Alliance For Science

UMC proclaims evolution, theology compatible; opposes teaching ID or creationism as science.

Michael Zimmerman, Director of the Clergy Letter Project, brings us news of a landmark achievement. The United Methodist Church (UMC) has formally endorsed the Clergy Letter Project and encourages clergy to participate. The Clergy Letter Project is a web-based effort that encourages Christian clergy to sign a public letter endorsing the compatiblity of evolutionary science and religious belief. As of May 12th, 2008, 11,216 clergy have signed the letter.

In a separate action, the UMC also added a statement to the Methodist Book of Discipline that "We find that science's descriptions of cosmological, geological, and biological evolution are not in conflict with theology". Click here for full text of statement. In yet another action, the UMC also has formally gone on record "opposing the introduction of any faith-based theories such as Creationism or Intelligent Design into the science curriculum of our public schools".

The Alliance for Science congratulates and thanks Dr. Zimmerman for his tireless efforts in support of the Clergy Letter Project. Also, as Dr. Zimmerman points out, "we owe a debt of gratitude to Rev. Dr. David Oertel, Al Kuelling and the Kansas East Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, respectively, for making these three resolutions possible".