Our Task Force has submitted four pieces of climate justice legislation to this year’s Annual Conference Session. The Recommendation on Green Teams encourages all congregations to establish green teams or equivalent for action in the four areas of connection, education, action and advocacy.
The full text of the green teams resolution is as follows:
Recommendation on Green Teams
Recommendation:
Be it resolved that the California-Nevada Annual Conference affirms creation care and climate justice as a missional priority and a part of the Core Team’s vision of healing the world.
Be it further resolved that the California-Nevada Annual Conference adopts and commits itself to adopting the 2024 General Conference Resolution 5112 on Green Team Formation; and
Be it further resolved that the Bishop, District Superintendents, Executive Directors, the Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator, and members of the Core Team shall all publicly, and regularly, urge and support the formation of green teams, or equivalent, in local churches for action in the four areas of connection, education, action and advocacy; and
Be it further resolved that the District Superintendents make inquiries at annual charge conferences as to the creation care and climate justice actions that the local church has taken in the past year and that these actions be communicated to the Climate Justice Ministries Task Force and the Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator in order that they can be celebrated and used as an idea exchange and inspiration throughout the connection.
Background
God created the earth and charged humankind with its stewardship (Genesis 1–2).
“We recognize the inherent worth of God’s creation, celebrate earth’s abundance and diversity, and, along with the entirety of the cosmos, give praise to its Creator. We recognize we are interconnected members of complex ecosystems, intricate webs of life, all of which have their origins in God’s gracious act of creation.” From The Community of all Creation in The United Methodist Revised Social Principles.
The 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a revised set of Social Principles including ¶160.1 The Community of All Creation. In addition, several new creation care / climate justice pieces of legislation were adopted, and some previous resolutions were also amended and/or readopted:
New or modified paragraphs in the BOD:
¶254 Green teams
¶603.4 Sustainable ACS
¶628.2 Conference Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator position
¶2533. 8 Annual carbon footprint or greenhouse gas emissions audit
¶2550.11 Report to Charge Conference about carbon neutral progress and timeline
New resolutions:
1214 Church Land Use
1215 Commitment to Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
1216 Recognizing United Methodist Support for Global Green New Deal Initiatives and Legislative Efforts
1217 Use of Plastic
5112 Green Team Formation
Amended & Readopted resolutions:
1101 World’s Population and the Church’s response
1120 Energy Policy Statement
1200 Environmental Racism in the US
1211 Protection of Water
Readopted resolutions:
1100 Environmental Health
1110 Climate Change & the Church’s Response
1210 Law of the Sea
1212 Principles for Just & Sustainable Extraction & Production
1213 Caring for Creation: A Call for Stewardship & Justice
This recommendation is about the changes to ¶254 and the new resolution 5112.
- ¶254
In order to fulfil the mission of the local church, the charge conference may elect annually a coordinator or ministry group chairperson for any or all of these areas: … green teams …
- Resolution 5112 includes the statement:
That every local church, charge, cluster, or district is urged to create a “green team” or strengthen an existing one for action in four areas each year—Worship, Education, Practice, and Advocacy—providing children, youth, and adults of all ages with inspiration, knowledge, encouragement, and practical means for caring for creation and justice.
Resolution 5112 uses the terms “Worship, Education, Practice, and Advocacy.” The Climate Justice Ministries Task Force uses the terms “connection, education, action and advocacy,” and covers worship under connection.
The Climate Justice Ministries Task Force has a new website climate-cnumc.org with lots of help for Green Teams at climate-cnumc.org/greenteams. Members of the Task Force are also available to offer help and advice, along with the Conference Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator.