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To:

The Delegates of 2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church

The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of The United Methodist Church “Wespath”

General Council for Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church

United Methodist aligned Faith Foundations

In Christ’s Name, We Pray:

WHEREAS United Methodists are called to live by our faith commitments: In the context of widespread environmental damage, abuse of people, land, ecosystems, and earth’s climate, we condemn the pursuit of profit at the expense of life, wellbeing, and justice. How we as Christians behave is a witness to our faith. Our lives are a testimony. With continued investment in fossil fuels, we bear false witness against God.

WHEREAS United Methodists are called to ‘do no harm’ and act on faithful conviction: In ceasing to finance the fossil fuel industry and invest instead in healthful community and clean energy, United Methodist investment behaviors will realign with our teachings and liturgies.

WHEREAS United Methodists must not provide moral cover for bad actors: The decades-long strategy of engagement with coal, oil, and gas corporations has not proved to be effective. It has instead allowed faith-laundering, allying us as shareholders with companies that lie about the danger of their products, lobby against climate legislation, and delay a just transition to a clean future. 

WHEREAS United Methodists must stop reaping profits that cost millions of lives, destroy homes and communities, and endanger all current and future generations. The world’s children, all future generations, and especially Black, Brown, and Indigenous people have experienced and will continue to experience the ongoing loss of health, livelihoods, and sovereignty even with immediate cessation of fossil fuel pollution.

WHEREAS True engagement is divestment, public policy, and moral action. While corporate shareholder engagement has been shown not to bring necessary results, what has been effective is policy engagement and enforcement. True engagement is not in the boardroom. It rises instead from moral voices in prayer, lifting hymns, and demanding just policies for a new era of clean energy.

THEREFORE We ask United Methodists to divest from fossil fuels. We ask the delegates of the 2024 General Conference to pass Petition 20981-GA-¶717 amending United Methodist investment screens so as to screen out ‘fossil fuels.’ 

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For a deeper explanation of all of Fossil Free UMC’s talking points, go to Ten Reasons Why the United Methodist Church Should Divest from Fossil Fuels,  Ten Reasons for Central Conferences to Support Fossil Fuel Divestment, Ten Reasons for Wespath to Support Fossil Fuel Divestment, Engagement & Divestment, Four Key Points, and Plain Talk: This is what’s at Stake.  See fossilfreeumc.net.

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You may sign this form as an individual or on behalf of an organization. We encourage both United Methodists as well as general supporters of the Fossil Free UMC effort to sign this letter. Thank you.

NEW: Print a PDF to circulate at your church or group meeting!