Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church

What Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church does

The Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church is a regional annual conference (intermediate governing body) of The United Methodist Church, covering portions of Pennsylvania under the Northeastern Jurisdiction. Headquartered at 303 Mulberry Drive in Mechanicsburg, PA, the conference operates through a connectional structure of five districts — Freedom Trail, Mountain Valley, North Central Rivers, Northern Wilds, and River Valley — each led by a District Superintendent under the episcopal leadership of Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez. The conference serves clergy, laity, and approximately several hundred local United Methodist congregations within its boundaries.

The organization delivers a portfolio of ministry programs and shared services rather than commercial products: pastoral appointments and clergy support, Camp & Retreat Ministries (Camp Penn and Wesley Forest), the Seedling Legacy Grant Program (a $3.0 million sustainable capital fund for church facilities), Lighthouse Congregations (welcoming churches for members displaced by disaffiliation), the Common Ground, Faithful Action webinar series on racial justice, 3 Practice Circle Training, Growing Friends childcare ministry, disaster response coordination, and formation events such as the Global Young People's Convocation 2026 and Wesley Heritage Tour. Distribution runs through district offices, camp facilities, the susumc.org website, and social media channels.

The conference is funded primarily through Shares of Ministry (SOM) contributions from local member churches, supplemented by investment returns and grant program endowments. It is not a commercial enterprise and operates as a private nonprofit under the UMC denominational framework. Gross SOM has declined from just over $12 million in 2020 to a projection of just under $7 million in 2027, reflecting a multi-year contraction in member giving capacity consistent with the broader denomination-wide trend of church disaffiliations (estimated at 25% of UMC congregations through December 2023).

Name

Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church

Legal name

Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church

Website

https://susumc.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Susquehanna Conference is a regional annual conference of The United Methodist Church serving clergy, laity, and local congregations across five Pennsylvania districts. It delivers pastoral support, camp ministries, capital grants, and formation programs funded primarily through Shares of Ministry contributions from member churches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Conference Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAB

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

Keywords

• Religious denomination services
• Pastoral appointment coordination
• Church camp retreats
• Clergy leadership development
• Congregational grants funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Shares of Ministry (SOM): Annual giving from local churches to support conference operations, clergy pensions, and mission programs. Gross Shares of Ministry have declined from just over $12 million (2020) to just under $7 million projected in 2027, reflecting long-term decline in overall giving capacity.
2. Seedling Legacy Grant Program: A grant program funded by a $3.0 million sustainable fund (sustained through investment returns and ongoing loan repayments) providing capital support for church buildings, renovations, and capital improvements. This continues the legacy of the former Seedling Financial Ministry.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Susquehanna Conference is a regional annual conference (governing body) of The United Methodist Church that serves local churches and clergy across five districts in Pennsylvania. It provides pastoral appointments, clergy support and development, Shares of Ministry financial stewardship, camp and retreat ministries, disaster response coordination, grants and capital funding (Seedling Legacy Grant Program), formation programs, and connectional resources to its member congregations.

Product overview

Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church offers a portfolio of ministry programs and resources including Camp & Retreat Ministries (Camp Penn and Wesley Forest), Lighthouse Congregations for displaced church members, the Seedling Legacy Grant Program for church facilities ($3.0M fund), 3 Practice Circle Training for facilitation skills, Common Ground webinar series for racial justice formation, Growing Friends childcare ministry, Pastoral Transition Resources with onboarding tools, Circle of Prayer initiative, Global Young People's Convocation, and Wesley Heritage Tours. The conference also provides Annual Conference sessions, district offices across Pennsylvania, and various grants and funding programs supporting local churches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Common Ground, Faithful Action: A webinar series equipping clergy and laity for the journey toward justice through scripture, history, and lived experience, focusing on racial justice and community formation.
• Lighthouse Congregations
• Seedling Legacy Grant Program
• 3 Practice Circle Training

Products and services

• Camp & Retreat Ministries
• Lighthouse Congregations
• Seedling Legacy Grant Program
• 3 Practice Circle Training
• Common Ground, Faithful Action
• Pastoral Transition Resources
• Circle of Prayer
• Global Young People's Convocation
• Wesley Heritage Tour

Quantifiable outcome

• Growing Friends (Winterstown UMC childcare ministry) was named the 2026 Official York/Hanover Community Choice Award winner for Best Daycare

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sierra Leone Partner ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe conference maintains prayer partnerships with Sierra Leone Partner Churches, with churches listed in the Circle of Prayer rotation alongside local Susquehanna Conference churches.
• McCurdy Mission (Espanola, NM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung Peoples' Ministry organizes annual mission trips to McCurdy Mission in New Mexico, providing youth an opportunity for hands-on missional service.
• United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMCOR provides disaster response and recovery support. The conference encourages congregations to support UMCOR relief efforts through the Advance program (#901670) and collects special love offerings for disaster-affected areas.
• General Board of Global MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the denomination's global mission structures. Rev. Lyssette N. Pérez previously served as Executive Secretary for Missions Contexts and Relationships with this board, overseeing partnerships throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
• MARCHA (Metodistas por la Acción Hispana)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Hispanic caucus in the United Methodist Church. Rev. Lyssette N. Pérez previously served as president of MARCHA, advocating for Hispanic/Latino concerns within the denomination.
• Horizon Texas and Rio Texas Conferences of The United Methodist ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe conference collects special love offerings to support relief efforts through UMCOR and these affected Texas conferences during disasters.
• Vote Common GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDoug Pagitt, speaker for Common Ground webinar series, is co-founder and Executive Director of Vote Common Good, a national organization inspiring and mobilizing people of faith to engage in civic life.
• Fuller Theological Seminary (Centro Latino)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra serves as Academic Dean of Centro Latino and Associate Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. She is a speaker for the Common Ground webinar series on border crisis response.
• Good Faith Media (The Raceless Gospel Initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev. Dr. Starlette Thomas directs The Raceless Gospel Initiative at Good Faith Media. She is a speaker for the Common Ground webinar series.
• Freedom RoadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLisa Sharon Harper founded Freedom Road, a consulting and communications group equipping communities for justice-centered change. She is a speaker for the Common Ground webinar series.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church: UMC annual conference in the Northeastern Jurisdiction with an identical operating model — district structure, Shares of Ministry giving, camp/retreat ministries, and clergy appointment system. Several Susquehanna leaders previously served Greater New Jersey.
• Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church: A UMC annual conference covering Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, operating the same district-governed, SOM-funded, bishop-led model as Susquehanna within the Northeastern Jurisdiction.
• Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church: A UMC annual conference covering western Pennsylvania with the same connectional structure, district-based pastoral support, and Shares of Ministry funding. Geographic complement to Susquehanna within Pennsylvania.
• New York Conference of the United Methodist Church: A UMC annual conference serving New York City and Long Island under the Northeastern Jurisdiction, delivering the same portfolio of district, clergy support, and ministry programs funded by Shares of Ministry contributions.
• Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church: UMC annual conference in the Northeastern Jurisdiction offering equivalent district, clergy appointment, camp/retreat, and member church support services across Maryland, Washington D.C., and parts of surrounding states.
• Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church: A fellow UMC annual conference covering eastern Pennsylvania under the Northeastern Jurisdiction, with the same governance model (district-based, bishop-led), Shares of Ministry funding model, and range of camp/retreat and connectional ministries serving member churches.
• Upper New York Annual Conference (UMC): The Susquehanna Conference shares its presiding bishop with the Upper New York Annual Conference, operates the same connectional UMC structure in the Northeastern Jurisdiction, and delivers the same portfolio of district, clergy, and program ministries across a contiguous New York footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church: The jurisdictional coordinating body that groups Susquehanna with other UMC annual conferences across the Northeast. It sets broader policy and coordinates jurisdictional-level initiatives while Susquehanna executes the district/clergy-level operating model.

Regional players

• Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania: An Episcopal diocesan body covering central Pennsylvania with a comparable regional governance structure for member congregations, diocesan funding model, and camp/retreat ministry footprint. Comparable scale and mission even though denomination differs.
• Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg: A Catholic diocese covering central Pennsylvania with a parallel regional governance structure for parishes, diocesan funding/assessments, and pastoral/clergy support functions analogous to the UMC annual conference model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRZpsZ8AsboOFfovqu1SZRQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/SUSUMC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/susumc
• Instagraminstagram.com/sus_umc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church