Passing a Resolution
It’s just a piece of paper—why bother?
Creating a resolution starts a conversation. The people initiating the resolution do more than talk about it. They come with conviction and passion for God’s creation. They delve into Scripture to assure they are on solid ground, trusting their bedrock will also provide common ground with those they are speaking to. They wrestle with what action(s) to call for. They seek what is both effective and doable. They aim to challenge and to inspire. The discipline of writing a resolution is for them a spiritual discipline.
The conversation reaches a new level when it is brought before the Annual Conference. Not everyone with voting power has been invested in understanding the issues of creation justice. Not everyone agrees. But on the floor of the conference, everyone has the benefit of the conversation. Everyone is asked to embrace actions that are grounded in Scripture, our Wesleyan tradition, and science.
Once passed, the resolution becomes a call to action. The conversation continues at the local level as people there also talk about the challenge. Conversation continues with Scripture, tradition, and science, but now in addition to why and what, it also deals with how and possibly when, where, and by whom.
A resolution also calls for accountability. A congregation or conference can own and report with conviction and satisfaction that what they have done is good for God’s creation and for justice. A resolution is not “just a piece of paper,” and it’s worth the bother.
Crys Zinkiewicz
UM EarthKeeper
Collection of Creation Justice Resolutions from Annual Conferences
Below you will find resolutions from different Annual Conferences listed in alphabetical order. Contact us if you would like your conference’s resolution added.
Baltimore-Washington Conference
North Carolina Conference
Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
California-Nevada Conference
Northern Illinois Conference
West Ohio Conference
New Mexico Conference
Susquehanna Conference
Minnesota Conference
Stories About Approving the Resolutions
Members bolster creation care and endorse Protocol
To address the climate crisis and reverse global warming, members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference heeded the call of the Rev. Rebecca Vardiman and the resolution, which passed in a vote of 456 to 128, to create a “green conference.”
Pass Legislation for Creation at Your Annual Conference
Annual conference is your opportunity as a United Methodist to have a voice in passing legislation that has an impact on the entire church. You can be an effective advocate in your own church, conference, and denomination. With well over 20,000 United Methodist churches across the US, the actions and values of these churches have significant impact.
Joint statement from the Creation Care Committee and Conference Board of Trustees
Humanity’s bad stewardship of creation has resulted in a climate crisis of unprecedented proportions, leading the earth to soon be uninhabitable unless dire changes are made. In response to this crisis, the leadership of The United Methodist Church has pledged to fight climate change and any unjust systems of oppression and exploitation that may have led us to this point.
2023 Annual Conference Season Updates
This past spring, leaders in the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement drafted eight model resolutions and held a 3 part webinar series about them. In response, at least nine annual conferences introduced versions of those resolutions in their conference sessions this past month. As far as we know, all that did so were successful!
Annual Conference Creation Justice Resolutions Can Help Build Our Movement
Presenting creation justice resolutions at Annual Conference can be an effective tool for building our movement. Annual Conferences are, after all, the places where the largest number of United Methodists come together each year.