As United Methodists, our theological understanding of creation is based on scripture, tradition, reason and experience.
Scripture proclaims God created all—from Earth’s hospitable atmosphere, mighty seas, abundant forests and other plants to nutrient-rich soil, from majestic whales to the tiniest microbes and all sentient and non-sentient beings; Scripture also proclaims God called humans to be caretakers of creation (Genesis 1–2). It follows that loving God, the Creator, includes loving God’s creation. Creation, including all people, is already or will be affected by the current and coming level of danger from climate change and its consequences that intersect with multiple expressions of the sin of injustice. Care for creation is clearly a matter of justice.
Tradition for United Methodists includes John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules for living faithfully: First, do no harm; second, do all the good you can; and third, stay in love with God. Facing climate change and the call of the Three Simple Rules, the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church wrote the 2009 Pastoral Letter, God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action. The 2016 Book of Discipline (Paragraph 254) includes an Earth Advocacy ministry group as a way “to fulfill the mission of the local church.” It follows that the church provides both a mandate and guidance for doing what is needed.
Reason is a God-given gift. The scientific community has given clear warning that creation is under tremendous strain due to the poisoning of air, water, and land; habitat destruction; the unsustainable consumption of earth’s finite resources; and the rapidly accelerating extinction of species. Scientists point to how rising temperatures have already intensified wildfires, hurricanes, drought, and weather events. Our reasoning capabilities observe these extreme weather conditions in our own communities. It follows that, globally, humans have the capacity for understanding the damage and danger and for stopping or mitigating the effects. Individuals and congregations have access to trustworthy knowledge and the reasoning ability to discern what is needed and how to carry out plans in their local situations and beyond.
Experience is honored by United Methodists as a way of recognizing lifetime gains of knowledge, understanding, perspectives, and practices of individuals, which they bring to the work before them. Functioning as a team, people become stronger in their efforts (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Experience is also honored as a way in which humans encounter God. For many people that meeting is through God’s gift of the natural world. It follows that a group of people who care about creation and justice, working together, can use their wisdom and passion to create faithful and meaningful experiences that help others love God and neighbor.
For more theological thoughts, see The Community of all Creation in The United Methodist Revised Social Principles which was passed by General Conference in 2024. The Community of All Creation Section consists of three parts: the preface, which connects the topic to Wesleyan history, scripture, and theology; Creation in Peril, which addresses the degradation and destruction of the natural environment; and Stewardship of Creation, which outlines our commitment and call for positive change.
The United Methodist Church possesses a rich tradition of statements, writings, and resolutions affirming the vocation of all Christians to live in healthy, charitable, and just relationship with the whole of creation. This page on the UM Creation Justice Movement website attempts to compile many of those statements in one place so that they can guide our collective efforts to close the gap between those “beautiful words” and our actions: