As followers of Christ, the people of the United Methodist Church are called to bring health
and wholeness to all God’s people. John Wesley, the Founder of Methodism, had a passion
for health and the desire to see people have access to goods and services they needed to live
life abundantly as well as faithfully.
Following in Wesley’s tradition, The United Methodist Church has had a long-standing
position in support of family planning and maternal health programs. As family planning
allows families to space their children, prevent the spread of disease, reduce abortions and
enhance their overall quality of life.
United Methodist Church Passes Resolution Calling for Focus on Family
Planning & Maternal Health
In 2012, the United Methodist Church passed a resolution entitled “Maternal Health: The Church’s Role”
which recognizes the sacred place of motherhood in our faith traditions and brings to light the tragic
circumstances of maternal mortality and unmet need for family planning. The resolution calls upon the
church to do the following:
-Support United Methodist projects around the world working on maternal health and family
planning.
-Advocate with policy makers at all levels to improve maternal health through increased access to
maternal health and family planning services.
-Support local health initiatives that expand access to information and services for women.
The United Methodist Church
Founded in the mid-18th century, The United Methodist Church
is the largest mainline protestant denomination in the United
States with more than 8 million members in the US and 12
million members worldwide.
Katey Zeh
Project Director, Healthy Families, Healthy Planet
United Methodist General Board of Church & Society
[email protected]
Katie Kraft
Legislative Advocacy and Communications Associate
United Methodist General Board of Church & Society
[email protected]
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United Methodist Social Principles
The United Methodist Social Principles illustrate a prayerful and thoughtful commitment to addressing
important societal issues. The following paragraph from The Social Principles expresses the Church’s
support for family planning by urging that individuals consider the impact on the total world community
and its resources with regards to childbearing.
¶162 III. The Social Community
K- Population— Since the growing worldwide population is increasingly straining the world’s supply of
food, minerals, and water and sharpening international tensions, the reduction of the rate of consumption
of resources by the affluent and the reduction of current world population growth rates have become
imperative. People have the duty to consider the impact on the total world community of their decisions
regarding childbearing and should have access to information and appropriate means to limit their fertility,
including voluntary sterilization. We affirm that programs to achieve a stabilized population should be
placed in a context of total economic and social development, including an equitable use and control of
resources; improvement in the status of women in all cultures; a human level of economic security, health
care, and literacy for all. We oppose any policy of forced abortion or forced sterilization.
Healthy Families, Healthy Planet Project
The Healthy Families, Healthy Planet initiative, funded by a grant from the United Nations
Foundation, works to educate and mobilize United Methodists in the U.S. on the
importance of maternal health and international family planning. Through grassroots
education with targeted annual conferences and advocacy efforts with policy makers, the
goal of the project is to achieve higher levels of foreign aid for international family
planning through the U.S. government. Healthy Families, Healthy Planet is a program
initiative of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society.
For more information check out our website at www.umchealthyfamilies.org
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