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2012 Announced Clergy Appointments
Learn more
Unification
Learn about the proposed unification between the Rio Grande Conference & Southwest Texas Conferences.
Go here
Financial Advisory Consulting Team Report
The Council of Bishops commissioned the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) and the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) to partner in providing conferences with a Financial Advisory Consulting Team—known as FACT. Go Here to read the FACT final report for the Southwest Texas Conference.
Central Texas Wildfires
Latest information and how you can help Go here
Clergy Effectiveness
Clergy Effectiveness Assessment
Clergy Effectiveness Assessment - Deacons
Congregational Effectiveness
Upcoming . . .
CLICK HERE for 2012 Events
Rio Grande Conference
Learn more about our sister conference, go here
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Empowering your ministries to make disciples of Jesus Christ,
our website serves as a valuable resource to you—the more
than 120,000 members in 350 congregations across the
southern third of Texas.
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Mount Wesley
Southwest Texas Conference’s
retreat facility near Kerrville, Texas
Located in the heart of the beautiful
Texas Hill Country, the Mount Wesley
Conference Center is situated
on a hillside within the city limits
of Kerrville. The scenic, peaceful
64 acres of woodland provide a
unique, secluded, and safe haven
—a sanctuary from the real world—
where guests can retreat to become
refreshed and renewed.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MOUNT WESLEY.
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Jim DorffBishop
San Antonio Area
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General Conference as a Party?
I write this letter to you from my seat at the General Conference. The Conference adjourns tomorrow evening. Our time here has been interesting, important, at times painful, frustrating, energizing, spiritually renewing, and hope-filled. The Lord Jesus Christ is alive and well in our beloved United Methodist Church. I am grateful to be a part of it. Although we meet only every four years, we renew friendships and discern God’s will for the church. It is a prayer-filled gathering.
The elected delegates from the Rio Grande and Southwest Texas Conferences were very present and served in several significant places of leadership. They all represented our Area with faithfulness and distinction. I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve with the fine lay and clergy leaders among us.
During a recess in the proceedings I was in conversation with a friend from another conference. He joyfully shared with me that he encountered a visitor to the Conference and her 3 year old son. The visitor was leaving the convention center, but was receiving substantial objections from her little boy. He kept saying, “I don’t want to leave the party!” Everyone around found it, not only amusing, but also quite profound. When United Methodists get together it should be a party. Sometimes it doesn’t seem that way and sometimes our own interests get in the way of the work of the Spirit.
As we come together in our churches, conferences, and even our homes we should always join in a spirit of thanksgiving, gratitude and joy. We should join our Lord for a “party” of sorts. We celebrate the goodness of God in the midst of our humanness. We celebrate the Hope which binds the past to the future. What a joy!
I am looking forward to joining the members of our conferences when we gather in June for our parties. May we give thanks to God for bringing us together and gracing us with the presence of the Holy Spirit. What a gift. Be blessed. Be joyful. Celebrate!
P.S. Please be certain to read the United Methodist Reporter closely to be informed of the actions taken by the General Conference.
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