Pastor David McElwee

Reverend David McElwee - Pastor, West Side United Methodist Church

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Be ready. LENT is coming this month. It only seems like yesterday that we were singing Silent Night by candlelight, and now we see that Ash Wednesday is coming in less than two weeks. This means that there will be the usual Thursday Lenten services. There will also be the call to Lenten devotions, and a return of the Lenten prayer calendar. There will be something a little different this year, however. We all know that 2024 is going to be an interesting year, which is saying something given our recent history. What we can forget is how much God is here to guide us through difficult times. This is why we have spent time looking at the hidden idols in our lives, as we seek to stay faithful to God. And this leads us into our time of Lent with a new series based on the Book of Daniel. Starting the 11th and going through to the week before Palm Sunday, we are going to spend time in Daniel and see what lessons we can take from the prophet for our time in a seemingly hostile world. Along with the sermons, there will be extra online videos to go deeper into Daniel, as well as additional available handouts to go further in your ready. So, starting on February 11th, we will start looking at Daniel with two chapters each week online, as well as a sermon to go with it. Hopefully it will help us grow in the season of Lent as we prepare to meet our Resurrected Lord.

In Christ, Pastor Dave

Rev. David McElwee, Pastor,

began his appointment at

West Side on July 1, 2022.

Reverend McElwee has been in ministry for nine years and was ordained as an elder of the United Methodist Church in June of this year. He previously served as pastor in the Lykens, Red Lion, and Lock Haven areas.

After graduating from Lycoming College with a B.A. degree in history, political science and economics, he served on active duty in the United States Army for five years as an intelligence analyst. His service included being deployed twice to Iraq. Answering the call to ministry, he attended Wesley Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity.

McElwee is president of the Chi Rho Singers, a choir comprised entirely of clergy from the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church.

He sings tenor and plays a variety of brass instruments. He also serves on the Susquehanna Conference’s council on finance and administration and is a board member for the Preacher’s Aid Society.

WSUMC extends an invitation to the community to come, meet our pastor.