On the eve of the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, climate activists held a Vigil for Creation on April 22 to mark Earth Day and to call the denomination to greater stewardship of creation. Participants included Musa Dube, the distinguished professor of New Testament at the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, seen here preaching during the service. The gathering took place at the First United Methodist Church of Charlotte. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

Creation care has been a topic during legislation, throughout the displays, and outside the convention center at the 2020 General Conference, happening in 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The revised social principles have a strong emphasis on creation care, acknowledging our lack of care for God’s creation and the resulting peril we are in as a result. The revisions are focused on the destruction of ecosystems, global warming and climate change, dependence on fossil fuels, and how we can become better stewards of all that God created and declared “good.” The principles’ call is to work hard in areas such as environmental racism, sustainability, food justice, caring for all creatures, protecting space, and affirming science and traditional wisdom. 
 

"We need to be working in our own annual conferences on ways to educate ourselves to do better in this important and vital work if all of God’s creation is to flourish as God intended," said Rev. Marty Toepke Floyd, First UMC, Jamestown, North Dakota.

A petition to “Establish a Conference Caretaker of God’s Creation Coordinator in each annual conference,” was approved.

On the eve of the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, climate activists held a Vigil for Creation on April 22 to mark Earth Day and to call the denomination to greater stewardship of creation.

More than 200 people, including delegates and observers present for General Conference, gathered April 22 at First United Methodist Church in Charlotte for a candlelight Vigil for Creation to mark Earth Day and to call the denomination to greater stewardship of creation.

“It’s about making The United Methodist Church commit to being stewards of creation,” said Ilka Vega, United Women in Faith’s executive for economic and environmental justice. “It’s about putting our hearts together in making sure we’re doing our part in taking care of creation, in reconciling ourselves with one another and all of God’s beautiful creation.”

In 2023, The Dakotas Conference approved a resolution at annual conference held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, encouraging our churches to form Green Teams . Dan Johnson, a lay leader from First United Methodist Church in Yankton, South Dakota, who attended the annual conference and left inspired to start a Green Team.

“Having someone in each conference that works with the whole Green Team movement would be helpful,” said Johnson. “You just need to excite one or two people in a church to get things started. Individuals in a church can make a difference. Once people in a congregation see what is happening, the other people are willing to join. One person starts and soon others embrace these simple measures that cumulatively can made a big difference,” said Johnson.

Rev. Marty Toepke Floyd, a member of the Dakotas Conference Missional Impact Committee, and Dan Johnson will lead a Lunch and Learn session on Creation Care and Green Teams at the Dakotas Annual Conference in Bismarck, North Dakota, on Friday, June 7, 2024.

“It is a subject that we have to make a priority. It is getting some attention at General Conference. We need to make it a priority, too. It is exciting news to know that the petition for a coordinator and the Revised Social Principles were approved,” said Toepke Floyd. “I have been advocating for creation care through United Women in Faith, through teaching at Mission u. It is a strong priority for United Women in Faith. We need to make it a priority also.”