding to crises, such as hurricanes, heat waves, pandemics, or unrest.
When Faith was approached about installing solar panels on its rooftop as a source of heat, the decision was relatively simple.
As a House of Worship, we place a collective emphasis on God’s workings in the universe. God’s first assignment to humanity was to care for the Garden. When it comes to environmental justice, our goal is to protect this place known as planet Earth.
The world is currently in an environmental crisis. However, by combining technology that teaches us how to create sustainable outcomes with common sense, we can achieve an environmental balance that can create environmentally safe spaces for our children and future generations.
Faith Baptist Church received the Green Legacy Award from the US Green Building Council. Faith was chosen for the award from a pool of dozens of applicants. The Solar Battery Storage project was the key differentiator.
Faith Baptist now has the ability to completely exit the PG&E grid and generate 100% of its energy from solar panels. As a result, Faith Baptist has the potential to be an energy distributor.
On November 14, we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the help of California Interfaith Power and Light and energy experts from the US Green Building Council.
Susan Stephenson, executive director of California Interfaith Power and Light, Oakland City Councilman Dan Kalb of District 1, Shayna Hirschfield- Gold, Oakland’s Climate Program manager, and members of Faith Baptist and the Pentecostal community that shares our space, as well as Green Building volunteers, were among those who joined us.
We rejoice in the glory of energy independence because we can now access clean energy from above rather than dirty energy from below.
Rev. Curtis Robinson is also a columnist for the Post News Group’s God on Wall Street column.
The post Faith Baptist Church Becomes Oakland’s First Official Resiliency Hub first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.