By Melissa LauberGood Friday is a time for deep contemplation as Christians reflect upon Christ’s words as he hung and died upon a cross. But this year, at Northwood-Appold UMC in Baltimore, church leaders challenged United Methodists to let the lessons of Good Friday move beyond the foot...
The Annual Conference Session, May 29-31 at the Hilton Hotel in Baltimore, offers many opportunities for volunteers to give of their time to enable the process of holy conferencing and help the proceedings run smoothly. Highlighters offer radical hospitality and help answer...
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." – Psalm 46:1 As the sun rose this morning it revealed that a tragic accident occurred in Baltimore. As most were asleep, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo vessel. Two...
By Melissa LauberWhen considering how to restructure the Baltimore-Washington Conference for more vitality, more than a thousand clergy and laity made it clear. They were seeking a configuration that created increased relationships, collaboration, innovation, discipleship, and...
By Melissa Lauber In the Baltimore-Washington Conference Journal, there is a list of 794 ordained clergy members. At the top of the list is the Rev. Carroll Arthur Doggett, Jr., who was ordained in 1948. On March 23, 2024, he turned 101. Like every birthday, it was a time for celebration...
Asbury United Methodist Church sits right on K Street in downtown Washington, D.C. — a street full of some of the most powerful and well-connected lobbyists and advocacy organizations. The gray stone church is home to a rich history. The church played a major role in the largest...
By Melissa Lauber Strength, hope and courage – these are the gifts Dr. Deborah Haskins brought to the leaders gathered at the Next Level Speaker Series on March 7. They are gifts that no church leader can be without, especially in an age where the world seems to be breaking, living amid...
In late February, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling met with clergy and laity at three district gatherings in the Peninsula-Delaware Conference. The bishop focused on listening as she joined church leaders in worship, celebrated the vitality of local churches and looked to a future of renewed...
By Rev. Lauren Harris Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples of all nations, and for three days, the Rev. Dr. Michael Beck showed us how to do just that in the most unconventional places. I traveled with several pastors who are part of the Fresh Expressions Academy...
By Melissa Lauber The first thing you must know about Fresh Expressions is that it’s always about people and proximity – and the unexpected things that God can do. In February, the 17 members of BWC’s Fresh Expressions Academy were taken on a field excursion to Ocala, Florida...
