The UM Creation Justice Movement will be very present at General Conference this year in Charlotte. General Conference is the one-and-only body that can officially speak for The United Methodist Church. It is a once-every-four-years conference with delegates, both clergy and lay, coming from every annual conference throughout the connection around the world. It is imperative that the UM Creation Justice Movement make ourselves known at General Conference.  

The timing is great as General Conference begins on April 23, the day after Earth Day. So on Earth Day itself we have planned a worship service, as well as a gathering of creation care advocates who will be in Charlotte. We have also submitted resolutions. In addition, we’ll participate in an action in Charlotte and will have a display complete with signs and banners in the Convention Center. You can read about these General Conference activities below and on our website for more detail. Whether you can attend in person or not, the articles below give you ways you can be involved.

Our goal is for far more of The United Methodist Church to take seriously our call to care for and heal God’s creation.

We want to see the church, especially its hierarchy, embrace creation justice as a priority ministry and mission of the UMC and to theologically include caring for God’s creation as a necessary part of what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Please keep the conference itself and the UM Creation Justice Movement in your prayers specifically during the last week of April and the first week of May.

Rev. Pat Watkins
United Methodist Missionary to the Earth