The Shakertown Pledge

The Shakertown Pledge originated when a group of religious retreat center directors gathered at the site of a restored Shaker village, near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. A number of us were personally moved by the global poverty/ecology crisis we saw all around us, and we covenanted together to reduce our levels of consumption, to share our personal wealth with the world’s poor, and to work for a new social order in which all people have equal access to the resources they need. We have since been joined by others.

We believe that all people of faith should consider this pledge. We have taken it not just because it is the right thing to do, and not just out of enlightened self-interest, but because of our deep, religious conviction. We know from the scriptures that God commands God's people to make the cause of the poor and the oppressed their own. If we are truly to practice our faith, then we cannot sit idly by while others starve. It’s as simple as that.

THE SHAKERTOWN PLEDGE

Recognizing that the earth and the fullness thereof is a gift from our gracious God, and that we are called to cherish, nurture, and provide loving stewardship for the earth’s resources,

And recognizing that life itself is a gift, and a call to responsibility, joy, and celebration, I make the following declarations:

1. I declare myself to be a world citizen.

2. I commit myself to lead an ecologically sound life.

3. I commit myself to lead a life of creative simplicity and to share my personal wealth with the world’s poor.

4. I commit myself to join with others in reshaping institutions in order to bring about a more just global society in which each person has full access to the needed resources for their physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual growth.