Christians urge British Museum to end oil sponsorship

Art not oil protest

On Sunday, 13 September at 11am a group of Christians shared an Agape Meal of bread and wine in the British Museum as part of a day of creative actions calling on the museum to reject further sponsorship by British Petroleum. Christian Climate Action, a group of Christians who are concerned about the effects of climate change on creation, opened the proceedings with a gathering in the Court Café of hymns, readings and an 'Art Not Oil' Agape Liturgy.

Art Not Oil, a coalition of organisations campaigning for arts institutions to end their sponsorship deals with climate change-causing organisations, invited 15 organisations, including Christian Climate Action, to join them for a day of creative actions around the museum to stand up for human rights, habitat projection and a safer climate. The 'festivoil' ended with a mass finale at 3pm where a giant 'No' was spelled out on the floor of the Great Court by hundreds of singing people.

Three Catholic members of Christian Climate Action took part, Martin Newell, a Passionist priest based in Birmingham, Reggie Norton from Faringdon and Phil Kingston from Bristol. Phil said: "Jesus Christ was executed by the Roman Empire. The British Museum is in many ways a temple to another Empire, the British Empire, and is being sponsored by BP, one of the gods or ruling powers of the current global economy that is destroying the earth, our common home, and especially our climate. Jesus stood up to the Roman Empire and called for repentance of our participation in systems of oppression and exploitation associated with empires.

"So, in a spirit of repentance for our own complicity in this system, we are asking the British Museum to reject British Petroleum's money and influence and to stand more for a story of the British that is consistent with a culture of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. It is totally inappropriate for the museum to offer credence to a company whose business plan threatens to help bring civilization to an end. We were there to pray for the conversion of the museum, and BP, to a fossil fuel free and exploitation free world."

The British Museum has been sponsored by BP since 2011. This sponsorship will end in 2016 and Art Not Oil and Christi

Christian Climate Action is a group of Christians who are concerned about the effects of climate change on the future of our one planet and its inhabitants. Read more here: www.facebook.com/christianclimateaction

Previous actions have included a Climate Change Vigil outside a meeting of the Synod and a Banner Drop inside, in February 2015, to call for the Church of England to divest from fossil fuels. The Church of England has since agreed to divest from tar sands and coal.

The Art Not Oil Coalition aims to end oil industry sponsorship of the arts. See: www.artnotoil.org.uk

The 'Art not Oil' liturgy used can be found at: www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/9513an Climate Action would like to see it not renewed.: