About the District

Welcome to the Butler District of The United Methodist Church in The Western Pennsylvania
Conference.

We are located about twenty miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with two of our three
counties: Beaver and Lawrence sharing a common boundary with the State of Ohio. Butler
County is located east of both Lawrence and Beaver Counties. 

The district parsonage is located in Harmony, Pennsylvania at the Zelienople exit of Interstate
79. 

There are 86 Churches in 64 charges in the district. The larger number of churches is found
north of Pittsburgh along the Ohio and the Beaver Rivers. 

Beaver County was home to some heavy steel industry and is making a change to smaller and
lighter types of commerce. There are some small mills that continue production, and significant
plastics industries in New Brighton. There is also a leading engineering firm: Baker Company
in the county. 

The churches are reaching some stability after a period of long and severe decline. Both the
New Brighton and Beaver Falls areas are attempting to create ways for the smaller churches to
maintain individual identity while stressing cooperative ministry in and to the community – a lot of
skepticism … but encouraging moments as well! Our newest community of faith is Fellowship
Church in Ambridge.  This congregation just opened an ecumenical Center of Hope … providing
spiritual refuge as well as many social services and career development programs in connection
with a number of community organizations.

Lawrence County enjoys a mixture of manufacturing and farming concerns. The largest of the
United Methodist Churches in Lawrence County is First Church, just north of downtown New
Castle. This congregation completed a new sanctuary and dedicated it in the fall of 2002. The
downtown churches in New Castle: Wesley, Croton Ave., and Epworth, along with Kings Chapel
have, by necessity, ongoing conversation about forms of cooperative ministry to strengthen our
witness in this area of the conference.

Butler County – more rural than the other two (though all three have significant agribusiness.
There are two significant churches in the City of Butler: Christ Community and First Church. Both
share strong pastoral leadership and dedicated lay involvement that engage the community – both
city and suburban in this major county town. 

There are also churches at the eastern edge of Butler County – Freeport Church in Armstrong
County and several others in Allegheny County. 

Butler County has seen a steady growth in population over the last two decades. Many of the
churches are planning and programming to meet challenge of providing nurture and spiritual
development for all in the area … welcoming persons with open arms, and seeking ways to share
faith and witness outside of the walls of the church buildings. 

There is significant ministry carried out in all of the churches in the district.  These faith-based
people of God provide a transforming witness to the power of Christ to change lives… 

We welcome you to Butler District … and to the ministry of this web-site…