Environmental
Westminster has an active and accomplished mission dedicated to raising awareness and making progress in care for God’s great creation of the earth and its peoples. This history of environmental concerns at Westminster was reflected in the establishment of the ministry team in 2007 with the following
mission statement:
To accept our responsibility as earth-keepers who care for creation and to increase our commitment to the care of God’s creation. We acknowledge our duty to live justly in relationship to our fellow humans and seek ways in which we as Christians can heal and restore creation for future generations.
We will address this Mission through Worship; Education; Maintenance of Church Property; Discipleship at Home and at Work; and Public Ministry.
Through the years, this team has worked with the congregation for many substantial achievements in furthering this mission. Some are:
• Installation of a 5 kW, 21 panel, solar panel system on our educational wing in 2012, with a church “solarbration” ceremony
• Church energy efficiency improvements using an energy audit resulting in window replacement and upgrades, energy management system installation, replacement of HVAC system with a high-efficiency Variable Refrigerant Flow heat pump system, and installation of LED lighting
• Award of “Cool Congregation” in 2014 by the Interfaith Power and Light in recognition of the church’s 30% reduction in carbon release
• Maintaining a church organic vegetable garden with the produce going to our Bounty Table; donations from this Table are given to the Family Promise charity
• Switching our kitchen dinnerware from disposables to chinaware
• Providing for recycling bins in church rooms and funding their recycling
• Maintaining a special recycling for Styrofoam
• Providing an Educational Table in a prominent location with changing displays and information on environmental stewardship
• Encouraging divestment of fossil fuel investments
• Participation and support of the Presbytery’s Climate and Energy Stewardship Team
• Creation of a second church garden for the purpose of growing plants to attract pollinating bees and butterflies
• Showcasing our earth care initiatives in a church Wednesday evening program
We are proud of Westminster’s efforts in stewardship of God’s creation and look forward to furthering this mission.
I love teaching 3rd and 4th grade Sunday school. I find it is an age where children are beginning to have the ability to discuss topics and form their own opinions. I love watching children discover what the world looks like through their eyes.
Hello, my name is Debbie Babelay. This year I have the wonderful opportunity of teaching the 2-3 year olds in our Sunday School program. They are all precious to me. We have fun learning about God’s love and how each of us is a special child of God. I look forward to their smiling faces each Sunday morning. This is my 3rd year teaching in the Sunday School program. I have also worked with vacation bible school.
I have known Westminster my entire life! I grew up in the church since birth. My faith is rooted in so many wonderful experiences at Westminster such as going on trips with Choristers, Montreat, and a Mission experience to Mexico. I went to college in Alabama at Birmingham-Southern. After college, I lived in Birmingham where I worked in sales. I met and married my husband Wiley there. Jim Carter (former Westminster minister) married us at Independent Presbyterian in Birmingham. Wiley’s career has taken us to New Mexico and Arkansas, and now back to Knoxville. We have been here since 2011. We have 3 children, Ella (11), Grant (7), and Walker (5). I work as the Assistant Director of the preschool at Central Baptist which allows me to have a similar schedule to my children. My favorite job is being their Mom!
Bio: Junior at the University of Tennessee 
I am a senior at UTK majoring in Global Studies with a focus in Economics. I am currently in the process of apply to graduate school for CSP. I love to be outdoors and travel. I also work as an Resident Assistant at Volunteer Hall on campus and enjoy babysitting and baking.
My name is Malena D’Alessandro and I’m a junior studying marketing at the University of Tennessee. I’m originally from south east Michigan where I attended high school at Oxford High School. I am currently part of Spring Sports Ambassadors, Volunteer Team and Best Buddies at UT.