September 8, 2025 | "Transformed Lives Transform Lives" | | We pray for the friends and family of Rev. Lee Russell Brown, Jr., who died on July 9. Rev. Brown was appointed to St. Paul’s in Chevy Chase in 2022. In 2025, he received a new appointment in the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Rev. Brown was a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. | | |
Join us for 28 days of prayer and discernment as we seek to multiply impact within our Beloved Communities. The 2025 United to Love - “28 Days of Prayer” experience will begin on October 1 and continue through October 28. We invite you to set aside just 30 minutes each day to connect with God, reflect, and listen for the Spirit’s leading alongside a community of people committed to inspiring change and building a more just world. We will feature the transformative book Dynamite Prayer by Rev. Dr. Rosario “Roz” Picardo and Rev. Dr. Sue Nilson Kibbey.
How to Join:
- Get your copy of Dynamite Prayer (if ordering 10 or more books, use code INNOVATE50 for 50% off your order).
- Commit to pray daily from October 1–28.
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RSVP and let us know you’re ready to pray boldly, listen deeply, and move forward together in love.
- Optional: Join others in live prayer from 7 to 7:30 a.m.via Zoom.
- If joining the 7 a.m. Zoom, download the calendar reminder to add the daily prayer time directly to your schedule.
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Registration is now open for United Women in Faith’s Assembly 2026 on May 15-17 in Indianapolis. The keynote speakers are Stacey Abrams, nationally renowned political leader, voting rights advocate, bestselling author and active United Methodist, alongside her mother, the Rev. Carolyn Abrams, a retired United Methodist clergywoman.
Read the press release. Register.
Rev. Angelic Williams arrived at St. Luke UMC in Baltimore to fill in for a colleague and found just 19 worshippers in the pews. Three years later, the congregation has quadrupled in size, launched community ministries, and is living out a vision of doing life together in Christ. Read more.
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IGNITE is returning March 20-22, 2026 in Ocean City
Too many of our young people feel disconnected, unseen, and uncertain of their worth in a divided world. IGNITE 2026 responds with "Belong" - a theme that grounds youth in their identity as God’s beloved, equips them to embrace their own sacred worth, and calls them into a just and loving community with others.
"You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”
– 1 Corinthians 3:23 (CEB)
Attendees will encounter intentional worship, practical workshops, and a mission project that transforms belonging into discipleship in action. Registration opens September 15. Learn more.
Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 15. Local church resources have been provided by the General Commission on Religion and Race, including a book study on “Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity” by Robert Chao Romero. See Hispanic Heritage Month Resources.
The governor's office is hosting a "Faith in Community Opioid/Overdose Forum" on September 30 at the Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center in Baltimore. Download flyer. On September 23, you are invited to join the Lt. Governor, Aruna Miller, and Dr. Lora Hargrove, Director of Faith Outreach, for a Call to Action pre-forum gathering for faith leaders to meet and discuss the opioid crisis in Maryland, particularly as it affects our Black men 55 years of age and older. Download flyer.
Congregational Development Grants are now available. Do you have an innovative and exciting idea or a plan for a new ministry that will help your congregation go to the “next level?" Or are you developing a way to reach new people who are not yet a part of any church? The BWC's Congregational Development Grants can assist you in launching your new ministry initiative, congregational renewal project, or leader development ministry. All materials must be uploaded by October 1. Learn more and apply.
Join us for our Annual Confirmation Pilgrimages on Saturday, October 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, March 8, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You will see four historic sites and learn about your Methodist Roots. New this year: Junior Circuit Rider Program and interactive touch boxes. Please RSVP to Rev. Bonnie McCubbin, Director of Museums & Pilgrimage. Groups are limited to 40 people (youth and adults) from multiple churches.
The key to effective leadership is the ability to be a non-anxious presence. This is deceptively simple, but tremendously difficult. We invite you to embark on this journey, where you can lead change in even the most challenging contexts. The Non-Anxious Leader: Family Systems Basics is a four-week online course, beginning October 13, that will help you learn the principles behind this approach, as well as how to put them into practice. You will earn 3.0 CEU’s for a successful completion of this course. There is no cost to lay and clergy members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Learn more and register.
| | In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) | | |
The Taskforce on the Church and Artificial Intelligence will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, September 10, from noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom. This session will focus on AI and Scripture, doctrine, and history. If you are interested in attending the meeting or working on the taskforce, please email Rev. Mark Gorman for the Zoom information.
The Baltimore-Washington Area Reconciling United Methodists (BWARM) invite you to join us for our annual meeting on Saturday, September 13, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the mission center, 11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759. We will hear from guest speaker Dr. Ashley Boggan, the General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History of the UMC, about the roots of LGBTQ+ inclusion in our early Wesleyan history.
September is Deaf Awareness Month and UMC Deaf caucus (UMCD) and the national committee on Deaf Ministries (DHM) have resources.
Bishop Easterling will be visiting each of the Districts in the Baltimore-Washington Conference in September. This will be a time to meet with clergy and laity for sharing and communication. As our new structure takes effect and we begin new relationships in each of our new districts and across the area, this will be an important time of connection. Visit our event calendar for locations, dates, and times.
To request an ASL interpreter, contact Rev. Leo Yates at lyates@bwcumc.org.
The Baltimore-Washington Conference Lay Servant Academy is dedicated to equipping leaders among the laity of the church. The Academy offers courses approved by UMC Discipleship Ministries as credit-bearing for those in the Certified Lay Servant, Certified Lay Speaker, and Certified Lay Minister tracks; however, the courses are open to all. Learn more.
