February 1, 2019
Bishop Peggy Johnson announces the following appointments and retirements: 

East District Appointments:
  • Rev. Sunil Balasundarum to serve Doylestown UMC full-time effective, July 1, 2019.
  • Rev. Efrian Cotto to serve Phila.: St. Phillips UMC at one-quarter-time, effective January 1, 2019, in addition to his current appointment at Phila.: El Mesias.
  • Rev. Thomas Daniel to serve Phila.: Church of the Redeemer (half-time) and Phila.: Somerton UMC (half-time), effective July 1, 2019.
  • Rev. Bob Everett to serve Penns Park UMC
  • Rev. Andrew Krpata to serve Hatboro: Lehman Memorial UMC full-time, effective July 1, 2019.
  • Rev. Anthony Rogers to serve Doylestown UMC at one-quarter-time, effective December 5, 2018.

South District Re-Retirements:
  • Rev. Janet Hess from Springfield: C. C. Hancock and Springfield: Covenant, effective June 30, 2019.
  • Rev. Dennis Keen from Nantmeal effective May 11, 2019.

North District Retirements:
  • Rev. Deb Hebden (Elder) from Drums: St. Paul’s UMC
  • Rev. Cheryl Trent (Part Time Local Pastor) from Conyngham UMC

North District Appointments:
  • Rev. Candy LaBar (Elder) from Stroudsburg: Faith to serve Bethlehem: Wesley, full-time, July 1, 2019.

Tell us about your 2019 Super Bowl activities

Please send us news of your church activities for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3. We want to hear about your Super Bowl viewing parties, fellowship events, and any participation in the annual, nationwide Souper Bowl of Caring campaign to collect non-perishable food for distribution to communities. Send us descriptions and photos of your efforts, so we can share your story with the conference, too. E-mail us at [email protected] .

Visit our Local Church Events page...
to see what some of our churches are planning for this weekend, for Black History Month and for Lent. Please send us your event news also!
Saturday, Feb. 2: Come hear an update on the Called General Conference and Way Forward proposals by our delegation leader
Want to learn the latest basic information about the Way Forward proposals and petitions to be acted on at the called Special General Conference in St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 23-26? On   Saturday, Feb. 2, from 9 to 11:30 AM , the   Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, head of the Eastern PA Conference delegation, will review the proposals, petitions, positions, and policies that this historic global gathering of United Methodist leaders will deliberate over.
Willistown UMC , at 6051 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA, will host this important event. Come hear get the latest updates and answers to your questions.

Contact host pastor the Rev. Ji m Wilkin at  [email protected]  or 610.644.2227 with any questions.
See more new stories just posted on our website!
2019 Conference to explore ministry of generations
Worship to celebrate ageless wisdom of Psalms

“Tell to the Coming Generation,” from Psalm 78:4, is the theme Bishop Peggy Johnson has chosen for the 2019 Annual Conference, which returns to the Expo Center in Oaks, Pa, June 13-15. But the session’s program may be more about listening to the voices of that generation that is both coming and already arrived.

Much of the focus, inspired by wisdom from the Psalms, will be on evangelism, including teaching and being taught by the millennial generation and all generations. Learn more…
Eastern PA Youth Rally, March 16, to explore life choices

“Easier Said than Done.” That’s what hundreds of youth will learn about “Living as a Christian in a World that is Not Christian,” their theme and subtheme for the 4th Annual Eastern PA Conference Youth Rally on Saturday, March 16, 1 – 5 PM , at Wesley UMC, 2540 Center St., Bethlehem. The event is free, but  online registration is requested .

With new leadership, the Conference Council on Youth Ministry is planning a creative, energetic afternoon of candid dialogue, dramatic skits to open hearts and minds, Bible verse challenges, exciting games and other fun activities. And of course, there will be plenty of music by several Christian bands and lots of fellowship—maybe even new friendships formed—in a jam-packed, half-day rally. Learn more…
More Eastern PA VIM teams headed to Puerto Rico in 2019
"P.R. Methodist Bishop Ortiz to visit here"

Three Eastern PA Conference Volunteers in Mission teams will head to Puerto Rico this year, in March, June and November, to do much-needed, ongoing disaster recovery work. The Rev. Nicolas Camacho, who led the conference’s first team there in November 2018, is already looking for and hearing from potential volunteers for 2020 to further assist the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico’s (MCPR) extensive church and community restoration efforts.

Meanwhile, Bishop Hector Ortiz, who heads the MCPR, will come here March 4 to speak at Bishop Peggy Johnson’s Lenten Day Apart for Clergy. Eastern PA and Peninsula-Delaware conference clergy will gather with him for worship, fellowship and lunch on that Monday morning before Lent at conveniently located Aldersgate UMC in Wilmington, Del.   Learn more...
Bishop's Blog: Let us Cultivate Roses in St. Louis
(From a sermon preached at a meeting of the UMC’s Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops and Episcopacy Committee, January 30, 2019.)

During the May 2016 United Methodist General Conference, held in Portland, Oregon, the Council of Bishops was authorized to create a Special Commission on the Way Forward for our denomination. They were to wrestle with our Book of Discipline’s prohibitions against ordained ministry and marriage for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters—whether to keep, strengthen or remove those prohibitions.

On a Sunday there in Portland’s “City of Roses,” I was invited to preach at a local church and then treated to a tour of the city’s amazing rose gardens. I learned on that spring day that the city had an excellent environment for cultivating roses.  Read more...