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What the Methodist Church believes about the environment
“The Social Principles are a prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the General Conference to speak to the human issues in the contemporary world from a sound biblical and theological…They are a call to faithfulness and are intended to be instructive and persuasive in the best of the prophetic spirit…The Social Principles are a call to all members of The United Methodist Church to a prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice.” Principles that address the environment include the Natural World and Consumption.
The Nature World: “All creation is the Lord's, and we are responsible for the ways 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. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect."
Consumption: “Consumers should exercise their economic power to encourage the manufacture of goods that are necessary and beneficial to humanity while avoiding the desecration of the environment in either production or consumption.”
The Council of Bishop on November 3, 2009 adopted this letter and Foundation document – God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action. It speaks to God's Creation, its degradation, and our stewardship role as stated in the United Methodist Social Creed – We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork, and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.
God’s Renewed Creation Foundation Document »
God’s Renewed Creation Pastoral Letter » |
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