…Whereas, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has over the years expressed its deep concern for the hungry of the world, and all individual Christians have been met with the challenge of Jesus to feed the hungry (Matt 25:35), a Biblical text of our faith…
Whereas there are two levels of discipline and sacrifice: first at the personal level, there is need to eliminate the large amount of waste in food production, delivery, packaging, marketing, and consumption; secondly, if these personal changes are to affect the world situation, they must be related to political action to develop a national and international food policy committed to the development of a world food security system…
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) meeting in San Antonio, Texas, August 15 - 20, 1975, call for discipline in the use of resources, focus attention upon the problems and solutions, and recognize the following options as symbolic acts and personal responses to the problems:
- to give concerted attention to the conserving of all energy sources (e.g., fuel, food, water);
- to encourage the change of personal diets so that more grain is available for food (e.g. such as grain used for alcohol production);
- to unite with others for one sacrificial meal each week;
- to seek ways of optimum utilization of food and eliminating waste;
- to contribute a meaningful share of our resources to human relief and development through the Week of Compassion;
- to actively work toward reorientation of national priorities for the implementation of a national food policy that encourages the development of a world food security system;
- to support the increase of food production in the food exporting countries recognizing the necessity to provide for adequate incentive to those involved in food production, but also stimulate the sharing of technological knowledge and resources for increase of food availability in the food importing countries.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that, recognizing this is only one type of response to a food crisis consisting of many complex factors, local Christian Churches and individual members be encouraged to commit themselves to the study of and involvement in some of the long term responses to world hunger, such as:
- support sound national population programs;
- urge legislators, executive officials of United States and Canada, to make the use of food for humanitarian purposes the first priority, rather than for political strategy;
- encourage youth and institutions which educate them, to prepare themselves in areas of professional skills related to the energy food population crisis, and
- to observe these options until the General Assembly convenes in 1977,
AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Canada and other appropriate executives and legislative officials of the two nations.
Read the complete statement in the Environmental Anthology of Denominational Policy.
Concerning Christian Stewardship of Food and Farm Land
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1975
We believe that God is Creator of all the earth and its inhabitants. We seek to serve him as faithful stewards and desire to use the resources entrusted to us constructively. Therefore, we endeavor to be creative in the image of God who created us.
In these efforts we recognize that each of us is called to a unique Christian ministry. We believe that Christian farmers are called to care for the land and feed a just portion of the population of the world by careful management of the resources entrusted to them.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the General Assembly meeting in San Antonio, Texas, August 15 - 20, 1975:
- urge that farmers receive a just return for the goods and services they offer;
- encourage efforts among farmers to obtain a fair wage per hour equivalent to accepted just wages for other workers;
- encourage the means of meeting the cost/price stress with which farmers are confronted other than the destruction of animals and commodities that otherwise might produce food;
- defend the rights of the family farmer to choose freely his future on the land;
- encourage each Christian farmer to face the moral imperative to insure that land is used to produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people;
- encourage increased farm production within the bounds of sound conservation guidelines to the highest possible level in order that more of the world's population be fed; and
- request that our Christian brothers and sisters make these concerns known within the churches, within farm and other appropriate organizations, and within governmental structures.
Read the complete statement in the Environmental Anthology of Denominational Policy.
For more information on mainline Protestant perspectives on food and agriculture:
- Other mainline Protestant denominations have made statements and policies on similar topics, including: Food Production, Family Farms, Pesticides, Genetic Engineering, Rural Communities, and Black Owned Farm Land. To read more, browse the Environmental Anthology of Denominational Policy by denomination or by environmental issue.
- See also Earth Ministry's Food and Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread, an anthology with a study guide for groups and individuals.
