Creation Justice Blog
News and Stories From Across the MovementSearch by topic for resources to help you make creation justice a priority in your community. We add new topics all the time so check back frequently!
Most Recent
The Giving Garden: Cultivating More Than Food
In the midst of one of the wealthiest counties in the state of Tennessee and even in the US lurks food insecurity. For people shut-in from age, frailty, or disability to people living with cancer to African American and Hispanic populations, poverty is served up daily. The need is real; the response of Franklin First UMC is the Giving Garden. The historic congregation (founded in 1799) was moving to its fourth location on 107 acres of prime farmland. In 2010 (five years before the new church was built) the five-acre garden began with the...
A Tale of Two Churches and Community Composting
By Crys Zinkiewicz The Creation Care Committee at West End UMC in Nashville successfully moved the church to using a commercial composting company to take food scraps from the day school, congregational meals, and receptions. The Green Team soon learned the importance of having on-the-spot education from people by the compost bin to help others understand what was compostable and what was not. The education paid off with more enthusiasm from congregation members as their understanding increased. People began asking if they could...
Urban Farm Church Grows Crops & Community in Columbus, OH
It all started with a field of grass. For eight months out of every year, the field of grass was mowed. Occasionally, the field was used to throw a frisbee or play a game of kickball or even to take city kids on a hayride. The neighbors worried that the field, located on a busy road in a growing city, would be sold and turned into a gas station or an apartment complex.Then came a pastor with a dream. Some would say it was a crazy dream, but the pastor insisted it was God’s dream. Because only God could dream of something as crazy as turning...
October 2025 Tips
Ours is a faith of resurrection, renewal, regeneration. Our lives are a call to live that faith. Creation care gives us down-to-earth opportunities.October 2025 Regenerate! On a personal level, compost your food and lawn scraps; plant for pollinators; consider rewilding at least a portion of your property. On a larger scale, examine your agricultural practices (cover crops, low till, no chemicals…) for changes that will regenerate the fertility of the soil. The opening book of the Bible reminds us, “God saw everything God had made and...
September 2025 Newsletter
In this time of growing environmental and human rights urgency, this newsletter highlights two exciting efforts emerging from the UM Creation Justice Movement. An Open Letter to the United Methodist Council of Bishops that invites our entire denomination to more deeply incorporate climate justice in our ministry. Stories shared below of how Congregations and Conferences are investing in a just transition away from fossil fuels and resources to help support this work. As many are celebrating Season of Creation and Sun-Day this month, we...
September 2025 Movement Café: Solar Transitions
September 2025 Movement Café: Solar TransitionSeptember 17, 2025 10am PT / 11am MT / 12pm CT / 1pm ETSponsored by the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, the informal, virtual space of the Café facilitates conversation, connection, and community focused on creation care and justice issues.Solar Transition2025 is a big year for solar installations, energy efficiency, and electrification in churches. Many conference green teams are encouraging solarization of church properties, from local churches to conference centers. These last two...
A Solar Thanksgiving from Germany: A Celebration
Congregants and celebrants gather with Rev. Andreas Krone (center) for a Solar Thanksgiving at the church of Runkel-Steeden, Germany, in 2014. Photo courtesy Andreas Krone. Humans celebrate by giving thanks for the harvest around the world. In Germany, the holiday is called Erntedankfest, meaning Harvest Festival or Thanksgiving, and it falls each year on the first Sunday in October. The universal nature of both harvest and giving thanks lends itself to new and inventive ways to celebrate. For Andreas Krone, a pastor and eco-minister with...
Watt Would Jesus Do?
I’m a cradle United Methodist, born in a small town in the middle of Missouri. My whole family from grandparents to great aunts and uncles had our pew at the local UMC. While charging pew rent was a thing of the past, I dared anyone to take on any of my 6 or 7 aunts to take “our” pews! Never in my life did I imagine I’d one day be working for my church, let alone putting solar panels on our Conference Building more than 30 years later after sitting in my family’s pews. Early in my career, I found myself on the finance side of things. Today, I...
New Audits and Net-Zero Reports – Some Tips, Hopes, and Insights for Implementation
The 2024 Book of Discipline and Book of Resolutions include new faithful actions required for local churches and conferences for creation care and environmental stewardship. As a people called Methodist we understand that righteous action leads to just outcomes. This is our hope with the new reports for charge conferences that, in attending to and measuring what needs to be done, we plot a path for sustainable community and an inheritable Earth. These reports are mission forward. They help us chart a path. This article offers help for those...
Action Alert
Call your Member of the House of Representatives and your Senators today and urge them to block the Trump EPA Rule that delays protections against oil and gas methane pollution. This is a justice issue with environmental, healthcare, and economic impacts.This Trump Administration EPA rule delays the 2024 oil and gas methane standards and thus allows more industrial pollution rather than quickly implementing commonsense standards to full effect. A dozen health, environment and community groups have filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals...
