Peninsula Delaware Conference

What Peninsula Delaware Conference does

Peninsula Delaware Conference is a regional administrative body of the United Methodist Church, serving more than 140 member churches across Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The conference operates as a connectional unit, providing pastoral appointments, clergy credentialing, administrative oversight, and shared ministry resources to local congregations within its three geographic districts: Delaware District, Lower Shore District, and Upper Shore District. It is led by Bishop LaTrelle Easterling and governed through a structure of district superintendents, directors of connectional and communication ministries, and program coordinators covering youth, multicultural, and lay ministries.

The conference generates revenue exclusively through annual apportionments collected from member churches, which fund clergy support, administrative operations, and ministry programs. There is no product or technology offering; the organization's digital presence consists of a standard website (pen-del.org) and email newsletter (The Bulletin) used for internal communication, event coordination, and resource distribution. The conference also runs the Training Tuesdays ongoing webinar program in partnership with the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and maintains substantial disaffiliation-related resources — a signal of the broader United Methodist Church's current membership and theological tensions.

Operationally, the conference employs 34 staff across a headquarters in Bear, Delaware, and three district offices in Dover (Delaware), Salisbury (Lower Shore, Maryland), and St. Michaels (Upper Shore, Maryland). Its Chief Administrative Officer, Erica Robinson-Johnson, serves concurrently in the same role for the Baltimore-Washington Conference, indicating a shared administrative arrangement between the two regional bodies. The conference is a nonprofit religious organization with no external investors, no proprietary technology, and no AI or digital product capabilities.

Name

Peninsula Delaware Conference

Legal name

Peninsula Delaware Conference

Website

https://pen-del.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peninsula Delaware Conference is a regional administrative body of the United Methodist Church serving 140+ member churches across Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore through three districts, funded by member church apportionments and providing pastoral appointments, clergy support, and shared ministry programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Administrative Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Religious conference administration
• Clergy appointment services
• Congregational development
• Connectional ministry services
• Pastoral transition support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bear

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Apportionments: Annual apportionments collected from member churches to fund conference operations, clergy support, and ministry programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Peninsula Delaware Conference is a regional administrative body of the United Methodist Church that provides pastoral appointments, clergy support, administrative oversight, and connectional ministry services to over 140 member churches across Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It operates through three geographic districts (Delaware, Lower Shore, and Upper Shore) with dedicated superintendents managing church relationships, ministerial appointments, and ministry programs including camping, youth ministry, and congregational development.

Product overview

Peninsula Delaware Conference is a regional administrative body of the United Methodist Church serving churches and clergy in Delaware and parts of Maryland. The organization provides administrative support services including church locator tools, resources for clergy, conference leadership information, various ministry programs, annual conference coordination, and forms management. The website functions as an informational and administrative portal rather than a technology product offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pastoral Appointments and Ministerial Services Structured appointment process ensuring quality pastoral leadership across member churches through district superintendents who match clergy to congregations. For ordained and licensed clergy and member churches within the conference.
• Church Locator Online tool enabling individuals to find United Methodist churches within the Peninsula-Delaware Conference region. For church seekers and community members.
• Aqmp;a and Retreat Ministry Conference-wide camping and retreat programs providing spiritual formation and community experiences. For church members, youth, and families within the conference.
• Training Tuesdays Webinars Regular webinar-based training program providing ongoing education on ministry, leadership, and church administration topics. For clergy and church leaders.
• Annual Conference Annual conference event bringing together clergy, laity, and church leaders for worship, governance, and fellowship. For all conference members and stakeholders.
• Young People's Ministry Coordinated youth and young adult ministry initiatives including intergenerational worship and engagement programs. For youth and young adults within member churches.
• Pen-Del Licensing School Licensing school program providing clergy credentials and educational preparation. For candidates pursuing United Methodist ministry.
• Residency in Ministry Program Post-licensure residency program providing mentored ministry experience for provisional clergy. For clergy in the ordination process.
• Strengthening The Black Church Initiative Congregational development initiative providing resources, events, and task force support for Black United Methodist churches. For Black member churches and their leadership.
• Lay Servant Academy Educational program for laity to develop leadership and ministry skills within the United Methodist Church. For lay members and certified lay ministers.
• Bishop Felton Edwin May Resource Center Resource center providing ministry resources, books, and materials. For clergy, laity, and church leaders.
• Congregational Development Corporation (CDC) Corporate entity supporting church planting, congregational development, and revitalization initiatives. For new and existing member churches.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Episcopal Diocese of Delaware: A regional Anglican/Episcopal governance body serving Delaware and surrounding areas, structurally comparable in its district/deanery model and member church oversight.
• Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church: An adjacent regional UMC conference covering eastern Pennsylvania with similar administrative structure, district superintendents, and member church support functions.
• Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church: A Pennsylvania-based UMC conference with comparable mid-Atlantic geography, district structure, and member church service model.

Broad incumbents

• Diocese of Wilmington (Roman Catholic Church): Another denominational governance body covering Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Comparable as a regional ecclesiastical body administering parishes, clergy appointments, and ministry programs within the same geography.
• New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: A larger regional UMC conference operating in the Northeast U.S., sharing the same denominational structure, apportionment model, and connectional ministry framework.

Others

• United Methodist Board of Pensions: A denominational administrative arm providing pension, health benefits, and clergy support services that conferences like Peninsula-Delaware rely upon for clergy welfare administration.

Direct peers

• Peninsula-Mid Atlantic Conference: A recent realignment of former Virginia UMC conferences serving the Virginia region with a similar three-district model and connectional governance structure.
• Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church: A neighboring regional UMC conference that shares administrative leadership (joint CAO) and serves churches in the Mid-Atlantic region. The most direct structural peer in terms of mission, governance, and operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peninsula-delaware-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peninsula Delaware Conference