The United Methodist Social Principles call us to faithful engagement with the world around us. They remind us of our connection to God, one another and the created world.

Living a life in service to God and others has been part of our United Methodist history since John Wesley in the 1700s who visited those in prison, preached against slavery, and led the first Methodists to help their communities with things like healthcare and education. All of this is in service to what Jesus lifted up as the greatest commandments: to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

The Rev. Dr. Sharon Austin, who was part of the team that worked on the 2020 revision of the Social Principles, talks about the importance of the Social Principles and the why they have been revised—although still waiting for General Conference approval.