What can resiliency and power look like in our communities?
Economic Recovery Corps fellow Fenika Miller has spent the past year working with Southern Black churches to help them answer that question and see what is possible when they use federal dollars to invest in clean energy.
Fenika’s project, which is hosted by SEAP, starts with outreach and education to close information gaps related to energy investment programs like Direct Pay.
“We know where the gaps are, how information about resources flows, and how it’s often slow to reach rural communities. We start with helping faith leaders understand the clean energy landscape, and we move at the speed of trust,” she said. When Fenika surveyed faith leaders, a majority (66%) were not aware of Direct Pay incentives or how their churches could use Direct Pay to fund clean energy projects. However, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene created a new urgency for leaders who were open to thinking creatively about how clean energy could help them better serve their communities in the wake of climate-related disasters.
When asked to describe her project, Fenika said, “We are working to radically reimagine what communities of faith can do with their resources.” Placing Black churches at the forefront of the clean energy boom requires church leaders to be open and imaginative in embracing what’s possible, because often they’re pioneering the first clean energy projects in their communities. To Fenika, that’s one of the most exciting parts of the work.
“There’s nothing like seeing the lightbulb come on for someone who is now reimagining what their church could do or be. They’re excited when they see new ways to serve as a sanctuary and a source of community power.”
Southern Black churches are uniquely positioned to lead on clean energy, as they have long been at the forefront of movements to advance equity, opportunity, and justice in America. They’ve long been organized and imaginative, willing to invest in a brighter future. And now, with partners like Fenika and other Economic Recovery Corps fellows in the region, they’re pairing education and imagination with resources like Direct Pay to advance a vision of sustainable service and clean energy to their communities.
