In 2011, anti-fracking activists (aka fracktivists) had a meeting of N.E. Ohio folks in Canton. At one point during the meeting, Rev. Jim Deming rose to speak and talked of raising the issue of fracking in his denomination – the United Church of Christ, which has its headquarters in Cleveland. At the time, Rev. Jim was the Environmental Justice Minister for the UCC denomination. I knew Ted Voneida of the Kent Unitarian Universalist Church was at this Canton meeting, and so I sought him out during a break and talked to him about raising this issue among folks in our denomination, Unitarian Universalist (UU). Then Ted and I got together with Rev. Deming and planned an initial meeting for folks interested in approaching fracking from a moral point of view, inspired by each of our respective faith traditions.
Ted and I rounded up UUs from N.E. Ohio involving five UU churches, and Jim got folks from three UCC churches. Rev. Joan Van Becelaere, Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Ohio Meadville District, also attended our formation meeting in June of 2011 at East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, my church home in Kirtland, Ohio. We had more than 50 participants at the first meeting. The meeting room got so crowded we had to move the meeting to the sanctuary.
From that initial meeting involving eight church congregations, we have grown to include participants from 45 faith communities, from 16 Ohio counties plus some individuals from West Virginia. We now include Catholics, Protestants, and Jews, with a variety of faith traditions within these main groupings.
In 2011, anti-fracking activists (aka fracktivists) had a meeting of N.E. Ohio folks in Canton. At one point during the meeting, Rev. Jim Deming rose to speak and talked of raising the issue of fracking in his denomination – the United Church of Christ, which has its headquarters in Cleveland. At the time, Rev. Jim was the Environmental Justice Minister for the UCC denomination. I knew Ted Voneida of the Kent Unitarian Universalist Church was at this Canton meeting, and so I sought him out during a break and talked to him about raising this issue among folks in our denomination, Unitarian Universalist (UU). Then Ted and I got together with Rev. Deming and planned an initial meeting for folks interested in approaching fracking from a moral point of view, inspired by each of our respective faith traditions.
Ted and I rounded up UUs from N.E. Ohio involving five UU churches, and Jim got folks from three UCC churches. Rev. Joan Van Becelaere, Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Ohio Meadville District, also attended our formation meeting in June of 2011 at East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, my church home in Kirtland, Ohio. We had more than 50 participants at the first meeting. The meeting room got so crowded we had to move the meeting to the sanctuary.
From that initial meeting involving eight church congregations, we have grown to include participants from 45 faith communities, from 16 Ohio counties plus some individuals from West Virginia. We now include Catholics, Protestants, and Jews, with a variety of faith traditions within these main groupings.
From 2011 to 2015 FaCT participants met at members’ churches about once every two months. In 2011, FaCT participated in a large demonstration in Youngstown, Ohio opposing fracking, which was causing earthquakes in the region from frack waste injection wells. In 2013, FaCT, working with other organizations, including 350.org, participated in a rally in Warren, Ohio and a large prayer vigil at an injection well site in Portage County that including blocking access to about a dozen frack waste trucks trying to enter the site. FaCT organized a prayer vigil at the site with prayers led by Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish clergymen.
Also in 2013 FaCT launched a successful campaign to persuade WCPN public radio in Cleveland to reform the way it was covering the fracking issue in Ohio, and we persuaded them to discontinue sponsorship of the industry’s shale conferences in Cleveland.
In 2014 we added West Shore FaCT, based in Rocky River, OH, as a chapter. We also began promoting Professor Mark Jacobson’s (et. al.) plan for conversion of all energy resources in the U.S. to wind, water, and sun sources by 2050.
In 2015, FaCT drafted bylaws, incorporated in Ohio and received a 501c3 designation by the IRS as a public charity. FaCT participants continued meeting at churches around the state until 2019 when the Covid pandemic began. FaCT’s general membership meetings, FaCT Board meetings, and FaCT’s Distinguished Speaker series have all continued as online events.
Also, in 2015, FaCT launched its Ohio Health Project (OHP). OHP designed and populated a health registry of persons living in proximity to oil/gas fracking operations in the eastern part of Ohio.
In 2016, FaCT helped to organize and participated in the National Day of Action against frack waste. In our region, this included street art in the form of dramas acted out on in public spaces about the dangers of fracking and frack waste..
In 2021, FaCT launched its Brine Spreading Education Program to inform members of faith communities in Ohio about the dangers of spreading toxic and radioactive gas well waste brine on Ohio roads and the dangers of commodifying brine products for commercial sale. This program has been carried out via in-person and online presentations around the state of Ohio..
In 2022, FaCT launched its popular Distinguished Speaker Series, which featured online presentations by distinguished scientists, researchers, and authors. .
Currently, FaCT is constructing a Climate Change Education Program to educate members of faith communities on this existential threat to civilization. This program will be launched in early 2024..
FaCT has several congregations in its Anchor Program, which began in 2023. These anchor congregations serve as representatives of FaCT in various regions of Ohio and West Virginia. They facilitate organizing and coordinating creation care activities and programs with neighboring faith communities in their respective regions.
