News

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, the area bishop of the Louisiana Conference, has been elected president of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Harvey succeeds Bishop Ken Carter will officially take office at the conclusion of the May 2020 General Conference. To see more, including the list of other officers elected, visit the Council of Bishop's news page here.

The United Methodist Church’s Connectional Table approved sending legislation to General Conference 2020 that will create a new structure for churches in the United States, called a regional conference, during an online meeting July 18, 2019.    “The legislation, as currently written, will not address our impasse over human sexuality. However, it will help unburden the General Conference and facilitate U.S. adaptable work of other kinds." - Rev. Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai, chief connectional ...

We are excited to welcome Dustin Kaps to our Central Texas Conference Staff as a part of the Communication/IT Team. Dustin will be joining our team as our CTC Videographer/Digital Media Specialist. Dustin is passionate about and experienced in employing video and other digital media in ministry settings. This experience and drive will be a energizing (and equipping) asset in the conference's mission (and WIG) of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. He also brings...

The Project Transformation Central Texas Board of Directors and staff have announced Lynne Rhodes as their new Executive Director. Lynne currently serves Project Transformation North Texas as their Volunteer and Church Engagement Director and will join the Central Texas Project Transformation team on Sept. 1. Lynne brings a wealth of Project Transformation experience, expertise, creativity and a passion for helping connect youth and young adults to vital local ministries in transformative ways....

During the 2019 annual meeting of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, two resolutions were presented and discussed by the members of the Annual Conference on Wednesday, June 12. Both resolutions –  "What's Next in the Central Texas Annual Conference" and "Transparency of Usage of Funds Used for Clergy Trials" -  were passed by the Annual Conference. To download the resolutions, click on the appropriate links below: A Resolution on What's Next in the Central Texas Annual...

Bishop Mike Lowry, episcopal leader of the Central Texas Conference UMC, celebrated two Central Texas Conference team members, for their more than 5 years of service - Susan Craig (pictured on the left), Area Administrator for the Assistant to Bishop Office, and Claire Condrey (pictured on the right), Coordinator of Youth Ministry. "We are so thankful for all the ministry and work that Susan and Claire have done and continue to do in Energizing and Equipping the Local Church in Making Disciples ...

We are excited to welcome Bradley Alexander to our Central Texas Conference Staff as a part of the Communication/IT Team. Bradley will be joining our team as our Web Designer and Social Media Strategist. Bradley is passionate about and experienced in employing web-based mediums in ministry settings. This experience and drive will be a energizing (and equipping) asset in the conference's mission (and WIG) of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. He also brings some...

United Theological Seminary celebrated 92 women and men who have completed their theological education and are going out to serve as faithful, fruitful leaders of the Church during its Spring Commencement on May 18. Bishop Lowry delivered the commencement address to a packed house at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, OH, encouraging graduates to keep Jesus at the center of their lives and ministries.   Among the graduating class were 48 receiving master’s degrees, 31 receiving the ...

In a statement released Wednesday, April 24 by Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), the largest health insurance provider in Texas stated that as of April 15, the emergency room (ER) doctors at many Texas Health Resources (THR) facilities are no longer in-network providers. THR hospitals remain as in-network facilities; however, many of the ER doctors are employed by a third-party company – in this instance Texas Medicine Resources. BCBS failed to reach an agreement with Texas Medicine Resources, ...

Bishop Mike Lowry, episcopal leader of the Central Texas Conference UMC, has announced that Rev. Louis Carr will be appointed as the District Superintendent of the North District of the Central Texas Conference effective March 1 ,2019. Louis succeeds Rev. Travis Franklin who is leaving the cabinet to take over as the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Grapevine. Rev. Carr currently serves as the senior pastor of Harvest UMC.   “Rev. Louis Carr brings to the District and the ...

