Chapman Chen
- May 21, 2023
- 5 min read

About CreatureKind

Mission

CreatureKind’s mission is to advance collective liberation — for animals, peoples, and the earth — with a special focus on farmed animals and food systems. We encourage and equip Christians to embody the interdependence of God’s whole Creation by creating educational and worship resources, and curating sacred spaces for spiritual formation, leadership development, and community change-making.

Vision

We envision a world that affirms all creatures are beloved and valuable, just as they are seen by their Creator. We envision a world where followers of Jesus live in deep connection, increasing curiosity, and mutual relationship with fellow creatures. We envision those currently on the margins being centered, fully able to exist with self determination and radical belonging. We envision a Church that partners with the Creator and all of Creation to dismantle oppression for humans, non-humans, and the earth. We envision a diverse community of resistance where love, joy, and compassionate action abound as we anticipate the peaceable kingdom of God.

https://www.hkbnews.net/post/about-creature-kind

https://www.becreaturekind.org/about

Goals

· To equip Christians with a theo-ethical framework from which to discuss animal issues in the church and the place of animals in Christian life.

· To provide education and support to pastors and other Christian leaders on the importance and validity of including animals and animal issues in Christian life and practice in order to change the way that animals are viewed by Christians.

· To seek commitments from churches, other institutions, and individuals to a new approach regarding their sourcing and consumption of animal products, the CreatureKind Commitment.

· To strengthen the church by affirming the call and meeting the spiritual needs of individuals working in animal protection and to provide a community in which they can express their experience, strength, and hope among like-minded Christians.

“The work of CreatureKind sits at the intersection of some of the most formidable moral, spiritual, and practical challenges of the twenty-first century ... In seeking to mobilize the most rigorous available theological reasons and strategies for renewed religious vision and action on these fronts, CreatureKind is paving the way for a new conversation and for novel ways of being that put the too-often hidden riches of religious thinking and practice at the disposal of a world much in need of them.” – Matthew C. Halteman, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Calvin College

Staff

Aline Silva Executive Director

Aline (Ah-lee-nee) Silva (she/her/hers) serves as the Executive Director of CreatureKind. Prior to coming to CreatureKind, Aline served for over a decade as a local parish pastor of rural and farming populations in Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado. Aline shares herself as a queer, Black & Indigenous immigrant of Brasil to the US. Aline chooses not to eat non-human animals, her fellow-worshippers of God. Aline is a pastor, an excellent preacher, and a life coach. You can most often find her laughing out loud, twerking, and sharing her life with her emotional support pup and main squeeze, Paçoca (pah-saw-kah). You can learn about Aline and her work by following CreatureKind on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. She writes today from the unceded lands of the Tequesta, Taino, and Seminole peoples, namedly South Florida, USA.

Shae Washington Director of Operations & Anti-Oppressive Strategies

Shae Washington (she/her/hers) is a lover of coffee (with non-dairy creamer), road trips, musicals, the ocean, and is committed to the liberation of all beings. Bringing almost 15 years of experience within the nonprofit sector in the areas of youth development, social and environmental justice, conflict resolution and LGBTQ+ inclusion, Shae believes deeply in the sector's ability to address injustice and radically work for change. Shae specializes in leadership development, team building, anti-oppression and movement work, and supports groups in weaving their vision for justice into their internal culture and organizational policies. In addition to her professional experience, her personal experience living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities as a Black, queer, woman, sharpens her analysis of injustice and focuses her intersectional lens. Shae has a background in the performing arts, but her favorite role is in real life as an auntie to a growing brood of niblings.

Megan Grigorian Campaign and Events Manager

Megan (she/her/hers) came to CreatureKind with over a decade of experience as a writer, campaigner, organizer, and strategist for international animal protection non-profits. She’s spent her career working to improve the lives of farmed animals through media and collaboration with companies, farmers, scientists, vegans, and meat-eaters alike. She’s also led successful campaigns that ended the use of animals in entertainment venues like circuses and theme parks. Megan strongly advocates for progress over perfection.She believes that to successfully change our food systems so that they are kind and just for animals, systemic oppression against people must also come to an end. At CreatureKind, Megan plans public-facing events to address these and other food justice topics while also overseeing the DefaultVeg program. She lives in Virginia with her family and rescue dog Georgie and loves analyzing Bravo shows, cross-stitching, hosting game nights, baking vegan treats, and pretending she is on a competition cooking show.

Karla Mendoza Communications & Development Manager

Karla (she/her/ella) is a storyteller, writer, podcaster, and mostly a bubble of laughter. Currently living in the land of the Iroquois in Toledo, Ohio though originally from Lima, Peru. She spends her time wearing many hats but is passionate about anti-racist discipleship, hosting people (when there isn’t a pandemic), and creating beauty to engage the good news of justice. Karla has spent many years in different ministry roles as well as corporate roles but is excited to join in the CreatureKind community to keep learning and growing.

Regular Contributors

David Clough Co-Founder and Strategist

David (he/him/his) is Professor of Theological Ethics in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Chester and he is a lay preacher in the UK Methodist Church. David has published quite a lot, including On Animals: Systematic Theology, which was called "indisputably the most important and comprehensive theological treatment of animals to have appeared in any language at any time in the Christian tradition.” David lives next-door to Chester Zoo, in North-West England, with his family of five humans, one cat, and three gerbils. He can be followed on Facebook or Twitter @DLClough.

Ashley Lewis

Ashley (she/her/hers) is currently a full-time MDiv student at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. Her ministry focus is helping Christians make food choices informed by faith – to help relieve animal suffering, reverse food-related injustice, and restore earth as a harmonious dwelling place for God and all creation. She left behind a decade-long career in Hospitality Management and Event Sales and holds degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management. In addition to her studies, Ashley enjoys coaching and educating in schools, churches, and workplaces. At home, she is a cat mom to Tesla and Westinghouse and the beloved wife of her childhood sweetheart, Ryan.

Liesl Stewart

Liesl lives with citizenship in the US and South Africa. For the past 27 years, she's been rooted in Cape Town, where she and her husband live with their three mostly grown children. She currently works in the world of alternative food networks and plans to spend the rest of her days working toward food systems that are much more just."