The United Methodist Board of Church and Society has extended the deadline until September 7 for United Methodist congregations and groups to apply online for grants in three categories. The agency administers grants for Peace with Justice, the Ethnic Local Church, and Human Relations Day programs. Learn more. Apply.
The Deaf & Hard of Hearing Ministries Committee (DHM), a partner of Global Ministries, is meeting September 9-11, in Elkridge, MD. This 3-day meeting precedes the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf (UMCD) conference held September 12-13. Read the DHM Newsletter (Google Doc | Plain text).
The United Methodist Congress of the Deaf, a Deaf caucus, will hold its conference in Elkridge on September 12-13. Learn more, including information about scholarships, and register.
Young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 are invited to relive your childhood for a weekend and do all the fun things you used to do at camp at the Manidokan Young Adult Retreat on September 12-14. The retreat will offer classic camp activities including high ropes, swimming in the pool, hikes, tie-dye, and a river trip. If you have someone in your life that has never experienced camp, this would be a perfect opportunity to bring them along. The price of young adult camp is $175/person and covers all meals, lodging, and activities. If you and a spouse plan to attend and want a private room, email the program director, Jarrett Snider, or give us a call at 301-834-7244 ext. 3. Register.
Come learn more about our different Social Action Teams, the advocacy work they’re leading, and how you can get involved at the virtual Social Action Team Chair's Lunch & Learn on Sept. 17 at noon. This virtual gathering is a great opportunity to connect, explore areas of passion, and discover ways to take action together for justice. Register.
The Board of Ordained Ministry is hosting a BWC Candidacy Process webinar for those interested in becoming a mentor on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Anyone who feels called to ordained ministry -- candidates, certified candidates, provisional members, any full-member interested in becoming a mentor, current mentors, past mentors, pastors, SPRC members, DCOM members, and BOOM members are encouraged to register and participate in the training.
On September 18, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., marchers participating in the "We Are America" march from Philadelphia will arrive in Silver Spring en route to the capital. Silver Spring UMC invites you to participate as they host an event alongside DoTheMostGood, Indivisible MoCoWoMen, EmpowerHERed, and other grassroots organizations. The event will include providing food for approximately 60 marchers, a local band, and welcome remarks from elected officials.
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Service Celebrating the Appointment of Conference Superintendents: September 20
With the creation of six new districts, all of our superintendents have new assignments. We will welcome our two newest superintendents and formally celebrate the appointment of all six superintendents in worship on Saturday, September 20. The 10 a.m. service will be at Glen Mar UMC, 4701 New Cut Rd., Ellicott City, MD.
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The Baltimore-Washington Creation Care team supports SUN DAY, Sunday, September 21, a day of action celebrating solar and wind power, and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind. Solar energy is now the most cost-effective source of power on the planet, providing us with an opportunity to take meaningful action against the climate crisis. BWCUMC churches are invited to energize members to combat the climate crisis. Churches can help in many ways: (1) Talk to youth and adults about solar energy, EVs, and climate change. (2) Consider roof-top solar. Visit thirdact.org/sun-day or email maryland@thirdact.org for more information.
Strengthening the Black Church (SBC21) and the Baltimore-Washington Conference invite you to join in-person for The Black Collective (Lead Well) on September 25. This is a sacred space designed to nourish the spirit, elevate leadership, and strengthen the communal call to justice and transformation. The Black Collective is more than a gathering; it is a movement within the Lead Well initiative, rooted in the belief that Black leaders must be supported, resourced, and seen. This one-day event will take place at The Baltimore-Washington Conference Center (11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register.
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In observance of Sickle Cell Awareness Month on Saturday, September 27, the Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center is hosting a blood drive to support Project SPIRIT Sickle Cell. If you are an eligible type O, B -, or A - donor, consider making a Power Red donation. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component. Your blood helps save lives! Download the flyer.
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Spark interest and community about the IGNITE Youth Conference being held in March 2026 in Ocean City by attending an IGNITE bonfire. While each site will have its own unique twist, youth, young adults and chaperones will find fun, fellowship, s’mores and camp activities. Bring friends from the community and start fanning the flame toward the IGNITE Conference. RSVP.
Locations:
West River Center - Sunday, September 28, 5 to 7 p.m.
Camp Manidokan - Saturday, October 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Please bring your own chair)
Camp Pecometh - Sunday, October 19, 4 to 7 p.m.
The Council of Bishops ecumenical staff has announced the availability of two opportunities for United Methodists interested in Christian unity and interfaith engagement. These include three Local Initiative Grants for conference groups as well as a scholarship for a young adult to attend the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in Switzerland. Scholarship applications are due on October 1, and grant applications are due on November 3. Learn more and apply.
Deaf Ministries is offering a seminar: "Introduction to Signing Music." This seminar will be held on October 11, 9:30 a.m. to noon at St. Mark United Methodist Church, 1440 Dorsey Rd. Hanover, MD 21076. Download the flyer. Register.
| | St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute has one remaining Patterson scholarship available for a United Methodist in the greater Baltimore area interested in exploring Scripture and theology at the seminary level. The scholarship covers two-thirds of tuition for six courses, or full tuition for a student with demonstrated financial need. Students may choose foundational courses, electives, or the Certificate in Biblical Studies. The six courses could count as one-third of an EI master’s degree, or 25% of UMC ordination requirements through our MDiv partnership. Contact Galen at gzook@stmarys.edu for details. | | |
Submissions?
Alison Burdett, Interim Director of Communications
11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD 20759
410.309.3428 | aburdett@bwcumc.org
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