Conference News

On Christmas Sunday, First United Methodist Church in downtown Erie had the distinct privilege and pleasure to host approximately 40 guests made up of a small portion of Erie's population experiencing homelessness. These individuals rely on Our Neighbor's Place Overflow shelter from November to April to escape the cold weather. On the Friday before Christmas, Pastor Bob Trask began conversations with the leadership of that ministry and found out that on Christmas morning there was a gap from ... read more

Member of Pittsburgh church marks 70th year as organist for Christmas services: CBS News Pittsburgh reporter Kym Gable recently interviewed 91 year old Shirley Schmunk, treasured member and long time organist of the Hill Top United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood. Shirley marked her 70th year as the organist for Christmas services this past holiday. Watch this heart-warming story. Grief During This Time of Transition: During an all clergy meeting held December 12 in ... read more

On the evening of December 12 at Crossfire in Butler, Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi gathered together WPA clergy to confront the collective grief and pain felt by many in this season of disaffiliation. Rev. Lynette S. Moran, a Deacon in WPA, delivered a presentation during this gathering examining grief and how we can work our way through grief. She compiled that presentation to share beyond the clergy session. Rev. Moran is a PhD candidate researching individual and collective grief, especially ... read more

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration events are scheduled around the conference. Check back for more events.  Pittsburgh District   Greensburg District Watch livestream.  read more

During a recent time of devotion, those of us in attendance were encouraged to meditate on the words of one of the great Advent hymns of the church, In the Bleak Midwinter, written by Christina Georgina Rossetti in 1872. In the bleak midwinter  Frosty wind made moan,  Earth stood hard as iron,  Water like a stone: Snow had fallen, Snow on snow, snow on snow,  In the bleak midwinter, Long ago. In silence, I reflected on the words of this hymn with a greater intensity than I ever had. As a result... read more

The Redemption of the Grinch: Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn, Director of Connectional Ministries, explains her love for the Grinch and why she sees the classic Dr. Suess tale as a perfect redemption story in this blog post first published in 2019.   Interior of church a total loss after fire: WPXI interviewed Pastor Christine Doren a week after a fire at Trinity UMC in Stahlstown. “It’s been incredible. I’ve had multiple churches reach out — asking, ‘what can we do?’ and multiple people reaching out ... read more

Carlen Blackstone, a member of Dutilh UMC in Cranberry Township, reflects on her experience at the Western PA Conference Anti-Racism Summit. This summit was organized by WPAUMC Commission on Religion and Race (CORR) and focused on the intersection of faith and race. After spending most of October 20-22 attending the Conference-wide Anti-Racism Summit, it is naturally hard to capture all that I learned and felt compelled to consider in a brief article, but I know some of you might want a ... read more

After Fire Damages 200-year-old Stahlstown Church, Congregation Perseveres: The 200-year-old church in Stahlstown will need extensive repairs after it was damaged in a fire late Sunday. Read story.    Bakerstown UMC Food Distribution: The Bakerstown United Methodist Church and the Lighthouse Foundation on Tuesday hosted a drive-through food distribution to combat food insecurity in the area. This Butler Eagle article can be viewed in the print publication or online. (Note: The online story is ... 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

Disaster Response Team Provides Aid After Hurricane Ian: A Western Pennsylvania Disaster Response Team of five traveled to Fort Myers, Florida to help with cleanup after Hurricane Ian. Read story by David Kissinger. Free Thanksgiving Meals Provided by DuBois UMC: WTAJ reported on the volunteers from DuBois United Methodist Church who offered a free Thanksgiving meal to people in need. The annual tradition began around 10 years ago and this year, 400 meals were prepared. Watch segment.  ... read more

by David Kissinger A Western Pennsylvania Disaster Response Team of five consisting of David Kissinger, David Seib, Peggy Seib, Todd Ernst and Leslie Foland traveled to Fort Myers Florida to help with cleanup after Hurricane Ian. The team met the morning of October 18th at a Sheetz in Morgantown, WV before traveling to the Washington Street Unity Methodist Church (UMC) in Columbia, SC.  After an overnight stay at the church, they travelled to North Fort Myers and were housed at the Good ... read more

Ackley-Killian to Service Pittsburgh, Butler Districts: On Monday, November 15, Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi announced through email that Rev. Deborah Ackley-Killian will serve both the Pittsburgh and Butler districts effective January 1, 2023. Read more.  "Meeting this Moment" Symposium: Three Western PA clergy will be deliver papers at  “Meeting This Moment: Exploring the State of Allegheny College’s Methodist Affiliation,” a symposium that will be held at Allegheny on March 17-18, 2023. The ... read more

On Monday, November 15, Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi announced through email that Rev. Deborah Ackley-Killian will serve both the Pittsburgh and Butler districts effective January 1, 2023. Her new appointment to both districts will be effective until at least June 30, 2023. Read more about Rev. Ackley-Killian. "God is calling us to explore new possibilities in 2023," wrote Bishop Moore-Koikoi. "We are grateful for the gifts that Rev. Ackley-Killian brings to both the annual conference and the ... read more

NEJ Conference Summary: The Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church met November 1-4 in College Park, Maryland to worship, elect and consecrate a new bishop, celebrate retirees, hear reports, and vote on various legislation. While there were many moments worth celebrating, such as the election of the jurisdiction’s first Hispanic bishop and the retirement of four bishops, the delegation grappled with dead-locked voting during the election of a second bishop and a ... read more

Key Points Bishops Cynthia Moore-Koikoi will continue to provide episcopal coverage for the Western Pennsylvania Conference. She will also continue to share coverage of the Susquehanna Conference with Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball The jurisdictional conference elected its first Hispanic bishop, Rev. Hector Burgos.  Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn, along with other Directors of Connectional Ministries, delivered the NEJ Call to Action against racism. The next jurisdictional conference will be held in ... read more