1,000 Methodist churches enrolled in Eco Church
18 March 2026
More than 1,000 Methodist churches are now enrolled in Eco Church, with over 700 having received an award, reflecting the Church’s deepening commitment to creation care and its Action for Hope net zero ambitions.
The Methodist Church in Great Britain has reached a significant milestone in its creation care journey, with over 1000 sign-ups and 703 Eco Church awards now held by Methodist congregations across England, Wales and Scotland. This includes 499 Bronze Awards, 186 Silver and 18 Gold (17 through Eco Church and one through Eco Congregation Scotland).
Recently, two more Methodist Districts, Darlington and Lincolnshire, have also achieved the Bronze award, joining the Bristol, Southampton, Yorkshire West, and the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, Methodist Districts.
Achieving A Rocha UK Eco Church awards is one of the key aims of Action for Hope, the Methodist Church’s aspirational target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Eco Church played a vital role in helping Methodist congregations measure and demonstrate their progress.
Dr Hamish Leese, Director of Environmental Engagement, said: “Eco Church have been a key partner in our environmental work since the award scheme was founded ten years ago. It is fantastic to see so many Methodist churches registering and receiving awards, and truly inspirational to read the stories of those involved. As we pass this milestone, I hope that it helps more and more Methodist churches see this as something they too can be involved in.”
Amongst the 18 Gold awards received by Methodist Eco Churches, two stand out. Silsden Methodist Church in the Yorkshire West Methodist District and Stonehouse Methodist Church in the Bristol Methodist District.
Silsden Methodist Church, Yorkshire
Gold award and BBC recognition
Silsden Methodist Church in the Airedale Methodist Circuit is one of the Methodist congregations that has reached the Gold standard, embedding creation care across every area of church life. Having achieved Silver in April 2023, the church family worked together to upgrade to Gold, becoming the 55th church in England and Wales to reach that level.
The church’s commitment extends into its local community through a thriving monthly Repair Café, run in partnership with Silsden Climate Action Group. In its first year alone, 624 items were brought in and 551 were fully or partially repaired, saving countless items from landfill. The Repair Café also won the BBC Radio Leeds “Make a Difference” Award 2024 in the Green category.
Stonehouse Methodist Church, Gloucestershire
Gold award and community roots
Stonehouse Methodist Church in Gloucestershire registered with Eco Church in early 2019 and has journeyed steadily through each award level – Bronze in 2020, Silver in 2021, and Gold in October 2024, when it became the 58th church in England and Wales and the 8th Methodist church to receive the prestigious Gold award.
The church has invested in its buildings (installing an air source heating system in 2024), transformed its grounds into a ‘shop window’ for the community and woven creation care into worship, teaching and community activities. Stonehouse also plays a significant role in local life, providing space for Stroud Foodbank, a youth club, a lunch club, mums and toddlers, and more.