Bishop Peggy Johnson announces new clergy appointment changes

Bethel AME Church to host prayer vigil over S.C. killings. Bishop Johnson sends letter

In the wake of last night's tragic killing of nine people at "Mother Emanuel" African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC., St. George's U.M. Church in Philadelphia, invites all to join in a prayer vigil tonight at 7 PM that will gather at nearby Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church (419 S. 6th St, Philadelphia, PA). Bishop Peggy Johnson has sent a letter to be read. She shared that letter with the conference, adding: "Please join them there, or if you can't, then please join your prayers to theirs in mourning this invasion of sacred space and tragic loss of life and in seeking loving consolation and guidance from almighty God." Her letter reads:

I greet our sister church, Mother Bethel A.M.E., on this evening and add my prayers to yours during this solemn gathering.  

Indeed, I join many other hearts and voices in grief at the horrible, senseless killing of nine people at "Mother Emanuel" African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. This incident adds yet another frustrating layer of pain to our sorrow from the many brutal shootings and bombings that have taken lives and wreaked havoc across our nation in recent years. We grieve for the families of those who were tragically slain by this gunman, and we are grateful to God that he has been apprehended by police.

We in the Philadelphia area join our many ecumenical and interfaith partners in praying for the people of Mother Emanuel and Charleston. As we lift our anguished prayers to God, we must also renew our concerted efforts to teach people that hate and violence are not valid means for solving problems, and that angry thoughts and words too often lead to violent deeds.

We must teach that hate and racism are not acceptable in any setting of our society, least of all in our churches. And we must work together prayerfully toward the day when such crimes as this will no longer happen.

Sincerely,
Bishop Peggy A. Johnson
Philadelphia Episcopal Area
The United Methodist Church

Bishop Peggy Johnson and the Eastern PA Conference Council on Finance and Administration are pleased to announce the hiring of James E. Cruickshank as Conference Treasurer, starting August 3.

He will succeed current Treasurer Peter DiNofia when he retires. Cruickshank, CFA, is a financial executive with extensive financial leadership and investment management experience. During his 30-year career, he has led corporate and business unit strategic initiatives that have helped organizations achieve growth. His specialties include corporate finance, capital markets, risk management, financial planning and analysis, and relationship management.  Learn more...

Jobs Digest next week

We will publish the next issue of Jobs Digest next week. Please submit any job openings to [email protected] by Monday, June 22.

United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania is urging members of the denomination to fast, pray and rally for education justice on Saturday, June 20, and again on Wednesday, June 24. United Methodists are invited to join an interfaith gathering of religious advocates for fair school funding legislation on the State Capitol steps in Harrisburg June 20, starting at 10 AM. They are also urged  to join a rally next Wednesday, June 24, and visits to legislators' offices to advocate for that same cause.  

The June 20 event will consecrate the start of a 10-day fast and witness by people of faith while legislators debate the 2016 budget. This  #MORALTAKEOVER action may well become the largest interfaith mobilization in Pennsylvania's history. The Eastern PA Annual Conference approved a resolution on May 16 calling for legislation to increase and fairly distribute public-school funding. Learn more...

Also, Bishop Peggy Johnson has co-authored an episcopal letter with fellow PA bishops Thomas Bickerton (Western PA Conference, Pittsburgh Area) and Jeremiah Park (Susquehanna Conference, Harrisburg Area). They offer "a moral witness," calling on members and congregations to urge state legislators to vote for budget proposals that "support poor students and schools through a fair funding formula, and which provide property tax relief to the most struggling communities in our commonwealth."   Learn more...

Father's Day has Methodist historical ties

Two former Methodist Episcopal churches--one in Washington state, the other in West Virginia--can lay claim to originating this annual paternal tribute. In 1909 in Spokane, Wash., Sonora Smart Dodd (pictured here with two Boy Scouts and a Civil War veteran)

When news of the observance spread across the country Father's Day became popular nationally. Meanwhile, another Methodist church in Fairmont, W.Va., had been celebrating Father's Day already for two years after a nearby mine explosion in 1907 claimed the lives of more than 360 men. Most of them had families, and the tragedy left 1,000 children fatherless. Learn more...

Volunteers' fees for child protective clearances to be waived

Beginning July 1 all prospective volunteers in Pennsylvania who will have direct contact with minors in churches and other venues must provide, in advance, child abuse clearances from the PA Department of Human Services and criminal background checks from the PA State Police, as required by the Child Protective Services Law. These state checks and clearances, which must be renewed every three years, cost a fee of $10 each, for a total of $20.  

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week that those fees will be waived for volunteers beginning July 25. In addition, both $10 fees will be reduced to $8 for prospective paid employees who will have direct contact with children. Also, volunteers who have not lived in PA continuously for the past 10 years are required to obtain an FBI background check for a fee of $27.50. That fee has not been waived or reduced. The Eastern PA Conference Safe Sanctuaries Committee is researching changes in the new laws and will report to the conference as more information and clarification become available. Learn more...

