June 1, 2025
As United Methodists prepare for another annual conference season, members of the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement met recently with staff from the General Board of Church and Society to explore ways to work together to bring to fruition a new conference position mandated by the 2024 General Conference.
“There is real hope for faithful action for creation care in annual conferences this year. By the General Conference vote the new Book of Discipline requires every Annual Conference to implement a new position, a Caretaker of God’s Creation Coordinator.” Grace Pugh Hubbard is one of those new Coordinators, she serves the New England Conference as Climate Care Coordinator. She also convenes a leadership group that includes about ten other coordinators, the first in the denomination.
Grace Pugh Hubbard
A new addition to the Book of Discipline, under Section IX. The Annual Conference then ¶ 629.1 & 2, calls for every annual conference to name a Caretaker of God’s Creation Coordinator. This Coordinator is nested with the Board of Church and Society, or other equivalent structure in the annual conference. The pertinent new lines:
“The conference board of church and society or equivalent structure shall also name a conference Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator who will be responsible for helping the conference develop programs to help it become more ecologically sustainable and to address environmental injustices.”
Jaydee Hanson
According to Jaydee Hanson who submitted this resolution, the goal of this legislation is for these new Coordinators to assist their conferences and the denomination as a whole with the transition to netzero and true sustainability. “By creating a network, people can learn together, discover best practices, build relationships, and build a support structure in connection together, including with the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, and other organizations, boards, and agencies.”
Some conferences have already recognized the need to address care of God’s creation and have established creation care task forces, including hiring coordinators for this urgent effort. Other conferences have existing teams powered by volunteers. But many more conferences will be starting from scratch to build or rebuild this faithful and inspired mission for God’s creation, people and planet.
To support established teams and help develop new ones the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement (UMCJM) published a 101 informational checklist. This checklist includes links to a starting job description and was recently the focus of a Creation Justice Movement Café in a conversation designed to offer an informational overview of this new position and effort.
The UM Creation Justice Movement is working with the General Board of Church and Society to ensure support and develop resources. Other agencies are also supportive of growing creation care efforts, and many of the members of the UMCJM are commissioned Global Ministries EarthKeepers.
Rev Richenda Fairhurst, a volunteer with UMCJM and an advisory member to conference teams in the Greater Northwest Area speaks to the need for this new position. “The truth of it is this: Our churches must get climate-real and climate-ready. We must not continue to contribute to the harm oozing from the overflowing bucket of carbon in our atmosphere. We must shift to clean energy and be energy efficient. We must mobilize for action. We must do so for ourselves, for our children, for future generations, and for our love of our Creator. Amen.”
Rev. Richenda Fairhurst
Media Contact:
Cathy Velasquez Eberhart
Communications Team Lead
The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement
umcreationjustice@gmail.com
For more information see also:
- Caretakers of God’s Creation—A New Creation Care Coordinator for Each Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church
- Net Zero & Why the New Caretakers Coordinator Really Matters to Its Success
- Caretakers of God’s Creation—Wisdom From the First Coordinators