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April 28, 2025 | "Transformed Lives Transform Lives"

Prayers of the People

Ida Pearl Green, the mother of the Rev. Gerry Green, died April 17, two months before her 107th birthday. A service celebrating her life was held today at Fairhaven UMC. Donations in her memory can be made to the Pleasant View Historical Society.

When Susie Keefer from the Peninsula-Delaware Conference traveled to Congo in 2010, little did she know it would be the first of many mission journeys. A few years later, she adopted daughter Miriam, whom she met while spending time at a nutrition center there. In 2014, Keefer founded Miriam’s Table to honor her daughter and feed children in need. Miriam’s Table now serves 350 children and is one of the Congo Partnership’s ministries. See the UMNS story and view the video “Miriam’s life comes full circle."

During this season of appointments, we pray for Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, the Cabinet, and all the pastors and churches who will be experiencing a change in pastoral leadership on July 1. See the appointment list.

Hubs and new districts announced for BWC

This morning, Conference leaders shared the new structure of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, as well as announcing the new names of the BWC’s six new districts. 

The new structure is accompanied by a renewed call to mission, ministry and our baptismal covenant. This sacred realignment is not merely administrative; it is a movement of the Spirit, a response to the living waters that continue to flow through our hearts, our churches, and our communities. It is vital change.

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling offers details and thanks to all those who worked to make this new structure and this new day possible and calls on the “saints of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, who have been claimed in the waters of baptism, to continue to live out your calling with courage and compassion.”

• See Bishop’s message on Living Water and the new structure
• See the directory of churches and their hubs and districts
• See the directory of Hubs
• See the District Map

New and Featured Ministries

D.C. Advocacy Day: Join United Methodist laity and clergy as they advocate for just policies and laws for the District of Columbia community at D.C. Advocacy Day on Wednesday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Asbury UMC in Washington, D.C. Learn more and register.

Suicide Prevention webinar: The BWC's Gun Violence Prevention ministry team will host a webinar, "Talk Saves Lives: an Introduction to Suicide Prevention," on May 5 at 7 p.m. It will cover the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide. 

Applications are now being accepted for the BWC’s Peace with Justice grant. Churches and United Methodist groups can apply online. The deadline is May 16. Learn more.

"Live From Wespath" will air on Wednesday, April 30, at noon. This virtual four-hour event features information and insights from Wespath about the new Compass clergy retirement plan, investments, and benefits. Your registration allows you to participate in the entire event; you may also drop in for only the segments that interest you or receive a link approximately three to five business days after the event to view at your convenience. Learn more and register.

 Applications for the next class of Certified Lay Ministers for the Baltimore-Washington Conference Class of 2025-2027 are now being accepted. Learn more and see the online application. The deadline to submit your application is July 1. The next cohort will start in September and is a two-year commitment. Questions can be directed to Linda Flanagan, Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries.  

A Deacon Exploration Session will be held May 17 from 10 a.m. to noon on Zoom. This webinar about the history and ministry of the deacon is open to ministry candidates, seminarians, persons discerning clergy orders, and SPRC chairs (or church leaders). Click here to register for the webinar. Questions about the webinar can be sent to Rev. Dr. Leo Yates, the chair of the Order of Deacons.

The Order of Deacons is planning a Day Apart for the Diaconate: Deacons and Deaconesses & Home Missioners for both annual conferences on May 30, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Calvary UMC in Annapolis. The Rev. Dr. Margaret Ann Crain will be the guest speaker. This in-person gathering welcomes ministry candidates, seminarians, provisional deacons, full-member deacons, retired deacons, deacons on loan to both annual conferences, and deaconesses and Home Missioners from both conferences. To RSVP, submit accessibility requests, and share food allergies, please complete this Google form no later than May 15. Questions can be emailed to Rev. Dr. Leo Yates at leoyjr@gmail.com.

Mark your Calendars: Coming This Summer

Seeking inspiration? A Clergy Renewal Retreat will be held June 3-5 at Pecometh Retreat Center at 401 Jack Elliott Way in Centreville. The session, facilitated by the Rev. Dawn Stewart, will be a time to renew your spirit with creativity and reflection. The cost is $255, which includes a single room and meals. Optional spiritual direction is available for $75. Register.

Washington Conference Pilgrimage Bus Trip: On June 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Conference’s annual Pilgrimage Bus Trip will explore the former racially segregated old Washington Conference as we wrestle with questions about race, justice, and equality. This year’s trip focuses on Baltimore sites. Free parking is available at Lovely Lane UMC at 2200 St. Paul St. in Baltimore, where the day will begin and end. The cost is $50 (scholarships are available), which includes the bus, lunch catered by a Black-owned catering company, admission to all sites, interpretation, and a lesson on pilgrimage theology. Full participants can earn 0.6 CEUs. Learn more and register.

The Seeds of Security Charity Golf Tournament will be held at a new location this year, Renditions Golf Club, in Anne Arundel County, on Monday, June 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seeds of Security supports the Area’s ministries with survivors of intimate partner violence and develops safe havens for them. There are a number of opportunities for sponsoring support, including sponsoring a hole for $250. Register to play. For information, contact the Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson.

Intergenerational Ministry: If your church is interested in exploring intergenerational faith formation and ministry, consider attending the InterGenerate Conference, which will be held at Asbury Theological Seminary June 10-12. This year's theme is Connecting Heads, Hands, Hearts of Every Generation, centering on what it means to lean into 1 Corinthians 12:12: More than 50 presenters from all over the world, representing an array of Christian denominations, contexts, and aspects of intergenerational ministry will share academic research, practical workshops, and intergenerational experiences. BWC attendees can save $25 if they register by April 30 using the Promo Code H25Gen24. Find out more at InterGenerate.

Early Educators Conference: The BWC's Directors Roundtable will host an Early Childhood Educators Conference on Aug. 7 at St. Andrews UMC, at 48 Wallace Manor Road in Edgewater. The cost is $75. The theme is "Choose Joy." Registration opens May 1.

See a listing of more discipleship ministries and local church events

Learn more about 100% of churches at 100% vitality.

See church classified ads

The Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area is hiring a Young People’s Ministry Coordinator to oversee ministry efforts aimed at children, youth and young adults. Learn more.

The Area is also seeking a Latinx/Hispanic/Latino and Multicultural Ministry Coordinator. Learn more.