At its General Conference held in Fort Worth, Texas, from April 22 to May 2, 2008, the United Methodist Church adopted three resolutions relevant to the teaching of evolution in the public schools. First, and most directly concerned with education, the UMC expressed its opposition to "the introduction of any faith-based theories such as Creationism or Intelligent Design into the science curriculum of our public schools," noting that "the United Methodist Church has for many years supported the separation of church and [s]tate" and that "[t]he promotion of religion or any particular religion in the public schools is contrary to the First Amendment."

Second, in the course of a statement on science and technology, the UMC affirmed, "We find that science's descriptions of cosmological, geological, and biological evolution are not in conflict with theology. ... We find that as science expands human understanding of the natural world, our understanding of the mysteries of God's creation and word are enhanced." And third, the UMC revised its resolution on "God's Creation and the Church," to endorse the Clergy Letter Project (founded by Michael Zimmerman) and "its reconciliatory programs between religion and science," in which it urged its clergy to participate.

The text of the resolutions -- 80839, 80050, and 80990, respectively -- is available by using the Legislation Tracking feature of the UMC's website for the General Convention. The UMC's General Conference is the denomination's top policy-making body, which periodically revises church law and the "Social Principles" (related to a wide range of social and economic concerns) and adopts resolutions on various current moral, social, public policy, and economic issues. With over eight million members in the United States served by over forty-five thousand ministers, the United Methodist Church is the third largest religious denomination in the United States.