Bishop John Schol called on EPAUMC members Friday to pray, “particularly in your worship services this weekend for the people of Ukraine and for peace in the region.” He reported that the UMC’s Council of Bishops discussed in a called …
2022 Clergy Appointments, Church Openings, and Retirements
With appointments season, the EPA Conference website now has a new Appointments section, featuring New Appointments, New Clergy Retirees and Open Churches that are seeking new pastoral appointments…
Two pastors chosen to lead as district superintendents
Bishop John Schol has appointed two Eastern PA Conference pastors to become superintendents of the North and West districts July 1. They will soon begin meeting monthly with the Cabinet to learn about their future leadership responsibilities. The primary role …
Bishop to discuss new appointment-making process, Jan. 24
“I have always experienced making appointments as a sacred act filled with prayer, listening, conversation and discernment,” writes Bishop John Schol in a letter to EPAUMC clergy this week. He plans to discuss with them plans for a new way …
Good leadership requires challenge, failure, practice
You have probably heard the saying “practice makes perfect.” There is a lot of truth to that. Of course, if you are practicing the wrong thing, you may be perfecting the opposite of what you are trying to achieve…
Be the hope that others need
Is anyone among you suffering? Then you must pray. -James 5:13
Today in Philadelphia, there was a *tragic house fire in which at least 13 people died, seven of whom were children. I call on all United Methodists to pray…
Bishop announces 2022 Cabinet transitions; seeks two new supts.
Bishop John Schol announced Dec. 16 the imminent departure of two district superintendents in June 2022, and he appealed to EPA Conference members for recommendations of who should succeed them. “I am sad that the Rev. Bumkoo Chung (right) will finish his …
Cabinet offers churches recorded Christmas worship service
Bishop John Schol and the Extended Cabinet recorded a full Christmas worship service, offering it online to EPAUMC churches for suggested use on Dec. 26. The 54-minute long, English-language version of the worship service can be viewed on the conference’s …
EPAUMC Extended Cabinet sets priorities for its work
The Eastern PA Conference’s Extended Cabinet, comprising district superintendents, senior staff and Bishop John Schol, is building on EPA’s vision, mission and a recent survey of laity and clergy to set priorities for its work. That conversation started in September …
A hard-fought hope
A Message for Advent and Christmas by Bishop John Schol
Pastoral theologian Frederick Buechner described what God said to Job about suffering and calamity: “You don’t want to know why things happen. You want to know that I love you.”