Every year, Discipleship Ministries partners with annual conferences by offering the One Matters Award (OMA) to one eligible congregation at each annual conference. At the 2024 Susquehanna Annual Conference, the One Matters Award was given to one church in each of our districts.
This award has a strong focus on making disciples because, by integrating into the church body, the individual may experience the personal transformation to potentially engage in the church’s mission for the transformation of the world. While most Discipleship Ministries programs focus on existing members, OMA focuses on new members. After all, ONE Matters.
Rev. Judy Walker, Conference Superintendent
Mehoopany UMC is a three point charge along with Jenningsville and Forkston. After several years of receiving zero new members, Mehoopany UMC welcomed two new adult professing members, through baptism and profession of faith in 2024.
Pastor George Price had received an email from the Find-a-Church site (a good reason to keep information updated!) that informed him of a couple seeking information. He contacted them quickly to find out their needs. They told him they were very new in their faith. They were new to the area, and had made the decision to give their lives to Christ. They were very eager to learn about scripture and Jesus.
Pastor George arranged a meeting with them to discuss the next steps.
They shared that neither of them were from church-going families and they went only for special occasions. They were never baptized and they felt that it was essential for them to experience this since accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts.
Their meeting was very informative and honest. In the past, they had experienced some people who went to churches who were not very Christ-like and they were unsure about going to church.
Pastor George spoke with them about baptism and acceptance into the family of God.
He really wanted them to experience worship and expressed to them the need for a church family that could help them in their new found faith. He encouraged them to give it a try.
He was very happy on Sunday morning to see them in worship. He met with them the next day to find out what they thought about their experience.
They were very happy with how worship gave them a new opportunity to experience Christ. They were encouraged by the response of the congregation to welcome them, and it turns out that they knew a few people. “They told me that they felt like they found their home and were ready for baptism and wanted to join Mehoopany UMC,” recalled Price. Two weeks later they were baptized and became members.
In his conversation about the church, they weren’t sure if they would commit to attending every Sunday. Pastor George and the congregation thank God that they have been faithfully attending every week and also helping at some events. Praise God for bringing them to Mehoopany.
The 2024 One Matters Award for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre District was presented to Pastor George Price and Mehoopany United Methodist Church.
