Story and photos by Patrick Scriven
In 2024 alone, volunteers at Wesley United Methodist Church in Yakima, Washington, processed over 883,000 pounds of recyclable material—enough to fill 30 semi-trailers. But the numbers tell only part of the story. From compost buckets to solar panels, the church’s commitment to creation care runs deep and is woven into worship, relationships, and members’ identities as disciples of Christ.
Wesley UMC’s environmental witness stretches back nearly four decades to a single box set out by lay member Keith Case to collect newspapers for recycling. Since then, the church’s recycling ministry has grown into a full-fledged operation praised by the local landfill for its clean sorting and significant community impact. With the help of dedicated volunteers, including many from outside the congregation, Wesley’s recycling center now generates over $35,000 annually to support church ministries.
“We have people who come every week and don’t go to church here—but this is their community,” Rev. Shane Moore shared. For some, the work is about more than sustainability; it’s about purpose and connection. Volunteers gather early each week to sort and flatten cardboard, bag cans, and share coffee and conversation. The result is both environmental stewardship and a vital form of lay-led ministry.
Members point to one of the rooftop solar installations on the Wesley UMC campus. 
Two rooftop surfaces have solar panels installed, which account for up to one-third of the church’s energy use. 
The church’s mission statement, “Serving Christ, Community and Creation,” is above the sanctuary doors. 
The Wesley UMC Recycling Center has several signs greeting people and providing helpful guidance to minimize unhelpful dumping. 
Wesley UMC Pastor Shane Moore and Don Reinmuth sort through some recent deposits as they describe an average week in the recycling center. 
At the front of its sanctuary, Wesley UMC’s cross is also an apple tree. The church is adjacent to an orchard, and the community it serves continues to have deep agricultural roots. 
A photo of the church from the nearest street intersection prominently displays one of the solar panel installations to the larger community. 
A visage of Jesus can be found amid stained glass windows toward the back of the Wesley UMC sanctuary. 
Robin Inlow steps into one of the trailers with cardboard, working to organize and flatten the materials to make room for additional deposits. 
One of several places inside the church where members are encouraged to recycle and compost. 
Rev. Shane Moore displays a Guinness beer can as Robin Inlow takes a photo. The can is one of several problematic items because of its nitro feature.
Wesley UMC staff and Green Team member Robin Inlow shared how recycling factoids are posted on the church’s social media. These posts, often written by church member and recycling volunteer Don Reinmuth, inform the community and can lead to new connections. A recent factoid about aluminum cans with problematic labels prompted a community member to write, “I don’t have a lot of time, but if you ever need somebody to come and just sit and take labels off, let me know, and I’ll come do that.”
The church’s commitment extends well beyond recycling. Thanks to a partnership with High Desert Composting, composting is now a regular practice in the church’s kitchens. Fair trade and organic coffee from Equal Exchange is brewed in reusable mugs. Paper and plastic are replaced with cloth napkins and ceramic dishware at gatherings.
Perhaps most visibly, solar panels line the rooftops of Wesley UMC’s buildings. The church began exploring solar power as early as 2008, eventually completing a multi-phase installation by 2016 with the assistance of grant funding. Today, solar offsets as much as a third of the church’s electricity costs. Combined with earlier HVAC and window upgrades, the panels reflect a long-term commitment to sustainability—even in the face of early skepticism. “For those of us pushing the solar panels, it was an environmental concern. But the financial benefit is how we were able to get everyone else on board,” Carol Mills, a longtime Wesley UMC Green Team member, noted.
Creation care is not just a side ministry at Wesley—it’s central to the church’s identity. Their mission statement, “Serving Christ, Community, and Creation,” shapes decisions from worship to waste management. Earth Day is celebrated annually in worship, with services led by the church’s green team or local advocates. During the pandemic, sermons were filmed in orchards and by lakes to keep the natural world front and center.
The church’s visible commitment to the environment has helped build trust in the wider community. Wesley UMC has become known not just as a place of worship but as a hub of responsible action. Local officials, nonprofits, and neighbors regularly partner with the church. As Rev. Shane Moore put it, “If our church disappeared tomorrow, would the community notice? With Wesley, 100% yes.”
Whether through the clang of aluminum cans, the quiet hum of solar panels, or the joy of working side-by-side for the good of the planet, Wesley United Methodist Church is offering a powerful witness: that caring for creation is sacred work—and that even small acts can bring people together to make a real difference.
📊 Impact Stats
- ♻️ 883,000+ pounds of recycling processed in 2024
- 🚛 Equivalent to 30 semi-trailers of diverted waste
- 💰 $35,000+ raised annually for ministry through recycling
- ☀️ Up to 33% of the church’s electricity is now offset by solar
- 🌿 Compost collected weekly through partnership with High Desert Composting
- 🧍♂️ ⅓ of regular recycling volunteers are not members of the church
Thanks, Patrick, for calling attention to the witness of the folks at Wesley UMC, serving “Christ, Community, and Creation” through ecological responsibility!