Christian climate activists sang a song flash-2mob style, during a Westminster Abbey service on Sunday May 24, to urge the Abbey and the Church of England to do more to speak out about the Climate and Nature Crisis.

The group, from Christian Climate Action, moved towards the central aisle immediately after the Gospel reading and sang, ‘Don’t Crucify Creation,’ a specially-written hymn about climate change.

The action took place on Pentecost Sunday, which celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens Christians to speak up for God’s Kingdom.

The 12 singers sang five verses of the hymn, to the tune of The Dambusters’ theme tune, before processing out of the Abbey. As they walked down the Abbey’s long aisle, known for Royal weddings and State events, the group continued singing as they left.

The group had made it clear they wanted to sing just one song and then the service was able to continue as planned.

Dave Mitchell, 65, a retired software engineer from Bristol, said:

“Today on the Feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the birth of the Church. Following Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the Church was given a mission by the Holy Spirit to live out the Kingdom of God, by words and action. 

“Now more than ever the Church needs to act, to speak out against the damage and destruction of the Earth caused by human greed, the injustice and suffering inflicted through the climate and nature emergency. We are calling on the Church today to Stop Crucifying Creation – to switch to ethical banking, to rewild church lands, and to speak out clearly and prophetically against those who perpetrate the fossil fuelled destruction of God’s world.” 

Caroline Harmon, 46, said:

“The World Health Organisation expects climate change to cause 250,000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone, between 2030 and 2050. Westminster Abbey has told CCA in the past that their Net Zero target is 10 years less ambitious than the rest of the Church of England because the heritage value of the Abbey means they can’t go any faster. It saddens me that a building, no matter how grand and how old, is considered of more importance than the lives of people created in God’s image.”

A Christian Climate Action spokesperson said:

“The Church of England, including Westminster Abbey, is taking great strides to get their own house in order by aiming for Net Zero by 2030 (2040 in the case of the Abbey) and for that we are grateful. However, the Church is not currently making the most of its influence and position to speak out to those who are causing the most harm. We need stronger action from the Government and we need to speak truth to the power of the fossil fuel industry. The Church of England needs to call out the destructive actions of these powers.

“The Church also needs to consider not only the impact of its buildings, but also the impact of its finances. All parts of the Church need to move away from banks that fund the fossil fuel industry and make the switch to ethical banks which fund initiatives that will get us to a future in which humans and creation can flourish.”

The action was part of Christian Climate Action’s Stop Crucifying Creation campaign which urges the Church of England to speak out prophetically to call for government action against fossil fuel companies, banks, big business, the media and all those driving the Climate and Nature Crisis. 

After the service, the protestors handed out flyers to explain the reason for the interruption, and urge people to call for Church action on the crisis.