Don’t Let the Administration Rescind the Endangerment Finding
The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rescinding the so-called "Endangerment Finding." Since 2010, this finding has formed the legal basis for regulating climate pollution from major sources, including vehicles and power plants. It stemmed from the EPA's determination, in 2009, that climate pollutants "threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations." If taken to an extreme, rescinding the finding would lead to the repeal of nearly every federal regulation of such pollutants. This proposal comes as...
Call Your Member of Congress Today: Fully Fund Key Climate and Energy Programs
Congress is currently working on the FY26 budget and now is the time to let them know that you as their constituent want them to use their power to robustly fund critical work at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Energy (DOE). Specifically, funding NOAA, NASA and DOE will: Preserve critical science and research that keeps the American public informed about our changing climate Strengthen U.S. energy leadership and competitiveness, ensuring we...
September 2025 Tips
The “Community of All Creation” is first in the United MethodistSocial Principles. It affirms that you are part of theBeloved Community with a sacred calling to care for all creation. Here are ways you can…September 2025 As a ROLE MODEL, you can… show family, friends, colleagues, neighbors through your actions that taking care of creation and justice are important and possible. Using words is also helpful. As an INFLUENCER, you can… use your social media posts to celebrate down-to-earth pleasures of family, friends, and nature rather...
August 2025 Newsletter
What steps are you taking to break free from fossil fuels? In this newsletter, a few of us decided to share our “breaking free” stories about changes we are making in our households and our congregations. Not because we are experts, but in order to inspire others to take action too. We also hope it inspires you to share stories of actions you have taken. How are you working to lower your dependence on fossil fuels? Have you made changes to your household or congregational heating and cooling systems? Installed solar panels? Added insulation...
July 2025 Newsletter
More Than Hot Enough An early-season heat wave affected nearly half the United States from the Great Plains through the Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and much of the East Coast June 20-24 and another is now impacting Europe. A Climate Central analysis found that human-caused climate change makes this extreme heat at least three times more likely for around 174 million people — nearly half of the U.S. population. In fact, experts are predicting more extremely hot days throughout the summer. United Methodist churches, conference...
Divestment Gains in the Western Jurisdiction
Rev. Paul Mitchell, co-chair of the Pacific Northwest Commission on Environmental Stewardship addresses the conference body at the PNW annual conference in June 25. Joining him in making the report is co-chair Sophia Agtarap, and Co-Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinators Rev. Laura Baumgartner and Rev. Jackie Celin. Photo by Patrick Scriven, PNW Communications Team, all rights reserved. Used with permission.Evidence of tremendous and joyful discipleship keeps rising in the Western Jurisdiction. As of the end of the 2025 annual conference...
On the Road to Solar
Always believe in the power of prayer. I really wanted solar panels on my roof. I had spent time admiring them, researching them, talking about them, and advocating for them. Although I knew they would save me lots of money, I wasn’t sure we could make it work financially, and the federal tax incentives were at risk. So, of course, I prayed. I recently participated in the Solarize the Triad campaign here in our region of North Carolina. It was an effort to expand solar throughout the region by helping homeowners, businesses, non-profits,...
Tips and First Impressions in Our New-to-Us Fully Electric EV
Our first-ever charge was at a well-frequented highway stop along I-5 in rural Oregon. The stop offered four Electrify America chargers, with coffee and food just a few steps from the charger. It didn’t take long for us to figure out how to charge and get back on our way. Photo used with permission.Rebates end on September 30, 2025. The claw-back on funding for an urgent transition is regrettable. Yet the EV experience is better than ever, and even without rebates, it is cheaper than ever to own one. Twelve years ago I purchased a used plugin...
Breaking Free of Fossil Fuels: One Household Project at a Time
One morning in early June, as I came into the kitchen to get my morning coffee I heard a concerning sound coming from the basement. I bravely descended to find water spurting from the top of our water heater. Barely awake, and not yet caffeinated, I somehow managed to find the levers that turned off the water and the gas. Thankfully I caught it early and not much water had pooled on the basement floor. But now we had no hot water and thus a significant and urgent house repair project to add to my already full schedule. After a service...
Notes From a UWF Event
By Karlah Burton Each year, United Women in Faith develops three justice focused biblical curricula for adults, youth, and children, all on a common theme and offering a unique opportunity for faith communities to create powerful intergenerational learning experiences. In 2025, our theme is “Practicing Hope Together.” (In 2026, the theme will be “Experiencing Emmanuel.”) This year I served as Mission U Coordinator on behalf of the Western NC Conference. During the welcome I encouraged participants to consider how our actions affect...
