[Neptune, NJ, September 1, 2024] – The United Methodist Church of Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey (EPA&GNJ) is pleased to announce the assignment of the Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi as the new episcopal leader of the Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey Annual Conferences.
Bishop Moore-Koikoi began her professional career as a school psychologist where she learned how to transform systems so that struggling students could flourish. She discerned a call to ministry and was ordained in 2010. She quickly rose in leadership, serving as a pastor of a local church, then as associate superintendent, then as district superintendent, until elected and consecrated to the office of bishop in 2016. She’s served as the bishop of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference since her election in 2016, and went onto serve Susquehanna Annual Conference alongside Western PA since 2020.
Bishop Moore-Koikoi brings with her spiritual groundedness and administrative prowess that will help her to effectively guide the church in these challenging times.
Bishop John Schol, the former episcopal leader for the UMC of Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey shared:
“These are exciting times as EPA&GNJ prepare for a transition of episcopal leadership. I am excited that Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi will be your new bishop. While serving in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, I learned firsthand of her skills, experience, gifts and graces. Her work in the area of psychology in the Baltimore area school district, growing up as a United Methodist PK, and her outstanding pastoral leadership led me to appoint her first as an “associate superintendent” and then as a district superintendent. As a Bishop, she has been elevated to leadership with the Council of Bishops, the College of Bishops and the denomination. Presently she is leading a futuring task force on the role of the episcopacy, serves on the Council of Bishops executive committee, President of the College of Bishops and President of the General Commission on Religion and Race. Bishop Moore-Koikoi is a gifted leader, is grounded spiritually, enjoys laughing, and is committed to the health and vitality of congregations and ending the sin of racism.”
“Bishop Moore-Koikoi has a remarkable ability to inspire and lead with a spirit of inclusivity and justice,” said Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, Director of Connectional Ministries for EPA. “Her vision for a church that embraces diversity and works towards equity aligns perfectly with our ongoing Journey of Hope and Wholeness” (Greater New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania’s anti-racism work).
Bishop Moore-Koikoi is grateful and enthusiastic about this new beginning and all that God will do: “We’re very excited about coming in and being among you. We are excited to see what God will do in and through us, and in spite of us. We’ll be making some bold mistakes together. And because I know who God is, I know we are going to be doing some really good work together. Because God is in the midst of all of us. We can’t even imagine right now what God is going to do.”
The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church is made up of about 415 churches, which serve nearly 103,000 members in 16 counties. The Greater New Jersey Conference is comprised of over 500 congregations in New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania which includes more than 50,000 disciples who work together to transform communities meaningful and life-changing mission.
On Sundays, United Methodists of EPA & GNJ worship in more than 9 languages. Any given day, one may find United Methodists of GNJ in mission through food distribution, affordable childcare, after-school programming, homeless housing, English as a second language classes, immigration programs, refugee settlement, racial justice, job development, elder care, community development and various other social services.
Media inquires can be directed to Rev. James Lee, Director of Communications, at jlee@gnjumc.org or 732.359.1047.