By Erik Alsgaard Following the mass shooting Sept. 20 at the Rite Aid Distribution Center in Aberdeen, the Rev. Tiffany Patterson knew what to do. That’s because she’d done it before, just 11 months ago. The Washington Post reports that the Rite Aid incident started around 9 a.m...
By Erik AlsgaardUMConnection Staff “Look, new things have arrived!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17b For the first time in decades, ministry within the Baltimore-Washington Conference is being organized in a new way. Thanks to a vote at the 2018 Annual Conference Session...
By Erik Alsgaard UMConnection Staff What do you call it when 90+ elementary-aged children spend four days a week for eight weeks during the summer, reading more than 1,450 books and maintaining or improving their reading skills? In Washington, D.C., this summer, it was called Project...
It takes 21 merit badges to become an Eagle Scout, and you must do this before you reach the age of 18. According to a blog for adult leaders in Scouting, only 6 percent of eligible Boy Scouts earned the distinguished rank in 2014. Since its beginning, only 2 percent of scouts ever achieve this...
By Erik AlsgaardUMConnection Staff Which came first: John Wesley’s conversion experience (“I felt my heart strangely warmed…”), or that of his brother, Charles Wesley?* Knowing the answer to this question was just one of the fun facts I learned during a 10-day Wesley...
The Rev. William “Bill” Brown has been hired to serve as the interim Director of New Faith Expressions for the Baltimore-Washington Conference. He will begin this new position Aug. 1. When Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling began her duties as the resident bishop for the...
On Thursday, June 28, life in Annapolis changed forever. A lone gunman killed five people at the local newspaper. United Methodists were quick to respond with prayers and service.
By Erik Alsgaard This is a story of making lemonade out of lemons. It’s a story about a church turning to its members and community for help so that it can continue a long-standing ministry of helping others. The story begins on June 5. That’s when staff members at Calvary UMC in...
Once again, Ellicott City has been hit with a horrible flash flood. As we pray for the people affected by this natural disaster, Fred Sipes, the BWC's Disaster Response Coordinator, and the Rev. Joan Carter-Rimbach, the BWC's Volunteers in Mission Coordinator, report that both UMC's in the...
By Erik Alsgaard Bishop LaTrelle Easterling issued a ruling of law during the BWC’s clergy session Wednesday night, stating that two individuals the Board of Ordained Ministry had approved were not eligible for ordination and commissioning because they are “self-avowed practicing...
