On the opening day of the United Methodist General Conference, members of Fossil Free UMC, The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, and UM Earthkeepers gathered for a prayer vigil at the Bank Of America headquarters in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. They were there to call for Bank of America to stop funding fossil fuels. They sang and prayed for an end to the financing of environmental and community destruction.
The gathering, led by a coalition of local organizers, including GreenFaith, Rainforest Action Network, 350 Charlotte, and Stand.Earth, meets regularly to speak against the global banks pumping trillions into fossil fuel financing, including Bank of America.
The United Methodist Church also has considerable investments in fossil fuels, about 1.3 billion dollars invested at Wespath alone, the denomination’s pension and investments arm. Those attending from General Conference waved placards calling for the UMC to divest with the slogan, ‘Fossil Free UMC.’
Advocates Gather
United Methodist activist Jaydee Hanson, retired Bishop Hope Morgan Ward and UM Earthkeeper the Rev. Pat Watkins wait for the vigil to begin. (Photo by Richenda Fairhurst)
Rev. Amy Brooks, faith organizer for the coalition effort, led the gathered United Methodists and others through song, prayer, as the speakers addressed local environmental injustice, the deadly impacts of air pollution, the effort to protect a forest from being destroyed for a police training facility, known as ‘cop city,’ in Atlanta, and the effort to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
UM Earthkeeper and United Methodist Creation Justice Movement leader Rev. Pat Watkins also spoke at the rally. He spoke to the mission of The United Methodist Church, saying that the call to love the people of the Earth was impossible without addressing the suffering caused by climate change.
“It is wrong for the United Methodist Church or any other organization, like Bank of America for example, to profit from maintaining the status quo which results in so much suffering for God’s people and the planet,” Watkins said. “Divestment is the only way we can stand up to the lies and disinformation perpetrated by the fossil fuel industry that continues to cause untold suffering in the name of greed.” View the livestream of Watkin’s testimony.
Also attending the rally was retired UM Bishop Hope Morgan Ward. She shared what had brought her to the rally and why she supported fossil fuel divestment. “‘Consider the lilies’ is a favorite text from my childhood,” she said. “I was continually out in God’s creation. There’s nothing more important in our shared ministry than care for creation and praise for God the creator.”
The rally was punctuated with liturgy and prayer. And after the speakers shared their testimony, the group marched across the street to Bank of America’s entrance. There was a lot of security around the bank as the group shared a liturgy punctuated by a large bell. Though the crisis of creation held a sobering effect, the mood of the faithful included much joy and determination. They held signs calling for justice and a ‘Fossil Free UMC,’ while standing also in the hope of God to prevail.
Rev. Richenda Fairhurst is an elder in the Greater Northwest Area, living in Southern Oregon. She volunteers with the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement and a number of other organizations at the intersection of faith and climate change. Find her at justcreation.org