News

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., resident bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, has announced that Rev. Lara Franklin, executive director of the Roberts Center for Leadership and Administration, has decided to take transitional leave effective July 1, 2023. Following the conclusion of the 2023 Central Texas Annual Conference, Lara and her daughter Erin will be relocating to the Farmington River Valley of Connecticut - a place Lara and her late husband Travis had dreamed ...

Friends, Maye and I are thankful that you are a such an important part of our lives, and we want to wish you a blessed Thanksgiving Day. Let us be thankful together as we look back on this year and all of our lives because we can see all the ways God has lovingly shepherded us through the ups and downs of life, through shadowy valleys, through barren wilderness, into wide open spaces of freedom, to places of abundant provision, and by streams of grace where we found rest and strength for our ...

2020 and 2021 Award Winners Also Honored During Ceremonies at SMU Perkins School of Theology. An exciting and whirlwind November continued for Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. on Monday, Nov. 14 as he was presented with the 2022 Perkins Distinguished Alumnus Award during ceremonies on the SMU campus. A few minutes before the event began, Bishop Saenz reflected on his near 30 years of ministry since he first walked the hallowed halls of Perkins. He also shared his excitement for the church 30 years into ...

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX is hosting SPACE at the TABLE: Conversations of Hope for the UMC Future. The gathering of clergy and lay leadership is intended as an opportunity to explore the future challenges and opportunities of The UMC and share ideas for greater community and global impact and effectiveness for the denomination.   The single-day event will be keynoted by pastor and author Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter and will feature several panel ...

The Commission on the General Conference announced today that the 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 – May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.    “The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. We believe that delegates and attendees will be pleased with all the city has to offer,” said Central Texas’ own Kim Simpson, Chair of the Commission on the General Conference. “Charlotte is a part of the Western...

Bishop Saenz to be the Episcopal Leader of  the Central Texas and North Texas Conferences. I am creatively intrigued about the possibilities offered with the two conferences working in union...Our collective impact is going to be greater than it would have been as independent conferences." The 2022 South Central Jurisdictional Conference (SCJC) has announced that Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. will be reassigned to the Central Texas Conference. Bishop Saenz has served as the resident bishop of the CTC ...

The 2022 South Central Jurisdictional Conference (SCJC) has announced that Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. will be reassigned to the Central Texas Conference.  Bishop Saenz has served as the resident bishop of the CTC since January 1, 2022 during which time he remained as the bishop of the Great Plains Conference – the conference to which he was assigned in 2016 following his episcopal election. Bishop Saenz will also serve as the resident bishop of the North Texas Conference. As reported Wednesday, ...

In a surprising and unprecedented turn of events, the delegates of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference elected three bishops on the very first ballot Wednesday, Nov. 2. The Rev. Dee Williamston, director of clergy excellence and assistant to the bishop of the Great Plains Conference, received 141 votes. The Rev. Laura Merrill, district superintendent in the Rio Texas Conference, received 99 votes.  The Rev. Dr. David Wilson, assistant to the bishop of the Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian ...

The South Central Jurisdictional Conference has approved a recommendation from the Jurisdictional Episcopacy Committee that for the next 18 months, the Central Texas and North Texas Conferences of The United Methodist Church be covered by the same bishop.   Who that bishop will be is still to be determined. Rev. Dee Williamston (141 votes), Rev. Laura Merrill (99) and Rev. Dr. David Wilson (92) were all elected on the first ballot of the 2022 South Central Jurisdictional Conference. The vote ...

We are excited to announce Daran Miller as Glen Lake Camp’s next Executive Director. Daran has served in many roles at Glen Lake Camp and Retreat Center over the past seven years. We are excited for the future and thankful for the many gifts he shares and the leadership he provides for camp and our staff.   The Board of Directors Chair, Colin Campbell shared, “In partnership with the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, the Glen Lake Board of Directors has selected Daran ...

