Bishop News

Statement from Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi Regarding Judicial Council Ruling Those of you who attended Western Pennsylvania’s 2022 Annual Conference will recall that I made a Decision of Law regarding Petition 73 which I then referred to the Judicial Council.   The Judicial Council is the denomination’s highest judicial body or "court" and is made up of nine members, both laity and clergy. The members are elected by the General Conference and meet to consider whether actions of the various ... read more

Statement from Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi  There has been some social media chatter about P73 which I ruled out of order at our June 22 Annual Conference. I referred the petition to the Judicial Council in order to determine if my ruling was consistent with the Book of Discipline. Read about the referral of P73 to the Judicial Council.  The Judicial Council may, as it often does, rule that they do not have jurisdiction to make a decision about whether or not my ruling was consistent with the... read more

As churches discern whether to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and the Western PA Conference, disinformation about who we are as United Methodists has spread. In this video, Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi addresses some of that disinformation.  She discusses:  The ways in which the United Methodist Church remains unchanged when it comes to our core beliefs The United Methodist Church's foundational documents (and the unlikelihood of these being changed by the denomination) The ... read more

We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf has entered, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.  Hebrews 6:19-20 Siblings in Christ,   I pray that all our souls are anchored in Christ, who is our hope.    This past summer I had the opportunity to rest and relax with my husband and fur baby, be educated around leadership and my African American ... read more

The 2021-2022 Committee on Episcopacy today released a statement thanking Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi for her continued care and leadership of the Western Pennsylvania Conference, while she also served with Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball of West Virginia as Interim Bishops of the Harrisburg Area, which includes the Susquehanna Conference. The shared leadership model was announced shortly before Harrisburg Area Bishop Jeremiah Park retired in 2021. The 2021-2022 Committee on Episcopacy of The ... read more

2022 Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference June 2-4, Erie Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, PA By Liz Lennox, Conference Communicator Anchored in Christ, based on Hebrews 6:19, was the theme for the 2022 Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference. The annual conference met June 2-4 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, PA. The session included ordination, Bible studies and plenary sessions, concluding on Saturday with a memorial service. Masks were required at all times due to an upswing... read more

Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi issued a statement today calling for United Methodists to join others around the world in praying for peace in Ukraine. Below is the her statement, which was emailed to clergy and lay leaders of local churches on March 1. As United Methodists in Pennsylvania, we join in prayer with those all around the world who are entreating God for peace in the Ukraine.  In a recent Facebook post, Bishop Eduard Khegay who oversees Russia and Ukraine urged us to pray for the ... read more

Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi will lead an Educational Opportunities Alpine Odyssey Tour, including a visit to the Oberammergau Passion Play, from Sept. 19-27, 2022.  Since 1634, the most famous Passion Play in the world has been taking place in Oberammergau.  All of the members of the 2000 person cast must have either been born in or lived in this village at the edge of the Bavarian Alps for at least 20 years.   Through a partnership with Olmsted Manor Retreat Center, Western PA Conference ... read more

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. -- Isaiah 43:19 (ESV) United Methodist leaders in the Susquehanna, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia Conferences are preparing to move forward in faith, cooperating in ministry and mission across geographic boundaries as two bishops share leadership of all three areas beginning September 1, 2021.    Bishops Sandra Steiner Ball of West Virginia and ... read more

Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, after consultation with Conference Sessions Chair Alan Morrison and other leaders, has announced that the 2021 Annual Conference will be held in hybrid form on June 18-19. Clergy session will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 3 via Zoom Webinar.  “Due to the limitations on the size of gatherings and concerns for the safety of all participants, we’ve made the decision to care for the celebrations of ministry with as many people as we can accommodate in person,” said ... read more