Bishop John Schol notified all United Methodist bishops on Tuesday, March 28, of a federal appeals court judge’s ruling that upheld the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) reorganization plan, which includes our $30 million United Methodist Settlement with the survivors’ …

2023 EPA Annual Conference Updates
Reserve Hotel Rooms Now Guests may reserve rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn at Valley Forge/Oaks. Call the hotel directly at 610-650-0880. Use the group code EMC. You can also use the hotel’s Annual Conference booking page. Learn more. Volunteers NeededVolunteers are needed at …

EPA camps welcome all to confirmation retreats and more this spring
All four of the Eastern PA Conference Camp & Retreat Centers are springing forward as their activity schedules begin to bloom like vivid spring flowers. They’re inviting United Methodists of EPA and Greater New Jersey to come enjoy April and …

Tools for Ministry returns to onsite learning for leadership
The Eastern PA Conference will close its 2023 Tools for Ministry toolbox when the trio of leadership development events ends this Saturday where the sun sets, in the West District. It’s the first major, in-person training to occur there in …

When the past just doesn’t work anymore
No one pours new wine into old wineskins. —Luke 5:37 In my role as bishop of EPA&GNJ, I lead or serve on the board of directors of eight nonprofit organizations. These include annual conferences, foundations, universities, social service organizations and …

March 10 last day to appeal for FEMA Hurricane Ida recovery aid
Anyone in Eastern PA who applied to FEMA for individual assistance to recover from damages caused by Hurricane Ida flooding in 2021, has only until March 10 to receive that assistance, if eligible, or to appeal the denial of assistance. …

2023 Annual Conference to resume onsite mission efforts
When the Eastern PA Annual Conference returns to meeting in-person at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks May 18-20, it will also recapture the spirit and tradition of onsite, collective engagement in mission. But to do that requires that …

Leadership Academy planners generate ideas for learning, doing
It was a cloudy day outside on Saturday, February 11; but inside of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Hamilton, near Trenton, the fellowship hall was illuminated by bright ideas that filled the room. The EPA&GNJ Leadership Academy Planning Day …

United Methodists collect 180,000 total pounds of donated food in Super Bowl challenge
The biggest team with the biggest score that emerged from the NFL Super Bowl, Feb. 12, were the United Methodist churches of both competing areas that together collected about 180,000 pounds of donated food to fight hunger in their communities. …

Managing the fast pace of change
“Your word is firmly fixed in heaven.” —Psalm 119:89b “The only constant in life is change,” Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher of the sixth century BCE, taught us. But when is too much change just too much for a system to …