About Us

The United Methodist Church of Greater Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania is a leader in mission and ministry, with over 900 congregations in New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania. This network of over 180,000 disciples transforms communities through meaningful mission work.

Our Mission Work

Led by Bishop John Schol, our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Our diverse, multi-generational churches are located in cities, towns, and rural areas.

We seek to —

Call people to new life in Christ
Nurture disciples of Jesus
Address community needs through mission, ministry, and justice advocacy

On any given day, one may find United Methodists of EPA & GNJ engaged in food distribution, affordable childcare, after-school programming, homeless housing, ESL classes, immigration programs, refugee settlement, racial justice initiatives, job development, elder care, community development, and various other social services.

EPA & GNJ conferences are two of 57 annual United Methodist conferences in the US and 76 internationally, with over 12 million members globally.

Leadership

Bishop John Schol

RESIDENT BISHOP

Bishop John Schol was consecrated as a bishop in 2004 after serving as a pastor, nonprofit executive, and denominational leader. He has led initiatives in affordable housing, global missions, church growth, and revitalization.

As Bishop, Schol first oversaw a turnaround toward vitality in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Since 2012, he has led the Greater New Jersey Conference, assisting leaders in strategic planning for vital ministry. Under his leadership, the conference has created new clergy and laity resources like coaching groups, Team Vital church revitalization, and the A Future With Hope nonprofit for Superstorm Sandy relief.

Most recently, Bishop Schol guided the launch of the Miracles Everywhere campaign to support disaster recovery in Puerto Rico, Tanzanian partnerships, youth programs, and more.

He and his wife Beverly have three children and three grandchildren.