Penny S Helmbold

Phone (814) 657-3132

474 Troy Center Rd

Titusville, PA 16354

Mount Hope U M Church
Senior Pastor

Bio
Born in North East (near Erie, PA), she grew up in Diamond,  (Titusville area), the middle child with 2 brothers.  She attended the Maplewood schools, graduating in 1987.  After high school, she attended St. Paul Bible College in Minnesota for 3 years, then later graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville with an Associates in Human Services.  She is currently attending Course of Study at Methodist Theological School in Ohio.

Penny was raised in the Diamond Evangelical United Methodist Church and accepted Christ at age 5.  She was at the church every time the doors were opened if there was something going on that she could be a part of.  She taught Sunday School, 5-Day Clubs, helped with VBS, and was the youth representative to the Committee on Missions throughout her high school years.  During college, she taught Sunday School, was part of a puppet team, and participated in an inner-city ministry program.  As an adult, she taught Sunday School, led VBS, helped with an after school children's program, and went on a mission trip to Mexico.   

Penny was called to ministry as a pastor in May, 2012 officially and began her first assignment at the Tryonville/Hydetwon Charge in July of 2012.   After serving there for just over a year, she stepped back for personal reasons.   She was then called back into a pastoral role in 2017 at the Enterprise church in the Erie-Meadville District.   In 2018, both she and the Enterprise Church were transitioned over to Kane District where they became part of the Evergreen Charge (including Grand Valley and Sanford). 

Penny is the mother of 4 adult children (Nichole, Jenifer, Shawn, and Amanda) and Grammy to 4 (Liam, Alex,  Ben, and Rogue). She is also Grammy Pen to Compassion Child, Lorky, from Haiti.    Her family calls her the Crazy Cat Lady because she collects cat knicknacks although she puts her foot down at 3 live cats at a time.  She enjoys spending time with family, reading, and hanging out with friends.

She has been active in her communties throughout her adult years as a Girl Scout Leader/Neighborhood Director, Stage Manager for Titusville Area Youth Theater, a member of Take Pride in Titusville where she helped to coordinate and run Earth Day events, the President of the Commuter Student Association at UPT, an auxilary member of the Grand Valley Volunteer Fire Department, and other events and committees.