Office of Urban Ministries

The Urban Office is strengthening its capacity to re-invigorate urban ministry and to be a relevant source of information and support to urban congregations.

About Urban Ministries

The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference includes some of the most historic population centers in the country, including Philadelphia, Chester and Reading. Since its founding in 1784, the Conference and its predecessors have been fully committed to working in ministry in each of our urban centers. Read More

Fight for Floyd and Beyond

The Eastern PA Conference Urban Commission oversees an ongoing campaign to address racism and violence in U.S. policing that was prompted by the May 25, 2020, killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The campaign seeks to address problems in police-community relations in communities of color, including police mistreatment and brutality committed against African Americans that may be racially motivated.

Fight for Floyd and Beyond began as an education and advocacy campaign after a June 1, 2020, meeting in response to George Floyd’s tragic, senseless and publicly viewed killing that has incited frustration at the preponderance of police violence against unarmed Black people America.

Three committees emerged from that initial dialogue that now meet monthly to share information and experiences and try to plan and implement responsive actions. The groups, which number more than a dozen members each and include non-United Methodists, seek to address the present crisis of racial injustice from three directions: Community Development; Education; and Public Policy. Learn More

• State of the Black Church forum to address concerns
• Urban Commission grants help fund diverse outreach ministries
• Pursuing racial justice in a ‘Fight for Floyd and Beyond’
• ‘Fight for Floyd’ groups seek remedies to racial injustice
• Racism in policing dialogue draws nearly 300 on Zoom