Bishop Lowry has announced that Dr. Randy Wild will remove the interim tag and permanently assume the role of East District Superintendent effective July 1. Dr. Wild has been serving as the East District’s interim DS since Jan. 1.   “Thank God for Dr. Randy Wild’s faithfulness!” exclaimed Bishop Lowry upon making the announcement of his return to the CTC Cabinet. “Randy’s administrative leadership is welded to a record of pastoral excellence at a number of settings and he has already provided ...

Wespath Benefits and Investments recently issued some clarifying information about the pension impacts of the Called 2019 General Conference. The following is an email sent to the Council of Bishops from General Secretary and CEO of Wespath Barbara Boigegrain in response to inaccurate information and rumors being floated around the internet regarding the potential impact that General Conference 2019 could have on clergy benefits.   As we draw closer to the special called General Conference,...

Mrs. Mary Jean Russell, wife of Bishop John Russel (retired), passed on to the church triumphant on Thursday, Dec. 27. The Russell family has announced that Mary Jean's celebration of life service will be at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church Fort Worth. Mrs. Russell will be interred at Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 2. Mary Jean served the DFW area and the Central Texas Conference in myriad ways - including as the Bishop's wife from 1980 to 1992. Bishop...

Bishop Ben Chamness passed on to the Church Triumphant through the resurrection of our Lord at 3:01 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 22. Bishop Lowry, who was immediately preceded as the episcopal leader of the Central Texas Conference by Bishop Chamness, is asking all members of the Central Texas Conference, and people of faith everywhere to join him in prayers of peace and healing for his wife Joye and the entire Chamness family and of gratitude for the lifetime of service shared by Bishop Chamness.    “...

UMC Bishops Call on Methodists Worldwide to Pray for Detained Missionaries; Launch Worldwide #LetThemLeave Campaign Against  the Treatment of Three Missionaries in the Philippines Being Denied Permission to Leave the Country. The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church (COB) has issued a statement calling for the immediate release of three young UMC missionaries who are being prevented from leaving the Republic of the Philippines by the country’s government. The missionaries are ...

Bishop Lowry voices his ardent support of AC18 Resolution, which calls policy of separating children from parents “inhumane” and denounces the establishment of “tent cities” in Texas. Central Texas Conference congregations and members tare urged o contact their U.S. representatives in Congress and the White House and call for an immediate reversal of these actions.  For Immediate Release Monday, June 18, 2018 Access PDF Version Here On June 13, responding to the U.S. Department of Homeland ...

The Central Texas Conference Service Center (CTCSC) will be closed for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays from Dec. 22 – Jan. 1. The CTCSC will resume normal business hours at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2. If you have an emergency and need to reach a member of the CTC Service Center when the CTCSC is closed, call 817-994-0139 or e-mail CTCSC@ctcumc.org. 2017 End-of-Year Giving Remittance Schedule Refer to the timetable below as you plan your church’s year-end remittances to the Conference ...

Time is Running Out on 2017 - Share the Following Giving/Tax Saving Tips With Your Church Today!  Many Americans who are more than 70 1/2 years old have Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) that force them to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) each year. However, very few of them know that rather than taking that RMD themselves (and paying taxes on the money withdrawn), they can give that RMD directly to a charity (like your church) and avoid paying any taxes on the withdrawal.  ...

UMC Christmas Road tour makes Waco its first stop as it aims to unwrap the true meaning of Christmas with fellowship and collections benefitting Gifts for Grannies and Methodist Children’s Home. Those meandering throughout Downtown Waco with visions of sugarplums this Saturday (Dec. 2) might also get a glimpse of the true meaning of Christmas complete with some free hot cocoa.   An easy-to-find bedecked tour truck will be the centerpiece of “The True Meaning of Christmas Tour” festivities from ...

As details about the alleged shooter, his motivation for the shooting and those affected by Sunday's mass shooting - the deadliest history for the state of Texas - continue to unfold, Bishop Lowry and local church leaders are calling on the people of the Central Texas Conference to pray. According to authorities, the mass shooting at a Baptist Church in the rural Texas town of Sutherland Springs, which claimed the lives of 26 people (age 18-months to 77) was neither racially nor religiously ...