Annual Conference: About 1300 people are registered to attend the WPAUMC Annual Conference at Grove City College from June 5-8. If you are a voting member and haven’t yet registered, do it now using the link at wpaumc.org/AC. Delegate Elections: One order of business at Annual Conference will be election of delegates for the 2020 General Conference. The Commission on Religion and Race offers two slide presentations explaining how delegates are elected and how the General Conference operates. ...

“By Water and Spirit” was the theme of the 2019 spring gathering of the Northeastern Jurisdiction Commission on Archives and History, which drew about 55 laity and clergy to the Johnstown District in early May. The event was hosted by the Western PA Archives and History Commission, chaired by the Rev. Ed Herald.  A tour of the area's historic sites was a highlight for participants. (To see photos and learn more about the sites, click on the photo below and look through the event booklet.)   ...

Addiction Epidemic Response: Laity, clergy, friends and family are invited to a June 22 Addiction Response Seminar designed to help individuals and church teams learn practical ways to support those in addiction or recovery and their families. Sponsored by the Conference, it will be at Butler First UMC. Get details and register. Deaf Ministry Boot Camp Cancelled: This May 18 event with Rev. Leo Yates of UMC Ministries with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has been cancelled due to low registration....

Connellsville District Supt. Robert Zilhaver shared an analysis of recent Judicial Council decisions during a recent gathering of Associates in Advocacy, laity and clergy who walk through the disciplinary process with clergy accused of church violating church law. The group met May 8-9, 2019 gathering in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.  Rev. Robert Zilhaver Besides the Judicial Council decisions, Zilhaver addressed the new administrative appeals process and the principle of legality. There was ...

Faith and Politics Event Cancelled: The Change the World weekend event sponsored by UM Advocacy in PA has been cancelled. It had been scheduled to start May 18 at Paxton UMC in the Harrisburg area.  Abolitionist Tour: The Wrestling with Racism group launched by Warren and First United Methodist churches in Pittsburgh sponsored an Abolitionist Tour of the area Saturday. Learn more and see photos. See First UMC Facebook photos New Face at UM Center: Jason Dix has been hired as the new assistant ...

--By Jackie Campbell, Communications Director-- The Wrestling with Racism group, which was launched by Pittsburgh's Warren and First United Methodist churches, sponsored an Abolitionist Tour of the Pittsburgh area on Saturday, May 4. Historian/storyteller John Burt provided the commentary on people and places while the packed tour bus traveled from Pittsburgh to Washington, PA and back again. The focus was on antislavery efforts of women and men in Western Pennsylvania before the Civil War ...

Nearly 200 people turned out for the annual Jumonville Spring Dinner on Sunday, May 5 where Larry and Jaye Beatty, who officially retired March 31, were honored for their 37 years of service and leadership. As President of Jumonville, Larry shepherded its growth from a popular camp to a year-round camping and retreat center and Jaye filled many roles, most recently public relations coordinator, that aided that growth.   New Jumonville President Heather Witherow unveiled the new dining hall sign...

In mid-May, Western PA United Methodists will welcome Rev. Pablo Mora, a missionary and an elder in the  the Evangelical Methodist Community of Paraguay, who has served as pastor, superintendent, and president of the church. In late 2014, he was commissioned as a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, serving as superintendent of the United Methodist Mission in Honduras, based in Tegucigalpa. The Mission in Honduras, serving a Spanish-speaking ...

The Rev. Kellie Wild, who serves in extension ministry at East End Cooperative Ministry in Pittsburgh, has been honored by Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with the Fred McFeely Rogers Award for Creative Ministry. She is a 2009 graduate of PTS. The award was presented on alumnae/i day at the seminary, which published the following on its website: For more than 24 years, Kellie Wild has worked in senior management positions to serve people living in poverty, including the homeless. Her ...

Several years ago, the Conference Committee on Encounter with Christ in Latin America and the Caribbean received word from members who had visited Ecuador that there was a need for educational programs for pastors of the Evangelical Methodist Church of Ecuador.  While it seemed that the Lord and his people would be served by a mission to offer seminars in pastoral training, it took until this year, March 25 to April 2, for such a short-term mission to materialize.  Dr. David Stains, one of the ...

Annual Conference Registration Deadline is May 17. After that, the price goes up $25! To get details and register, go to wpaumc.org/AC Leadership Workshop: Whether you're attending annual conference or not, you are encouraged to participate in the Conference-sponsored Leadership Workshop on Wednesday afternoon, June 5 at Grove City College. Bring a team from your church and learn together from Rev. Olu Brown and Kay Kotan. Get flyer with details Register here if you are NOT attending Annual ...

Olmsted Names New Director: The Rev. Al Hammer, an ordained deacon in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, will begin serving as the new executive director of Olmsted Manor Retreat Center on July 1. Jody Larson, the current director, informed the board last year that he hoped to retire in the summer of 2019 after serving 41 years at Olmsted.  Learn more Going to the Autism Spectrum Workshop on Wednesday, May 1 at Ingomar UMC? Have you registered? Get details and register ASAP. Seeking Renewal...

The Board of Directors of Olmsted Manor Retreat Center has selected the Rev. Al Hammer, an ordained deacon in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, to become the Center’s executive director, effective July 1. Jody Larson, the current executive director, informed the board last year of his intention to retire in the summer of 2019, after serving 41 years at Olmsted, in Ludlow, PA.  A search committee was formed to seek candidates and select a new executive director. Rev. Al Hammer Rev. Hammer ...

Holy Week Pastoral Letter: In a pastoral letter for Holy Week, the president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops notes, “The conclusion of Lent historically led to readiness for baptism (or new life) and confession of our sin. As United Methodists, we would benefit from a greater capacity to forgive one another, and to ask for this same forgiveness in return. Jesus models this for us, from the cross (Luke 23). Read Bishop Kenneth Carter’s letter Nurture Relationships After Easter: Often,...

At the Lake Ministries is accepting reservations for its first full season  providing fishing and boating opportunities for individuals with special needs and their families. Get details. Annual Conference News: Registration for the 2019 Western PA annual conference session will be live next week on the Conference website. You’ll also find an online form to request space in the display area and forms to download to request special meals or rooms for special meetings. Visit wpaumc.org/AC The ...