Discipleship Opportunities

The Baltimore-Washington Conference offers a number of opportunities for learning and growing in faith and discipleship. Scroll down this list of some of the offerings to put your faith into action.

Local Church EventS

• Hopehill UMC in Frederick will hold its annual Carl Lee Fish Fry on April 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Carry out only. Place orders and pay online before April 23.

• Join the United Women In Faith at Glenmont UMC for Women’s Day on April 27th at 10 a.m. The guest preacher will be the Rev. Patricia Allen.

• Jeff Chu, an award-winning journalist and author of Good Soil, will speak at St. Paul's UMC in Kensington on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to noon. The book explores his time at the Farminary at Princetown Theological Network. This is a free event, but RSVPs are requested. Reserve your spot.

• Taylorsville UMC, at 4356 Ridge Road in Mt. Airy will host the Ernie Couch & Revival Concert on May 3 at 7 p.m. This gospel group from Nashville will share 20th Century Gospel and original music.

• Want to learn how to play a band instrument? Want to dust off your old clarinet or horn and play with a group of folks who are doing the same thing?! The Timonium-Phoenix Cooperative Parish at Timonium UMC, in partnership with Towson University, is offering a new outreach program: Band Camp for Adults ages 50+. The camp will be held  June 16-27, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Across the Connection

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 241st session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference will be held Tuesday through Thursday, May 13-15, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel in Baltimore. Registration for the conference is expected to open in mid-February. 

The Network of Biblical Storytellers will hold their international conference Aug. 6-8 at the Maritime Center in Linthicum. The theme of the event is “Searching for Peace in Troubling Times: The Abiding Wisdom of 2 Kings 5-6." The keynote speaker is Tavis West. Learn more and register.

Advocacy and action

A D.C. Legislative Advocacy Day will be held on April 30 at Asbury UMC in Washington.

 

Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century will sponsor workshops on Black Wellbeing Collective with Dr. Ronald Bell beginning April 28. These sessions will cover topics from Identity and Managing Stress to Conflict Resolution and Mental Health. It is open to clergy in Pen-Del and BWC. Participants are asked to attend all sessions and commit to attending the closing ceremony. Registration closes on April 18. Register.

 

Learn more about Critical Race Theory: The BWC’s United Women in Faith will host a Critical Race Theory Workshop on April 26 at 1 p.m. at the BWC Mission Center in Fulton. The moderator of the session will be Mayuris Pimentel. The panelists will include Roslyn Smith, Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson and Tre Murphy. Learn more and register.

The Seeds of Security Charity Golf Tournament will be held at a new location this year, at 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 a hole for $250. For information, contact the Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson. | Register to play.  |   Sign up to become a sponsor.

 

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.

 

Building Beloved Community: Throughout the nation, DEI programs and initiatives are under attack. The Baltimore-Washington Conference has long been committed to upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These core principles are not only grounded in our lived experience as the Body of Christ, but they are also deeply embedded in the theological teachings of Scripture, our United Methodist traditions and the broader Christian call to justice. The pursuit of equity, diversity, and inclusion is integral to living out the Gospel’s radical message of love, unity, and justice for all people, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, or social status. See our Call to Prayer and Action.

 

Green Team Initiative Sign-Up: The Baltimore-Washington Creation Care is launching a Church Green Team Initiative — an effort aimed at promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship within church communities. All interested congregations are invited to sign up. Meeting dates and other ways to be involved will be emailed to those who sign up. To learn more about the initiative, visit the BWC Creation Care Website. For more information, contact Sharee Wharton.