2025 Earth Care Award Winners Announced

 

Four Earth Care Award Winners Honored 
at Presbyterians for Earth Care Annual Gathering

Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) recognized two individuals and one congregation/organization for their exceptional environmental achievements at PEC’s virtual Annual Gathering on January 11, 2026.

William P. Brown, the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA received the William Gibson Eco-Justice Award for his long-term dedication to teaching and preaching on environmental issues in the Old Testament. He is also a co-founder of Earth Covenant Ministry, an organization of Presbyterian Churches in the Atlanta area that later became part of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light was presented with the Restoring Creation Award for working in community gardens and backyard gardens for more than a decade. Many of the garden locations have been on church properties, where congregations have been engaged. Drew Hill and Hudson Davis received PEC’s Emerging Earth Care Leader Award for showing exceptional promise as future leaders. Drew Hill, a young adult from Santa Fe, NM is passionate about social progress, protecting the environment and serving the public. From an early age, Hudson was captivated by prehistoric and modern animals and the sanctity of nature.

William Gibson Eco-Justice Award
William P. Brown

Dr. Brown has received numerous awards, grants and academic chairs. In addition to teaching and preaching on environmental issues, Dr. Brown has written twelve books and was editor of “Engaging Biblical Authority”. He is currently completing a major commentary on the Psalms for the “Old Testament Library Commentary” series (WJK). Next will be a commentary on Genesis 1-11 in the new Interpretation series (WJK). He has also assisted with writing creation care overtures for General Assemblies.

Restoring Creation Award
Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light (AIPL)

AIPL’s network of growers had 21 community garden locations, 7 new partners, and several small backyard gardens in low-wealth communities. AIPL has involved a total of 74 interns, trainers, and students and has engaged more than 22,000 people each year learning about growing some of their own food in sustainable ways. AIPL provides 13,725 pounds of nutritious fresh produce and other food items to food pantries and no cost markets. A total of 43,300 pounds of organic matter was diverted from landfills over a 2-year period. AIPL interns also shared organic waste from its gardens with chickens at on-site coops and added organic matter to onsite compost bins. AIPL is reaching even more people in more low-wealth communities by awarding ten $2000 grants.

Emerging Earth Care Leader Award
Hudson Davis and Drew Hill

Hudson Davis is a 24-yr old scientist serving the Mammoth Site, located in Hot Springs, South Dakota.  As the Assistant Science Educator, Hudson lives out his childhood dreams of being a paleontologist while getting to pass on the power of curiosity about the natural world to the next generation. Hudson embodies his faith while teaching about the amazing world we live in. He runs classes and tours at the site and leads the summer camp program, a free week-long program. During the summer Hudson serves as a supervisor for the Mammoth's Site Internship Program, helping mentor six to eight college paleontology students. Hudson also helps design exhibits for the museum and dig for fossils of ice age animals in local caves. 

 

Drew Hill is a young adult from Santa Fe, New Mexico, passionate about

social progress, protecting the environment, and serving the public. Raised in the community of First Presbyterian Church Santa Fe, Drew served as a youth deacon and elder prior to graduating high school, working as summer staff at Ghost Ranch Retreat Center, and serving as a PC (USA) Young Adult Volunteer in Washington D.C. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree at the University of New Mexico, graduating in 2024. Drew also served as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAD) to the previous General Assembly. Since completing his degree, he has worked as a District Staffer for Congressman Gabe Vasquez. Drew has worked with the Advocacy Committee on PEC overtures for the 2026 General Assembly and serves on the CANOPY Advisory Committee.