by Erik Alsgaard You know that old saying: “When life gives you lemons…”? That is exactly what happened at Rehoboth UMC in Williamsport this summer. Last October, the congregation at Rehoboth moved lock, stock, and barrel from its land-locked location in downtown Williamsport...
By Erik Alsgaard There was a time, pre-pandemic, when clergy or local pastors might go away on a retreat to recharge their spiritual batteries by booking a cabin in the woods, a lofty perch on a mountain, or a house by a sandy beach filled with long walks. Today, those opportunities are harder...
by Melissa Lauber The Board of Pensions and Health Benefits of the Baltimore-Washington Conference might not be the first place one would look to find examples of grace and growing discipleship. But in August, the pastor and members of Chews Memorial UMC in Harwood showed up in person at the...
NARRATIVE SUMMARY OF THE 2021 PROPOSED CONFERENCE BUDGET BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS Benevolence Factor – Proposed 2021: 17.550% The benevolence factor is the percentage churches are apportioned based on their operating expenditures less exclusions. The percentage for 2021...
By Erik Alsgaard There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of our lives. Churches throughout the United States have had to adapt to new ways of doing ministry including, of course, churches throughout the Baltimore-Washington Conference. One of the key areas of...
By Erik Alsgaard Financial leaders in the Baltimore-Washington Conference have put the finishing touches on a recast 2021 budget that will be presented during the 2020 online Annual Conference Session Sept. 12. The original budget was finalized Feb. 29, mere days before the COVID-19 pandemic...
As the nation struggles with the challenges of systemic racism and white supremacy, the church is an incubator of deep thought, action, and prayer. The people of the Baltimore-Washington Conference are engaged in significant discernment and conversations about race. Some of the leaders of the...
Michael Vaughn, director of music ministry at A&M United Methodist Church in College Station, Texas, has directed and edited virtual choir videos, including with his church’s children’s choir. United Methodist music ministers are coming up with creative ways to keep music going...
Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, the episcopal leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, was named a 2020 Distinguished Alumni by Boston University School of Theology, where she graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in 2004.
By Erik Alsgaard Every church in the Baltimore-Washington Conference has a deed, a legal document pertaining to property rights and ownership. The language in those deeds, as far as United Methodist churches go, often centers around the “Trust Clause.” “All properties of...
