As the EPA Conference increases its support to survivors of devastating storms spawned by Hurricanes Ida in 2021 and Isaias in 2020, the UMC’s disaster relief agency is increasing its support of our ongoing efforts. UMCOR (the UM Committee on …
Mrs. Mary Ann Spilman
We have received word of the passing of Mrs. Mary Ann Spilman, who died November 18, 2022. She was the wife of retired elder, Rev. Kenneth E. Spilman, who preceded her in death. Rev. Spilman served the following Susquehanna, Baltimore-Washington …
Wonder fills new Christmas worship video for churches
“How do you experience the wonder of Christmas?” The Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm and the Rev. Donald Kirschner, adorned in fun, colorful Christmas attire, each asked that question at two recent clergy meetings. They got heartwarming responses that described wonder-filled family …
NJ justice coalition honors Bishop Schol for moral leadership
A faith-based, grassroots coalition of advocates for justice and equality in New Jersey, honored Bishop John Schol as Moral Leader of the Year at its annual awards ceremony Dec. 15 in Ewing, N.J. Building One New Jersey is “devoted to the idea …
Rev. Robert C. Pike
We have received word of the death of the Rev. Robert C. Pike, Retired Elder, who passed away on December 15, 2022. He received his License to Preach in 1947, became a Deacon in 1951, and then an Elder in …
2023 Annual Conference Theme: Possibility
EPA’s 2023 Annual Conference will return to the newly renovated Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA, May 18-20. The in-person session will be held onsite only. We look forward to gathering for worship, business, and fellowship. Join us in May …
The Rev. Kenneth Dearstyne
We have received word of the death of The Rev. Kenneth Dearstyne, retired Elder, who passed away on December 9, 2022. Rev. Dearstyne served the following New York and Eastern PA Conference churches and Extension Ministries: Service Information:A celebration of …
Drop by drop: Employ random acts of appreciation
“I do not cease to give thanks for you…” (Ephesians 1:16a) A recent card I received in the U.S. mail warmed my heart in an unusual and lingering way. It was an expression of thanks for something I had done—in-and-of-itself, …
As attendance dips, churches change to stay relevant for a new wave of worshippers
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It’s Sunday morning and a small group sits around a fire pit in a community garden under the limbs of an expansive box elder tree. Church is about to start. And it’s cold. “God our Father, we …
New EPA/GNJ joint communications team collaborates
The newly aligned EPA/GNJ Conference Communications Team is working together from EPA’s Conference Office and GNJ’s Mission Resource Center (MRC) on numerous shared tasks. Included are: EPA’s former newspaper, NEWSpirit, will return as a quarterly publication in 2023. The six …