Creation Care
Climate activist

"All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect." - The Natural World (2016 UM Social Principles, Paragraph 160)

Climate change can seem like a problem too big to do anything about. Yet we are called to care for God's creation and to love our neighbors, next door and around the world. Since 2008, an annual average of 21.8 million people have been forcibly displaced by climate-related weather events, such as floods, wildfires, and extreme temperatures. These climate refugees often go on to experience humanitarian crises such as hunger, malnutrition, and conflict. While natural disasters may seem like random acts of God, the fact is that humans have played a huge role in the increasing number and severity of extreme weather events. The vast majority - 97 percent - of climate scientists agree that humans are responsible for global warming and the current condition of our planet.

What Can You Do?

  • Join West Ohio's Green Church Movement! Learn how your congregation can steward God's good creation while working toward Green Church Certification.
  • Learn more about what The United Methodist Church says about climate justice.
    • The UM Social Principle on The Community of All Creation says, "Rather than treating creation as if it were placed here solely for humanity’s use and consumption, we are called to practice responsible stewardship and to live in right relationship with the Creator and with the whole of God’s creation." Read more here.
    • Read Climate Change and the Church's Response, Book of Resolutions #1035, here.
  • Learn more about climate change and global warming.
    • Use an online carbon footprint calculator to measure your household's emissions. Find one here.
    • The United States is the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, producing about 15% of the planet's Co2. China leads the way, emitting 30% of the world's carbon dioxide. Read more here.
    • Sources of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions include transportation (28%), electricity (25%), industry (23%), commercial & residential (13%), and agriculture (10%). More details can be found here.
  • Share your story! Has your congregation been working to care for God's creation? Email mgrace@wocumc.org with photos or videos!

Advocate

As United Methodists, we are people of prayer and action! Join in the movement towards more just and sustainable policies regarding the environment. Let your voice be heard!

Connect

Connect with others who are already working to promote climate justice:

Pray

As United Methodists, we are a people of prayer, and prayer can be a powerful witness.

Prayer for Our Earth

O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.
(From "Prayer for Our Earth" by Pope Francis Encyclical)

Resources