Christmas Cards to Inmates ministry resumes “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” –John 1:5 Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eastern PA Conference’s undaunted Prison Ministry and Restorative Justice Team is moving forward with …
Lebo to head revamped Local Pastor School
2021 school to be offered on Zoom with flexible curriculum The Rev. Dan Lebo, senior pastor of Gravel Hill UMC in Palmyra, is the new Dean of the Eastern PA Conference’s Local Pastor Licensing School, as of September 1. He …
Rev. Gil Caldwell, civil rights pioneer, dies
The Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell called himself a “foot soldier” in the U.S. civil rights movement. But many across his beloved United Methodist Church remember him as a general for justice. He died Sept. 4 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, …
Join our new book club Wednesdays at 7 PM
Transforming Community: The Wesleyan Way to Missional Congregations. How can we adopt John Wesley’s creative way of organizing churches for missional discipleship to transform… Join us
3 views of how pandemic is challenging UMC at all levels
UM News has published at least three recent news stories that report on UM churches, annual conferences and general agencies all trying to shift their ways of functioning in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most are trying to survive …
Church continues annual backpack ministry safely
Wesley UMC in Bethlehem, PA, wasn’t about to cancel its 8-year tradition of giving away thousands of back-to-school backpacks and other goodies to families just because of a daunting pandemic. While it had to curtail many of the usual, festival-like features …
UM Lay Leaders urge laity to engage in social action
The UMC’s Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders (AACLL) executive team has sent a letter to laity across of the U.S. church calling for their commitment to “love one another” and to work together to foster meaningful social change at …
Bishop’s Letter: Fundraising Appeal for Camps
Bishop Peggy Johnson appealed to Eastern PA Conference churches and members in a letter this week to support our four Camp & Retreat Centers as they struggle financially from the cancellation of Summer Camp and numerous events in the still …
New district staffing changes announced
The Eastern PA Conferences’ four districts will share two full-time District Resource Assistants (DRAs), plus additional part-time staff, as of September 1. The cost-saving, efficiency move follows the departure August 31 of Michael Yancey as East DRA and North DRA …
Meet our missionaries in virtual visits
Eastern PA Conference Missions Secretary Barbara Drake reports that conference members and churches can get to know online some of the Global Ministries missionaries we support through their “virtual itineration” this fall. At least eight missionaries serving around the world …