This is Karlah Burton, Delegate At-Large, Northern Piedmont District of the Western NC Conference, UMC! As a commissioned Global Ministries Earthkeeper, I bring you greetings in Christ from Saint Matthews United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC, where I also serve as Chairperson of the Creation Care Ministry and lately named Samaritan Garden (formerly the Saint Matthews UMC Community Garden Project).
This year AC 2023 was held at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, Lake Junaluska, NC from Thursday, June 15th to Sunday, June 18th. The Western NC Annual Conference Creation Care Team Ministry, of which I am a member, introduced two resolutions for consideration. Both were approved! WNCC Petition #14, Green Team Formation, is based on the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience) and validates our call as Christians and as United Methodists to love and care for God’s good gift of creation. This resolution urges local churches to form Creation Care Teams or strengthen existing ones for action in five specific areas—Worship, Discipleship, Stewardship, Evangelism, and Mission. This action is intended to assist in the effort to fully integrate creation care and justice within all areas of ministry/mission to include preaching, liturgy, communications, education, outreach and advocacy. The Western NC Conference uses the Green Church Initiative as a planning tool available to help in the creation care ministry or green team formation process.
Petition #15, Call to General Conference to Add Fossil Fuels to UM Investment Screens is a resolution planned for introduction at the General Conference held in 2024 and calls for fossil fuels to be added to United Methodist Investment Screens. Generally, this recommends that UM Institutions endeavor to avoid investments in companies engaged in core business activities related to fossil fuels. As a representative of the WNCC Creation Care Team Ministry I spoke in favor during the petition and voting process. I encouraged delegates to consider the basics of earth care and advocacy, “Fossil fuel usage is bad for the environment. Carbon dioxide and other types of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the use of coal, oil, and natural gas, for example, accumulate in the atmosphere creating a warming effect that causes the temperature of the earth to rise.” Such business activities are not consistent with UM Social Principles. The majority vote rendered by the conference delegation means that this resolution will be introduced at the General Conference being held in Charlotte, NC, in 2024.
The Creation Care Ministry at Saint Matthews UMC welcomed UMC Northern Piedmont District Superintendent Beverly B. Coppley on Sunday, June 25, 2023. Saint Matthews UMC is the 2023 recipient of the Western NC Annual Conference Green Church Award joining West Market Street UMC also located in Greensboro as only the second church in the WNCC having become a designated Green Church. Harrison United Methodist Church (Pineville, NC) has also recently submitted their congregational covenant and consent to participate per the Western NC Annual Conference Green Church Initiative.
A very special acknowledgement and word of thanks to members of the Western NC Conference Creation Care Team Ministry along with current and former members of the Saint Matthews UMC Creation Care Ministry and our supporters!
For more information please contact us at CreationCareWNCC@gmail.com with any questions you may have or ideas you would like to offer. We would love to hear from you and help you along the path to greater care for God’s creation!
“Thank you for creating us as part of a planet that sustains our lives and for entrusting this sacred gift to our care. Help us in all of our lives to be good stewards of all that you’ve made…AMEN”*
*Excerpt from prayer—Creation Celebration Hymn Sing/Celebrating Our Earth—A Gift from God
Summer Blessings!
Karlah Y. Burton, BS, BA
Chairperson,
Creation Care Ministry & Samaritan Garden
Saint Matthews UMC
United Methodist Earthkeeper
WNCC Creation Care Team Ministry