Meet Our Pastor

Helen Ballew serves as pastor of Lisbon United Methodist Church with a deep love for Scripture, story, and the everyday places where faith quietly takes root. She believes faith grows when people are willing to listen to one another’s stories and discover how God is already present within them.

Her preaching and teaching are rooted in Scripture and shaped by diverse voices within the Christian faith. Helen invites the congregation to notice where God is already at work—in ordinary moments, unexpected interruptions, and the shared life of community.

At the heart of his ministry is a commitment to pastoral presence and generous hospitality—listening well, walking alongside people over time, and making space for the stranger. Whether someone comes seeking, returning, or simply wondering, Helen seeks to create the space for belonging and growth.

If you’re visiting for the first time, I’d be glad to meet you—or to give you space if that’s what you prefer.

What Shapes Our Faith

Our faith is shaped first by Scripture, which we receive as the primary witness to God’s love and action in the world. We take the Bible seriously while recognizing that faithful reading involves interpretation, prayer, and lived experience within community.  Our preaching and teaching draw from Scripture and are shaped by diverse voices within the Christian faith, held in conversation through an approach that values tradition, reason, and experience alongside Scripture . Our faith is grounded in the historic Christian witness and expressed through lives shaped by grace, service, and love of neighbor.

Our United Methodist Roots

Lisbon United Methodist Church is part of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church — a connectional denomination where no local church stands alone. Through shared leadership, mission, and mutual accountability, local congregations support one another and engage in ministry together. To understand how this network works in everyday life, watch this brief explainer on connectionalism in the UMC or read a short overview of how our connection operates.