Texas Annual Conference
Encyclopedia
The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
is the regional body of congregations and ministries in East Texas, from Texarkana west to approximately Cedar Creek Lake in the north, Thorndale
, Tx
in the west, and Bay City
in the southwest and down to the Gulf Coast and back east to the Louisiana
border. It is headquartered in Houston, Texas
with Bishop
Janice Riggle Huie
currently serving as the presiding Bishop
. The Texas Annual Conference is also officially referred to as "the Houston Area of The United Methodist Church" as well as "The Texas Annual Conference". The Texas Annual Conference is the largest Annual Conference
in the Church's South Central Jurisdiction and the third largest in the Denomination
.
The Texas Annual Conference was the original Annual Conference in Texas, which now contains 6 Annual Conferences that were carved out of the original Texas Conference. The State of Texas now has 5 geographical and 1 Spanish language conference. The jurisdiction of the Spanish language Conference, the Rio Grande Conference, covers the entire State of Texas and portions of New Mexico. The Texas Annual Conference contains over 1000 churches in over 800 pastoral appointments, 12 Wesley Foundation
s, 2 higher education institutions and many other ministries and outreaches.
. McMahan Chapel, the oldest Protestant church in Texas and one of the oldest Protestant congregations west of the Mississippi River, is located in the East District and is celebrated each year with an annual Conference wide worship service and gathering, McMahon Chapel Day . The original Methodist missionary to what was then the Mexican territory of Texas, the Rev. Littleton Fowler, is buried under the pulpit of McMahon's Chapel. The Rev. Sumner Bacon, the first Presbyterian missionary to Texas, is buried in the nearby Chapel Hill United Methodist Church cemetery.
District Superintendents (commonly referred to as a "DS") supervise each district. The superintendents serve for six years but they can serve for as long as eight if the presiding Bishop feels that there are exception reasons to do so. A superintendent may serve up to 12 years i total during the course of their ministry, and there are no exceptions allowed to this rule. Each of the nine districts coordinate, supervise and support all of the work of the Church within its geographical boundaries. The West District in the Texas Annual Conference is currently the highest apportionment paying District in the entire United Methodist denomination or "connection'. The southern and eastern districts of the Annual Conference were deeply affected by the damage of Hurricane Ike
in the Fall of 2008, with several coastal congregations being wiped out completely.
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
is the regional body of congregations and ministries in East Texas, from Texarkana west to approximately Cedar Creek Lake in the north, Thorndale
Thorndale
Thorndale may refer to:* Thorndale, Pennsylvania* Thorndale, Texas* Thorndale, Ontario* Thorndale , rapid transit station in Chicago* Thorndale , commuter rail station in Thorndale, Pennsylvania...
, Tx
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the west, and Bay City
Bay City, Texas
Bay City is a city in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,667 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Matagorda County. The current mayor is Mark Bricker.-Geography:Bay City is located at...
in the southwest and down to the Gulf Coast and back east to the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
border. It is headquartered in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
with Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Janice Riggle Huie
Janice Riggle Huie
Janice Riggle Huie was elected bishop by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1996.She is married to Robert Huie. They have two sons: David and Matthew...
currently serving as the presiding Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. The Texas Annual Conference is also officially referred to as "the Houston Area of The United Methodist Church" as well as "The Texas Annual Conference". The Texas Annual Conference is the largest Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
in the Church's South Central Jurisdiction and the third largest in the Denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
.
The Texas Annual Conference was the original Annual Conference in Texas, which now contains 6 Annual Conferences that were carved out of the original Texas Conference. The State of Texas now has 5 geographical and 1 Spanish language conference. The jurisdiction of the Spanish language Conference, the Rio Grande Conference, covers the entire State of Texas and portions of New Mexico. The Texas Annual Conference contains over 1000 churches in over 800 pastoral appointments, 12 Wesley Foundation
Wesley Foundation
A Wesley Foundation is a United Methodist campus ministry sponsored in full or in part by the United Methodist Church on a non-church owned and operated campus...
s, 2 higher education institutions and many other ministries and outreaches.
Districts of the Texas Annual Conference
The Texas Conference is divided into 9 districts that cover subdivided areas of the conference territory. Districts are the United Methodist equivalent of a Roman Catholic dioceseDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. McMahan Chapel, the oldest Protestant church in Texas and one of the oldest Protestant congregations west of the Mississippi River, is located in the East District and is celebrated each year with an annual Conference wide worship service and gathering, McMahon Chapel Day . The original Methodist missionary to what was then the Mexican territory of Texas, the Rev. Littleton Fowler, is buried under the pulpit of McMahon's Chapel. The Rev. Sumner Bacon, the first Presbyterian missionary to Texas, is buried in the nearby Chapel Hill United Methodist Church cemetery.
District Superintendents (commonly referred to as a "DS") supervise each district. The superintendents serve for six years but they can serve for as long as eight if the presiding Bishop feels that there are exception reasons to do so. A superintendent may serve up to 12 years i total during the course of their ministry, and there are no exceptions allowed to this rule. Each of the nine districts coordinate, supervise and support all of the work of the Church within its geographical boundaries. The West District in the Texas Annual Conference is currently the highest apportionment paying District in the entire United Methodist denomination or "connection'. The southern and eastern districts of the Annual Conference were deeply affected by the damage of Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
in the Fall of 2008, with several coastal congregations being wiped out completely.