In a gradually unfolding, creative and bold shift in church culture, Silver Spring UMC is working to ensure that its building is used to serve its vision, and not the other way around. “Our goal is to build, in bricks and mortar, who it is we say we are as the body of Jesus Christ,&rdquo...
Despite challenges and changes facing Latino congregations and ministries in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 was a month to celebrate history and heritage. While that window of time is nice, truth be told is that Latinos celebrate their culture every month, week and...
From Kathryn GreenIn the fall of 2021, the world was awakening from the COVID pandemic, Russia had invaded Ukraine, and the U.S. struggled with social and racial justice issues, mass shootings, and economic issues. The confirmation class at La Plata UMC looked for ways to bring peace to this...
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. -- Matthew 5:9 Beloved of God, I greet you in the name of our Savior, Jesus, who lived, died, and is resurrected for the sake of reconciliation and peace. Last Saturday, as many Jews had just observed the Jewish...
From the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula Delaware Committees on Native American Ministries We honor the lives of Indigenous peoples, show our gratitude for the significant and countless contributions they have made to our world, and renew our commitment to respect tribal sovereignty and...
As rates of stress and anxiety grow across the United States, members of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences are learning about how to serve as a non-anxious presence in their congregations and communities. The course revolves around the family systems theory on...
As we come to grips with the horror of the shooting that took place at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD, our hearts break and we pray for those most closely affected. Once again violence has shattered lives and we, as a faith community, struggle to make sense of senseless violence. Five...
Story by Melissa Lauber Photos by Brenda Bowman Wesley Freedom UMC in Eldersburg is a place of invitation. As a symbol of this, a very large scallop shell stands as a baptismal font at the front of the church. But recently, an ancient-new practice has erupted as 12 young people have been...
More and more churches close their doors in the United States. Large sanctuaries sometimes only have a dozen bodies in the pews on a given Sunday. The church faces a new era: a country of people less inclined to attend their church than in past decades. The Planter’s Discernment Academy...
An invitation for episcopal candidates from the Rev. Ianther Mills and Cynthia Taylor, leaders of the BWC delegation As the 2024 Jurisdictional Conference delegation of the Baltimore-Washington Conference begins its work, one of the great responsibilities of the delegation is to identify...
