Meet our new Executive Director: Douglas Day Kaufman

The Anabaptist Climate Collaborative (ACC) is pleased to announce the July 1, 2023, appointment of Douglas Day Kaufman as its new Executive Director. Kaufman’s unwavering passion for climate justice, coupled with his extensive experience and training, positions him exceptionally well for leading the organization into its next phase of growth.

While serving as a pastor of Benton Mennonite Church, Goshen, IN, Kaufman became passionate about creation care when he discovered that pollutants regularly compromise the Elkhart River, a frequent baptismal location. Since then, Kaufman’s commitment to theologically-grounded climate justice advocacy has deepened as he completed a Th.M. in theology and ecology at the University of Toronto and became trained as an Indiana Master Naturalist. As ACC’s Director of Pastoral Ecology since 2018, Kaufman has organized and led pastoral and leadership retreats on climate change, helping congregations reduce their carbon footprint and engage more broadly in climate action.

Kaufman expressed his enthusiasm for the Executive Director appointment, saying, "What a privilege to be able to do something that I am so passionate about. Addressing climate justice is the critical issue of our time and I am proud of the work we have done first as the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions, and now Anabaptist Climate Collaborative. I am pleased to be able to help sustain and grow the organization as we both become independent, and more collaborative, engaging Mennonites and others in climate justice from an Anabaptist perspective."

As ACC’s Executive Director, Kaufman assumes a vital role in advancing ACC’s mission by leading the development of programmatic strategies and activities that promote engagement and understanding of climate change through the perspectives of justice, peacebuilding, and reconciliation. With his blend of theological and ecological training and experience, Kaufman is poised to lead ACC to foster transformative change within Anabaptist communities and beyond.