Conference News

Licensing School Underway at Olmsted: Pray for the 11 students, coordinator Sara Wrona and other leaders teaching sessions of the Summer Residential Licensing School at Olmsted Manor this week.  See photos  Read post from DS Eric Park Considering Ministry in the UMC? Time’s running out to register for the Aug. 3 Orientation to Ministry, where you can learn more about the various types of set-apart ministry in the United Methodist Church. The orientation is a requirement for anyone pursuing ... read more

Joyce Davis, the new coordinator of United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania, has launched a webinar series to help United Methodists learn about the denomination's Social Principles, which form the basis of much of its Christian witness on contemporary issues.  The video above is an edited recording of the first webinar in the series Understanding the Social Principles. Held on July 22, the discussion focused on how the Social Principles were developed and how they can be used by clergy and... read more

Prayers and Praise for Uth4Missions: Fifty youth and 10 adult leaders are out and about doing hands-on mission work of all kinds this week in the Connellsville District.  It’s part of Uth4Mission, based at Jumonville and led by the Conference Youth Ministry Team. See photos on the WPAUMC Missions Facebook page  Read story and see photos in this week’s Mission News. Celebrating 15 years of Fruitful Ministry! Started after a mission trip by Pittsburgh-area United Methodists to The Nyadire UM ... read more

Join Chris Kindle on the GAP Trail! Meet Chris and other supporters of our Camping and Retreat Ministries at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 24 to walk, run or ride all or part of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between Rockwood and Confluence. It's the first of five Saturday outings that make up the 2021 version of the event formerly known as the Campership Bike-A-Thon. Get details and register.  Leadership Development Series: Dawn Wiggins Hare, the chief executive of the General Commission on the ... read more

The Conference will launch a new series of virtual Leadership Development Workshops in early August, bringing key leaders from denominational agencies to share insights and resources to better equip laity and clergy for ministry leadership relevant in local churches.    The series will offer a chance for participants to develop skills, mindsets and knowledge that can help increase capacity for disciple making in local church ministry. The workshops will also encourage deeper partnership between ... read more

Clergy Communities of Practice will launch in August. CCOPs are designed to help clergy build community, learn together, share ideas and concerns, and support each other. Clergy who have participated in a CCOP say they have been inspired to refresh their preaching, practice new prayer rhythms, use study material in other small group settings and engage in difficult conversations. Groups are offered all around our Conference, and now include two online groups and two focused on innovative ... read more

Rev. Martha Orphe, a former Pittsburgh District Superintendent who returned to her native Louisiana to help lead churches through recovery after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, wants to help us pray for the world. Her newly released book Living through 2020: Covered by Prayers and Hats, published by AuthorHouse,  offers a collection of prayers, poems and nearly 100 photos with a message of gratitude that inspired, encouraged and connected those who contributed them to God and their neighbors. At ... read more

Pray for Our Pastors:  Using familiar words from Ecclesiastes, the Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn urges prayer for pastors who will begin a new season in their ministry as they move to new appointments this week. Read her post. See new appointments 2021 Bike-a-Thon Offers Options: Registration is open for the 2021 Campership Walk/Run/Bike-a-Thon to raise funds for the Deeply Rooted, Upward Reaching Campaign supporting  WPAUMC’s camps and retreat ministry sites. This year one-day events will be offered ... read more

Do you enjoy walking, running or riding a bike? Do you want to help send children and youth to camp? Come be a part of the 2021 Walk/Run/Bike-A-Thon!   After a pandemic hiatus, leaders of WPAUMC's annual Campership Bike-a-Thon have planned five regional events for walkers, runners and bikers who want to raise funds to help children and youth attend one of our Conference camps. Rather than the five-day Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. trek, each event this year is designed so that anyone, ... 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

Although Pennsylvania's mask mandate was lifted on June 28, some businesses and public facilities such as mass transit still require masks. Overall, the latest advice from Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi and the Abundant Health Team still applies: Exercise caution and consider the vaccination rate and other conditions in your area and among your congregation in resuming worship and other group activities.  In a May 17 e-mail to church leaders, the Bishop shared guidelines to consider.  Here is the ... read more

AC2021 Celebrations: During opening worship of the 2021 Annual Conference on Friday, June 18, members at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center and others viewing online celebrated new clergy received into membership: Two Deacons and 17 Elders were ordained; seven Provisional Elders and five Provisional Deacons were commissioned; one Associate Member was received and the orders of four clergy from other denominations recognized and they were received into full membership in the Western PA ... read more

Annual Conference 2021 gets underway with Opening Worship and the Ordination and Commissioning service at 7 p.m., Friday, June 18 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie. The service, along with the Saturday's events --8 a.m. Bible Study, 8:30 official opening plenary session and closing worship with memorial service at 11:30 a.m. -- will be live-streamed through a link at wpaumc.org/AC.  AC Prayer Opportunities: The Conference Prayer Team will support both onsite and virtual prayer ... read more

Annual Conference Prayer Opportunities: The Annual Conference Prayer Team will offer both in-person and online prayer opportunities as the hybrid Annual Conference session gets underway on Friday, June 18. They’ll also open a Virtual Prayer Room on Thursday evening, June 17 and all day Friday. Get details and see how you can participate. Get Annual Conference updates and watch at wpaumc.org/AC. We're Doing A New Thing! The Cabinets of the West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania and Susquehanna ... read more

Pastoral Transitions: Many new appointments were announced this past week in Western PA. If your church will be experiencing a pastoral transition, the Rev. Rick Vance, director of United Methodist Men’s Center for Men’s Ministry, offers some tips for how churches can support both the incoming and outgoing pastor. Read them See 50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. Read or download Funeral services will be held Friday at Jennerstown UMC for Cheryl Hildbold,... read more