Bishop Saenz to be honored at Perkins Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet on Nov. 14 along with 2020 and 2021 Recipients No Live Webcast of the Event to be Available.  CTCUMC.ORG will have Post-Event Coverage following the event. Click here to purchase tickets and/or get more info on the event. by Connie Nelson*, Matt Jacob** and J. Vance Morton*** - Oct. 25, 2022 The Perkins School of Theology Alumni/ae Council has selected Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. as the 2022 recipient of the Perkins ...

The South Central Jurisdiction (SCJ) Committee on Episcopacy, in consultation with the College of Bishops, affirmed their recommendation that the Jurisdictional Conference elect three new bishops when it meets November 2-5 in Houston, Texas.   With three elections, the SCJ would have a total of eight bishops available to be assigned to the ten episcopal areas. The Committee on Episcopacy along with the College of Bishops will meet again in Houston before the 2022 Jurisdictional Conference ...

Conference Members Approve 81 Disaffiliation Resolutions $6.27 Million Budget Adopted for 2023 The 2022 Special Called Session of the Central Texas Annual Conference was gaveled to order by Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. a few ticks past 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 17. As he opened the meeting, he reminded the more than 650 gathered in person at Arborlawn United Methodist Church and the many more watching online that the purpose of the meeting was to take action on the 81 petitions for ...

A video replay of Bishop Russell's Sept. 9 Memorial Service from First UMC - Fort Worth is available below. Bishop John William Russell passed away Friday Sept. 2, 2022, at the Reunion Court of the Woodlands, Texas. He was 96. Bishop Russell served as the Central Texas Conference’s inaugural episcopal leader when the South Central Jurisdiction split the Dallas/Ft. Worth Episcopal area and formed the Central Texas Conference in 1988 – an assignment from which he retired in 1992 – after serving ...

The United Methodist Church’s top court ruled that a much-debated church law - ¶2548.2 of the Book of Discipline - can only be used for transferring property, not members, to another denomination. The Judicial Council also ruled that The United Methodist Church must have an existing agreement with the other denomination for such a transfer to occur. No such agreement exists with the Global Methodist Church, which has been pushing for churches to use the measure to leave The United ...

July 28, 2022 Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., resident bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, has announced that Dr. Tim Bruster will join the Conference staff as the Director of Finance and Administrative Services. This is a part-time position and is effective Aug. 1.   In his role, Tim, who recently retired from a 42-year ministry as a local church pastor (the last 19 years as the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth) will be a member of the ...

Trustees and CF&A unanimous in support of AC22 recommendation to reduce pension liabilities for disaffiliating churches CF&A review shows CTC finances/pension plan secure going forward with updated policy Updated policy to only reduce pension liability portion of exit costs for disaffiliating churches – no funds to be paid to churches leaving the UMC Updated Disaffiliation Exit Costs expected to be available by early August Acting as swiftly as possible following the conclusion of the...

The South Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy has decided, in consultation with the College of Bishops, to recommend that the Jurisdictional Conference elect three new bishops in November 2022.   With three elections, the SCJ would have a total of nine bishops available to be assigned to the 10 current episcopal areas. The tenth episcopal area will be left open with episcopal coverage to be determined by the Council of Bishops upon recommendation from the SCJ College of Bishops ...

MAY 27, 2022 by Dr. Maidstone Mulenga, COB Director of Communications In response to Judicial Council decision 1445, the Council of Bishops (COB) has formally set the dates for regular sessions of the Jurisdictional Conferences of The United Methodist Church (UMC) to be convened November 2-5, 2022.   During a special COB meeting held today, the bishops approved a motion that the jurisdictional conferences will meet for purpose of the election and assignment of new bishops for the limited ...

 Jeff Roper to retire effective July 1; Great Plains Treasurer & Director of Administrative Services Scott Brewer to also provide strategic oversight coverage for CTC Finance & Administration Team May 24, 2022 Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., resident bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church has announced that Jeff Roper, executive director of the Roberts Center for Leadership and Administration/Conference Benefits Officer has decided to retire at the end of June. Scott ...