Jim Antal is a denominational leader, activist and public theologian.  He led the 360 churches of the Massachusetts Conference United Church of Christ from 2006 to his retirement in 2018.  An environmental activist from the first Earth Day in 1970, in July 2017 Antal authored a resolution declaring a new moral era in opposition to President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. The national UCC Synod passed that resolution with a 97% supermajority.  In July 2013 Antal wrote and championed the UCC’s resolution to divest from fossil fuel companies, the first of its kind in the country.   In 2010 he founded NEREM (New England Regional Environmental Ministries), and continues to write the Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast. 

Antal’s vocation includes the spiritual discipline of non-violent civil disobedience.  In the mid-80’s he served as Executive Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (USA), an interfaith pacifist organization.  He is a graduate of Princeton University, Andover Newton Theological School, and Yale Divinity School, where he was Henri Nouwen‘s teaching assistant.  In 2017, Yale Divinity School honored him with the William Sloane Coffin Award for Peace and Justice. Beginning in July 2018, Antal will intensify his work as a the UCC’s national spokesperson on climate change.  

His new book, CLIMATE CHURCH, CLIMATE WORLD, was published in March 2018.
 

Published Articles

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4/16/2020 - Inescapable Lessons Offer Invaluable Opportunities – Earth Day 50th & COVID19

6/11/2018 - Religious Leaders’ Symposium on Climate Crisis – A Few Takeaways

6/11/2018 - World Religious Leaders Confront Climate Crisis

5/23/2018 - Many Voices, One Mission: Born for Such a Time as This

5/9/2018 - Clergy, Environmental Activists Invited to Sign Letter

9/27/2017 - Join Me - Fridays at the State House

7/10/2017 - United Church of Christ Declares a New Moral Era

4/26/2017 - Resurrection People Marching For God's Creation

3/22/2017 - Earth Day Resources and the April 29 People's Climate March

1/27/2017 - Be The Church in a Time Such As This - Message 2

1/18/2017 - A New Era in the Climate Justice Movement Begins on January 20th at Noon

1/17/2017 - Be The Church in a Time Such As This - Message 1

11/9/2016 - MOURNING IN AMERICA

6/13/2016 - The Orlando Shootings - A Pastoral Letter from Jim Antal

5/13/2016 - Faith Leaders Communicating on Climate - New Video from Jim Antal

4/20/2016 - Recommended reading: The Pollinator

4/4/2016 - I urge you to join the UCC Keep It In The Ground movement

3/22/2016 - Holy Week message from Jim Antal

2/8/2016 - The Interdependence of Spiritual Discipline and Prophetic Witness

11/30/2015 - Help launch Still Speaking 2.0 tomorrow

9/23/2015 - Creation is at a Crossroads - THE OPPORTUNITY

9/14/2015 - The Time has Come for Every Pastor and Congregation to Join the Pope in Restoring Creation

8/17/2015 - Julian Bond - Champion of Intergenerational Justice for All (Including Creation)

6/26/2015 - Three UCC Conference leaders celebrate Supreme Court ruling

6/19/2015 - Charleston - Grief, Courage and Witness

6/18/2015 - Connecting With Pope Francis' Call for Climate Action

5/14/2015 - Continuing To Make Each Other Better - Synod 2015 Resolution 16

5/12/2015 - Exploring interfaith efforts on common earth issues

3/11/2015 - Personal Divestment Workshop on March 22 at First Church Cambridge

1/14/2015 - Recommended Reading: Advice for today's leaders

12/15/2014 - Anticipating Climate Activism Among Churches in the Commonwealth

12/4/2014 - It’s time for all of us to condemn the repeated killings of unarmed black men by police officers who are supposed to protect and serve

11/21/2014 - Preparing for the grand jury announcement from Ferguson

8/20/2014 - Ferguson and What We Can Do

8/12/2014 - An Invitation to the People's Climate March NYC September 21 - Convene Worship on the Streets of NYC!