New resource explores ministry call, discernment 
 (UMNS)--Church leaders can use a new leadership discernment resource to help members discern a call to various forms of ministry. Three UMC general agencies collaborated on "Called: One Word, Many Ways," which includes downloadable sermon starters, reflection questions, video stories and commitment cards.  Learn more...

Kochenderfer Church in Lebanon, PA, will welcome the second Revelation Festival, offering music for millennials, on Saturday, August 8.  The church will host and partner with young organizers of the adventurous music gathering sophomore again this year.  

"We have been hard at work to make this the best Revelation Festival yet," said Alex Shepler. "We are so excited to have Rapture Ruckus (pictured here) headlining our Festival this year! They put on a stellar show, and they will even host a big dance party following the festival."  In addition to Rapture Ruckus, Revelation Festival will present even more nationally and locally known bands. "It's the perfect mix of music," added Shepler. "If you like, pop, rock, worship, electronic, rap, or metal music, we have something for you. And it's only $10 for tickets. We're also looking for volunteers. Interested parties can sign up to volunteer on our website." Contact info: Email: [email protected], Phone: 717-273-0525, Web: www.rev-fest.com

Grandview UMC in Lancaster is in the top 5 percent of purchasing products from the United Methodist Committee on Relief's (UMCOR's) collaboration with Equal Exchange Fair Trade. The church increased sales from the previous year by $800. The UMCOR Coffee Project, started with Equal Exchange in 2002, involves United Methodists in supporting small farmers around the world. Grandview accepted the Red Cherry Challenge to sell 175 pounds of Fair Trade Coffee by May 31 to help farmers suffering from poor harvests due to coffee rust and climate change. The church passed its goal by selling 183 pounds of coffee, which will help farmers in Guatemala and El Salvador to 1) plant new, more resilient coffee free saplings, 2) use organic fertilizers and fungicides, and 3) have emergency funds to help survive severe crop losses. Learn more about this empowerment ministry.

Appalachian Ministry Network OKs Hunger & Poverty grants
The Rev. Karyn Fisher and Rev. Susan Roehs attended the Spring meeting of the UM Appalachian Ministry Network (UMAMN), April 23-24 in Bolivar, Pa., to represent the Eastern PA Conference, which supports the network's ministries. The 23 members came from across the Appalachian region, which extends from New York to Mississippi. Coley Dize, an organizational development consultant and member of Glen Dale UMC in Wheeling, W. Va, led them through exercises to devise new action steps for implementing their strategic plan adopted in 2014. The group approved two grant applications totaling $3,200 to address root causes of hunger and poverty in Appalachian communities. The UMAMN fall meeting will be at Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky on October 22-23. Please consider supporting the Appalachian Hunger & Poverty Grant Program and the work of UMAMN through the following Advance Special projects: Appalachia Hunger and Poverty #982039 Appalachian Ministry Network #982041. for more information contact the Rev. Karyn Fisher, pastor of St. John's UMC, Shamokin, at [email protected]

Pastor's farewell letter sings all the right notes 

'Tis the season of transition, as many pastors bid farewell to churches they have led, and prepare to move on to new appointments. For some "parting is such sweet sorrow," and some faces and familiarities will be missed. But many pastors and churches look forward to new challenges and new opportunities to evolve and stretch their ministry muscles in new directions. While the pastor's farewell sermon is significant, a farewell letter to the congregation, often contained in the church newsletter, can have a wider and more lasting impact, especially if the writer, like the Apostle Paul, "speaks the truth in love." The Rev. Thomas Brooks did just that in his recent farewell letter to the congregation of Frankford Memorial UMC in Philadelphia. Learn more...

Resources for Father's Day
 

The third Sunday in June, is Father's Day, a special day to honor, celebrate and remember loving dads across the U.S. UM Discipleship Ministries offers prayers, litanies, devotions and even a remembrance to help churches honor fathers. Get resources.

32nd Laity Academy set for August 14-16

Register now for the 32nd Laity Academy, set for August 14-16, once again at The Inn at Reading, 1040 North Park Road, Wyomissing, PA. The theme is "Planting Seeds: Rooted in God's Word." The online registration is now live, and you can get plenty of information about this annual education and fellowship event--the largest gathering for laity each year--on our Website.

You can find access to the: Paper Registration Form and Course Selection Brochure; 2015 Academy for Laity Course Descriptions; and the 2015 Academy for Laity FAQs all on the event information page. We will highlight some of the courses to help promote the academy over the next few months. For more information contact Aubrey Bates or Anne Taylor. Hotel reservations must be made directly with the hotel: [email protected]. Mention "Lay Academy."

June is AIDS Education Month. Get educated!