About United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania

With 2,400 congregations in neighborhoods and communities across Pennsylvania and upwards of a half-million members, United Methodists have a potent voice.

Pennsylvania’s bishops in 1985 started organizing A United Methodist Witness in Pennsylvania to educate and advocate on behalf of the church in the halls of the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

In 2009, we changed our name to United Methodist Advocacy to more closely reflect what we do: education and advocacy based on the United Methodist interpretation of the Bible and the denomination’s Social Principles.

We depend upon Pennsylvania’s annual (regional) conferences for more than financial support. Our efforts bear fruit only when grassroots United Methodists organize to tell their elected officials of the church’s perspective on legislation. It is vital for United Methodists learn about issues, and then pass on the results of what they learn to their elected representatives.

We are one of only two statewide United Methodist advocacy groups in the nation that focuses on educating state legislators and the governor to see their work through the lens of our Social Principles. The other state is Iowa.

A board of directors representing the United Methodist conferences in Pennsylvania governs us. The Internal Revenue Service registers us as a tax-exempt organization, and our executive director is registered as a lobbyist with the Pennsylvania Department of State.

To send us a message, please click here.

To send your legislator a message, please click here.

To find out more about our issue priorities please click here.

To see our Federal Form 990 Not-for-Profit Organization tax return, coming soon...