7/3/2014 - Living Into a New Story of Interdependence and Hope: The State of the Massachusetts Conference, UCC – 2014

5/22/2014 - Sad News - our beloved brother in Christ, Andy, has died

5/14/2014 - Prayers for our Colleague and Friend Andy Gustafson

4/28/2014 - UCC's landmark lawsuit is an important step in defense of freedom

2/7/2014 - Witnessing for Creation - Opportunities for you and your Congregation - February 2014

12/6/2013 - Advent and Nelson Mandela - A Pastoral Letter to the Mass Conference UCC from Jim Antal, Minister & President

11/19/2013 - Do not grow weary of giving generously to urgent needs

10/21/2013 - Making God's Love and Justice Real in Every Congregation

10/2/2013 - Introducing New Economy Week - Seven days of action Oct. 12 - 18

9/26/2013 - Witnessing for Creation - Opportunities for YOU and your Congregation

9/9/2013 - Witnessing for Creation - Opportunities for You

9/4/2013 - Engaging Horror

8/28/2013 - Exodus: a march from one way of life to another

7/19/2013 - Why We Divested

4/23/2013 - A Time to Come Together - For One Another and for Creation: Saturday at Old South Church and Trinity Church in Copley Square

4/19/2013 - Providing light for this journey through darkness is what our churches do

4/17/2013 - Our hearts remain broken

4/15/2013 - From the Minister & President: Prayers for Bomb Victims and Boston

2/13/2013 - Ash Wednesday 2013: A Good Day to be Arrested as an Advocate for God's Creation

1/30/2013 - Worship service in celebration of Sue Dickerman to be held April 6

1/23/2013 - Mass Conference Climate and Environmental updates

12/14/2012 - Responding to the shootings in Connecticut

12/13/2012 - An invitation to honor the ministry of Susan Dickerman

11/19/2012 - MACUCC staff join national leaders in Letter on Racism

10/30/2012 - In the aftermath of Sandy

10/3/2012 - Why Preach an Election Sermon?

9/13/2012 - You're invited to Stand and Deliver for the Climate on September 28, 2012

6/8/2012 - Asking a simple question

6/8/2012 - Take Action - less than 5 minutes for the environment

5/10/2012 - Now is the Moment to Reclaim Our Public Christian Voice

4/13/2012 - Earth Day Week and Other Upcoming Events

12/13/2011 - Advent Message and Coming Conference Transitions

11/11/2011 - Trauma and compassion

11/10/2011 - Our Beliefs, Our Bodies, Our Wallets

10/24/2011 - Opportunities for Environmental Stewardship and Witness

10/13/2011 - What is the "MACUCC position" on Occupy Boston?

8/26/2011 - 9-11 Commemorations - How your church can engage

8/24/2011 - Humanity Has a Dream.... That a Life-sustaining Climate Can Be Won

8/22/2011 - Wrecking Creation Is A Sin - Stopping the Keystone Tar Sands Pipeline

8/2/2011 - Urgent Opportunities to Protect Creation - from MACUCC M&P Jim Antal - Moving Planet September 24, 2011

7/3/2011 - Reflections on synod resolution: "On Actions of Hostility Against Islam and the Muslim Community"

6/2/2011 - Prayers for tornado ravaged towns

5/16/2011 - MACUCC Staffing News

5/3/2011 - Important MACUCC Staff News

3/9/2011 - A Generation Who Wants to Know the United Church of Christ

3/1/2011 - Remembering The Rev. Dr. Peter Gomes

1/18/2011 - From MACUCC M&P Jim Antal: several updates

10/6/2010 - HOPE ... updates for this coming Sunday from Jim Antal, MACUCC Minister and President

9/3/2010 - Climate news - opportunities to learn, engage and witness

9/2/2010 - Hope for Middle East Peace and Interfaith Relations in America

5/4/2010 - Prophetic Witness & the Environment

1/29/2010 - Hygiene Kits for Haiti

12/18/2009 - Christmas Message

10/9/2009 - Nobel Peace Prize -- Worthy of our Reflection

9/19/2009 - Changing the Culture Around Money

9/9/2009 - Faithful Response to Climate Change

6/20/2008 - Invitation to "blow the trumpet" on climate change