August 2025 Tips: Make the Switch
Look around. More and more sustainable alternatives toeveryday polluters are available. The big switch, however, isin one’s mind and heart: Taking care of God’s creation,as well as our needs.August 2025 Switch to a new generation. Advocate for them to have stronger education about sustainability. Earthday.org provides curricula and toolkits to engage students. Take the first step toward helping young people in schools, church, and home understand, become active, and be hopeful educators themselves. For party fun on a hot...
August 2025 Café: Climate Solutions Workshop
August 2025 Movement Café: Climate Solutions WorkshopAugust 20, 2025 10am PT / 11am MT / 12pm CT / 1pm ETSponsored by the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, the informal, virtual space of the Café facilitates conversation, connection, and community focused on creation care and justice issues.Climate Solutions WorkshopThis Workshop will create a space for green teams and conference leaders from across the denomination to investigate and plan for climate solutions in their contexts. EarthKeeper Bill Middlecamp teaches with a solution...
Incorporating Disability Justice into Climate Change Work
Approximately one in four persons in the US,(1) and one in six persons worldwide,(2) has a disability. Climate change-related events such as heat waves and wildfires have a disproportionate effect on those of us who are disabled or live with chronic illness.(3) For instance, the death rate for disabled people in some climate change caused disasters is more than double that of non-disabled people.(4) When electricity is cut off, people dependent on ventilators and other medical equipment may die. Smoke and increased airborne particulate are...
Creation Care and Resilience Wins Approval in Oregon-Idaho
In a group photo to rival The Avengers, members of the brand-new Oregon-Idaho Creation Care and Resilience Team gather outside the Micah Building on the Salem First UMC campus during Annual Conference. Pictured, l-r, Louise Kienzle, Jim Teisher, Rev. John Pitney, Pattie Sloan, Bob Wilson, Rev. Richenda Fairhurst. Used with permission. Annual Conference season wraps up as a number of conferences working to strengthen creation care action and priorities across the denomination. In the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, this meant the establishment...
Creation Justice Proposals at 2025 Annual Conferences
UPDATED June 30, 2025 One of the tools available to United Methodists to take action on Creation Justice is the opportunity to propose legislation at their Annual Conferences each year. The Creation Justice Movement has created several model resolutions that build off of the actions at General Conference last year. As far as we are aware, in all conferences where Creation Justice related resolutions were proposed this year they have PASSED with significant support. If your conference has proposed and/or passed legislation that is not listed...
July 2025 Tips
The effects of heat go deeperthan just feeling too hot. Here are some cool tips for cooling offand consequently being kind toGod’s creation, including people.July 2025 From New Holland, Ohio, to New York City, communities are creating small parks and playgrounds. Research shows proximity to trees and green space does a lot of good, including keeping the air and tempers cooler. Look at your neighborhood for potential pocket parks. Then speak up to neighbors and local decision makers. As air temperatures rise, so do tempers. On...
Creation Care is a Big Green Step in Texas Conferences
Numerous native plants now welcome visitors to the church and grounds, including Cenizo and Zinnias, pictured here, and cut leaf daisy, Texas lantana, cone flower, and frog fruit. Photo courtesy Karl Schnase, used with permission.“Empowering spiritual growth” and “solving climate change,” these are the hopes of Creation care leaders in Horizon Texas and Rio Texas Annual Conferences who are reclaiming church grounds and encouraging real action for God’s creation in local churches. Retired engineer Clark Meier attends Horizon Texas congregation...
July 2025 Movement Café: Extreme Heat and Health Impacts
July Movement Café: Health Impacts of Extreme Heat and Poor Air QualityJuly 16, 2025 10am PT / 11am MT / 12pm CT / 1pm ETSponsored by the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, the informal, virtual space of the Café facilitates conversation, connection, and community focused on creation care and justice issues.Health Impacts of Extreme HeatHuman-caused climate change makes extreme heat and forest fires more likely. We are already experiencing the impact of heat waves and poor air quality due to fires on the health of our households and...
Too Hot to Handle? Where Churches Can Go for Reliable Climate Info
Once a time when churches could plan for carefree fun at camp and vacation Bible school, summer has become a season when excessive heat has proved deadly for children, the elderly, expectant mothers and other vulnerable groups. Church leaders in children’s ministries, senior groups and other caring ministries would do well to develop links to resources that provide accurate information about excessive heat and its effects on humans. In addition to local weather forecasts, there are nationwide and even international sources for reliable...
June 2025 Newsletter
As we slip into summer and prepare for annual conference season, it is a perfect time to take stock and get organized for action. In this newsletter, we launch two important surveys to gather information for that planning. In partnership with United Women in Faith and ecoAmerica the American Climate Metrics Survey (~5 minutes) From UM Creation Justice Movement Organizing and Communications Survey (2-10 minutes depending on how much you choose to share) We want to hear from you! What are your perspectives and interests? What experience...