Bound By Faith: Religious Leaders Head For Arctic NWR In Push For Protecting ‘Sacred’ Lands

The following is courtesy of ARC Initiatives:

RELIGIOUS LEADERS TRAVEL TO THE ARCTIC FOLLOWING LEASE SALE TO ADVOCATE FOR PROTECTION OF SACRED PUBLIC LANDS 

(Washington, DC) – On June 19, a delegation of faith leaders will travel from across the United States for a week-long trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The journey comes on the heels of the recent Bureau of Land Management’s oil and gas lease sale targeting the Refuge’s Coastal Plain. The diverse group of faith leaders is making the trip to advocate for the protection of the region from destructive oil and gas development and to meet with Indigenous community leaders to learn more about their sacred way of life and the spiritual traditions of those most deeply connected with the Arctic’s lands and waters. 

“This first-of-its-kind pilgrimage of faith leaders into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a reminder that protecting creation is not merely an environmental issue—it is a moral imperative and spiritual responsibility. As one of God’s great sanctuaries, the refuge bears witness to the beauty, interconnectedness, and sacredness of life. As people of faith, we’re called to stand with Indigenous communities, safeguard vulnerable ecosystems, and practice responsible stewardship of God’s creation,” said Reverend Andrew Black, Presbyterian Minister and Founder of EarthKeepers 360. 

Delegation participants include:

Reverend Andrew Black, National Wildlife Federation’s Director of Tribal Lands and Waters and founder of EarthKeepers 360, a movement focused on educating and empowering faith leaders and congregations to engage modern environmental issues. Andrew serves as a minister at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe, is a father of a five-year-old and an avid fly-fisherman.Sister Joan Brown, a Catholic Franciscan sister from the Rochester, Minnesota community of Franciscans. Joan works as a community advocate addressing climate change, water and concerns of extractavism through a spiritual lens. She is a revered national speaker, presenter and teacher and is the Founder of the New Mexico and El Paso Interfaith Power and Light and serves on the NM board of the Aldo Leopold Writing Program.

Jim Stump, Vice President at BioLogos and host of the podcast, Language of God. Jim has a PhD in philosophy and was formerly a professor and academic administrator. In recognition of his contributions to the field of science and religion, Stump was elected as a fellow to the International Society for Science and Religion in 2020.

Susie Faria, Policy Advisor with the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations, where  she communicates the positions of the Episcopal Church to the federal government, advocating for the environment, energy transition, justice for Indigenous communities, biodiversity, and more. She is a lifelong Episcopalian and graduate of Long Island University, currently based in Washington D.C. 

Reverend Courtenay Willcox, Moderator for Presbyterians for Earth Care and Transitional Pastor at Northampton Presbyterian Church in Bucks County, PA. She served as Moderator of the Presbytery of Philadelphia as well as on the Presbytery’s Commission on Ministry. Courtenay also founded MainLine Interfaith Green Group (M.I.G.G.), now Main Line PA Interfaith Power and Light, where she still serves as one of the facilitators and helped start a pollinator garden for families. 

BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

On June 5, 2026, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held a massive oil and gas lease sale targeting the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This sale is the first of four lease sales required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and only generated nine bids on five tracts (~10% of the acres offered), with participation limited to AIDEA and HEX Energy LLC. No major North Slope operators or multinational oil companies submitted bids. Past lease sales in the Refuge (in 2021 and early 2025) similarly yielded almost no interest from major oil companies due to high costs, public backlash, and reputational risk. While major banks have historically refused to finance drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Refuge remains under constant threat of new drilling and development. 

The Gwich’in Nation, whose homeland spans northeast Alaska and northwest Canada, view the Coastal Plain (Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit) as intensely holy ground. They have relied on the Porcupine Caribou herd for physical and spiritual sustenance for millennia. The Coastal Plain—the specific area targeted for drilling—is the vital core of the Refuge. It serves as the calving grounds for the caribou, critical denning habitat for endangered polar bears, and the nesting site for more than 200 species of migratory birds that connect the Arctic to all 50 states and six continents.