Church-sponsored food-sharing ministries spread across our region are feeding their neighbors; and now they have become a “collective,” thanks to the EPA Conference’s efforts. The Office of Connectional Ministries welcomed dozens of food ministry leaders to a first-time video-meeting on …

UM court answers 2021 EPA Conference question
The United Methodist Church’s supreme court released this week three decisions responding to questions raised during annual conference sessions. One of its decisions responded to a question raised at Eastern PA’s 2021 Annual Conference. The Judicial Council determined that bishops …

Partnership of 2 churches offers children hope for the holidays
St. John’s UMC in Ivyland prepares for Christian holidays by gathering hope…and now members are sharing it with pre-kindergarten children at El Mesias (The Messiah) UMC in North Philadelphia’s tough Kensington neighborhood. The mission-minded St. John’s congregation dives into its …

I thought I was ‘one of the good ones’
I thought I was “one of the good ones.” You know, the good white people. A white person who has learned about white privilege and has friends of color and has donated to black causes. A white person who believes …

Celebrate Women’s History Month in March
March is Women’s History Month—or as some call it, Women’s Her-story Month. Women’s History Week, birthed 40 years ago, became Women’s History Month in 1987. Over the years, diverse perspectives have shaped its annual celebration. But the primary goal remains …

United Methodists in Eastern Pennsylvania answer call to serve
Hurricane Ida developed late in August 2021 as a devastating Category 4 storm, which made landfall in the Cayman Islands and Cuba and then gathered its full strength over the Gulf of Mexico. It’s fierce winds and rains rivaled Hurricane …

More EPA churches respond to crisis in Ukraine
With increasing daily reports of Russia’s horrific war on Ukraine—the destruction of cities and the tragic loss and uprooting of lives—United Methodists are finding ways to respond with their support. Many are donating much-needed funds through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee …

Bishop Schol’s message about General Conference and Disaffiliation
Dear United Methodist Laity and Clergy in Eastern Pennsylvania, In this season, we are encountering what Methodism has faced several times since its inception in 1784, churches disaffiliating from the denomination…

Resources & Ideas for Helping the Ukrainian People in Crisis
THIS ARTICLE IS UPDATED WITH NEW INFORMATION PRAYERS Prayers for Peace. Temple UMC in Pottstown hosted a Prayers for Peace service Feb. 25, that included scriptures, a litany for peace and hymns. The Rev. Gary Nicholson, pastor, shares their event …

General Conference postponed until 2024
Citing long wait times for visas, General Conference organizers announced that The United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking assembly — long postponed by pandemic — must wait until 2024. “We engaged in a fair, thorough, integrity-filled discussion of the alternatives,” said …