2 women to preach during conference

During the golden anniversary of women’s clergy rights, two featured preachers for the June 7-10 Southwest Texas Annual Conference session are female.
Bishop Ann B. Sherer of the Nebraska Episcopal Area is to deliver the message during the June 10 ordination service. That service is to begin at 10 a.m. in Selena Auditorium, part of Corpus Christi’s American Bank Center.
The Rev. Mimi Raper, associate pastor of First UMC, Austin, is to speak during the June 7 memorial worship service and opening Eucharist. That first worship gathering of the four-day conference remembers clergy members and clergy spouses who have died during the past 12 months.
The memorial service is to begin at 7 p.m. in Selena Auditorium.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez is the third conference preacher. He is to deliver his state of the church message June 8 at 9 a.m. in the ABC Arena. The message is to be part of a service of covenant and confirmation of pastoral appointments.
Sherer, 63, was elected a bishop in 1992, the first woman to fill the office in the eight-state South Central Jurisdiction. She is now the senior bishop of the jurisdiction, which includes the Southwest Texas Conference.
Sherer has led the Nebraska Area since 2004. She was bishop of the Missouri Episcopal Area from 1992 to 2004.
Sherer was elected president of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns in 2004. Before that she served on the General Board of Discipleship.
Sherer was ordained a deacon in 1976 and an elder in 1978 in the Texas Conference. She served congregations in Houston, Texarkana and White Oak.
She was also Nacogdoches District superintendent for five years.
Sherer was a delegate to the 1984, 1988 and 1992 General and South Central Jurisdictional conferences.
The North Wilkesboro, N.C., native earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1964, a master of divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological Seminary in 1969 and a doctor of ministry degree from UM-related Emory University in 1991.
Raper, 58, has served First UMC, Austin, since 1997. She was ordained a deacon in 1972 in the Western North Carolina Conference. She transferred to the Southwest Texas Conference in 1973 and was ordained an elder in 1974.
Besides Austin, Raper has served congregations in Buda, Edcouch, Mathis, San Antonio, San Benito, San Juan and Skidmore. She was also spiritual director for New Life Institute in Austin for four years.
Martinez, 66, became bishop of the San Antonio Episcopal Area in September 2000. Before that he was bishop of the Nebraska Area for eight years. The former Rio Grande Conference clergy member was elected a bishop in 1992.
A Seguin native, Martinez was the first Latino bishop elected in the South Central Jurisdiction and the second elected in the denomination.