Evangelism Training: Conference Evangelists John and Christine Zimmerman will offer Evangelism Training in the fall for up to 15 people in each of our 10 Districts. The course is a combination of 10 hours of online contact through BeADisciple.com and a daylong gathering in each district. Get details Disaster Response Update: David Kissinger, who had served as Johnstown District Disaster Response Coordinator, is now leading our Conference Disaster Response Team. He officially began serving as ...

While no ministry in the local church is more vital than evangelism, in most congregations it is a scary word -- and its intentional application is rarely found, says the Rev. John Zimmerman, Conference General Evangelist and church consultant.  To address the situation, John and his wife Christine Zimmerman, also a Conference Evangelist, will offer Evangelism Leader’s Training for up to 15 people in each of WPAUMC’s 10 districts this Fall. It will include 10 hours of online class time over two...

This year Olmsted Manor Retreat Center is celebrating 50 years offering Christian hospitality in a hostile world. On Sunday, July 14, 2019, about 75 donors, board members, staff, leaders and friends of Olmsted Manor gathered to celebrate and to consecrate the addition and renovation of Groves Lodge and The Manor House. The work was made possible by the Honoring Our Past- Preparing for our Future capital campaign, chaired Jim and Phyllis McGinnis Willats of Table of Grace church in Erie. Their...

The Western PA Disaster Response Ministries Team has been lending assistance on a case by case basis in areas affected by flash flooding and tornado activity this summer.  As of July 1, 2019, David Kissinger of Elton: Zion UMC, who has served as coordinator of the Johnstown District Disaster Response Team since 2015, is coordinating the Conference Disaster Response Ministries Team. Kissinger has been involved in Disaster Response Ministry for several years in Pennsylvania and beyond, including ...

Watch Mollie at Youth 2019! Outgoing Conference Youth Ministry Team President Mollie Landman will be a main speaker during opening worship Wednesday night at Youth 2019 in Kansas City. The service is being live-streamed and Mollie’s scheduled to go on stage about 9:10 p.m. EDT (8:10 in St. Louis). Several members of YMT traveled to the event with Youth/Young Adult Ministries Coordinator Amanda Gilligan and other youth leaders. Watch and learn more at youth2019.com/ See Livestream Read more about...

Serving in a New Appointment? As you settle into your new ministry setting, we offer prayers and two reminders for you: If you have a new address, you must update your clearances. Clearances are tied to your address. Get details on getting clearances at wpaumc.org/safesanctuaries If you have a new email, mailing address or phone numbers, be sure to update your records through the WPAUMC clergy dashboard. Navigate! If you’re ready to go deeper in your ministry, bring a team from your church ...

Addiction Recovery Seminar: More than 120 people gathered at First UMC in Butler last Saturday for the Conference-sponsored Addiction Recovery Seminar. They explored how local churches can respond to those struggling with addiction in their communities. Speakers included leaders in the recovery community, certified addiction counselors, leaders from congregations partnering with those in recovery, and representatives of programs and agencies addressing addiction and prevention. See photo album ...

Global Ministries, the UMC missions agency, will offer its EarthKeepers training in “creation care” at Arch Street UMC in Philadelphia from Aug 8-11. The training, the first of three scheduled around the nation, will equip United Methodists to develop environmental stewardship initiatives in their churches and communities and connect them with others in the church who are actively engaged in such work. Global Ministries will pay all costs for the training, food and lodging, but July 1 is the  ...

In light of the recent news about children in U.S. government holding facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border, the United Methodist Committee on Relief has received numerous requests to respond. "We have heard the plea for action from the church. Unfortunately, the facilities in question are managed in such a way that precludes even UMCOR’s assistance. Access to these government facilities is extremely limited," the relief agency said in a press release on Wednesday, June 26. As the arm of The ...

Sandra Matoushaya, Mission Engagement Coordinator for the Western PA Conference, has been named to an advisory panel to work with the UMC Board of Church and Society on training efforts to help congregations engage in Ministry WITH the poor to address causes of poverty. Over the past few years, Church and Society has engaged in conversations with more than 250 ministries across the United Methodist connection. These ministries are in relationship WITH their communities in meaningful ways that ...

Annual Conference 2020: The dates for Annual Conference 2020 were confirmed today. The session will be June 11-13, 2020 at Grove City College. Weaver Dunn to Lead 2020 Delegation: Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn was elected to chair Western PA’s delegation to the 2020 General and Jurisdictional conferences. See the other leaders and learn more. Annual Conference Reports: Lay members are invited to use resources from the Conference website to prepare annual conference reports for their congregations. ...

The Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn, WPAUMC Director of Connectional Ministries, has been elected to chair the Western PA delegation to General Conference 2020. She is the first clergywoman to do so. Two laywomen have served in the post.  Dunn is just the second woman to be elected first as a clergy delegate. The first was the Rev. Aimee Twigg, now a retired elder, in 2000. That year, the first-elected laity delegate served as chairperson of the delegation. At the close of the annual conference session...

The year 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of African people in North America, and the Pittsburgh-based Stop the Violence organization will celebrate their legacy and contributions to the region during Juneteenth events marking the end of chattel slavery and the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865.  Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi will be honored along with other religious and community leaders who uplift communities in Western Pennsylvania during the 5th Annual Celebration of ...

Flooding from severe storms passing through the New Castle area June 17-18 has affected the entry road and ramp to the Eastbrook Mission Barn, an official UMCOR depot where cleaning (flood) buckets and hygiene kits are verified and processed. Repair work began Wednesday, June 19 and were expected to continue through the week of June 24-29. The Mission Barn is one of eight depots in the The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Satellite Network.  Mission Barn Director Katie Peterson has...

Annual Conference Wrap-Up: The June 6-8, 2019 Annual Conference session ended about 6:45 p.m. on Saturday evening. Only about one-third of the voting members remained through the late afternoon on Saturday. Read wrap-up story. Delegate Elections: A report on the balloting for 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates, with a list of those elected, is on the Conference website here. Annual Conference photos are available on the Conference Flickr pages or at revrichpearson.com/Annual-...