When the Rieth Village site is available, Merry Lea occasionally rents space to like-minded groups that can benefit from contact with our land base and mission. In August 2017, Merry Lea hosted the leadership for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action (YECA).
Climate change is one of the issues where young Evangelicals sometimes find themselves in tension with their elders. YECA provides a place for millennials to explore their own understandings of following Jesus. The five-year-old organization speaks out on issues such as the EPA’s halting of methane standards and Trump’s executive order on climate.
Luke Gascho, Merry Lea’s executive director, met with the Young Evangelicals group to share about Merry Lea’s programs and exchange ideas. “I came away from the meeting encouraged,” he said. Merry Lea has also hosted speakers from YECA at its Sustainability Summit–a weekend for college students.
Cardinal flower, swamp rose and cup plant were all in bloom at the time of the rental, providing a reminder of the value of land preservation.
