Caring for Creation at the 2026 General Assembly

Our 227th General Assembly met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from June 22 to July 2, 2026. Presbyterians for Earth Care supported three overtures: Changing Course for a Green Future, The Green Future Endowment Fund, and On the Importance of Regenerative Farming Practices in Caring for Creation. Our Presbytery supported the first two overtures, and Pam McVety served as the Overture Advocate for our Presbytery. Pam also had an article in the June 2026 Panhandle Presbyterian, the newsletter for our Presbytery.

Changing Course for a Green Future declared that “the continued investment of PC(USA) funds in the exploration, development, extraction, refinement, transportation, and sale of fossil fuels is incompatible with the mission and goals of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and our call to serve as faithful stewards of creation.” The Green Future Endowment fund would establish, as an act of repentance and Christian witness, a fund that would support limited purposes including renewable energy transition, adaptation to climate change, and restorative processes in marginalized communities and natural habitats.

More information on each of these overtures is available here.

On June 23, 2026, the Climate and Environmental Justice Committee voted to approve Overture CLJ-02, calling for divestment from fossil fuel companies by 2030 or as close to that date as possible. You can read about the committee’s action here. On June 28, the plenary assembly voted to approve the overture.

Joint Statement from Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment, Presbyterians for Earth Care, Creation Action Network of Presbyterian Young Adults, and Presbyterian Peace Fellowship:

The Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment, Presbyterians for Earth Care, Creation Action Network of Presbyterian Young Adults, and Presbyterian Peace Fellowship give thanks for the faithful discernment of the Climate and Environmental Justice Committee. We are pleased to support its recommendations on all five climate and environmental justice overtures, which together reflect the church’s deep commitment to caring for God’s creation, pursuing justice, and responding faithfully to the challenges of our time.

We commend the committee for its thoughtful deliberation and look forward to the General Assembly’s prayerful consideration of these recommendations. Together, we remain committed to equipping the church to bear faithful witness through the ministry of creation care.