The 2026 Rio Texas Annual Conference, held June 17–20, brought clergy and laity together for worship, discernment, teaching, celebration, and the business of the conference. Throughout the gathering, the theme “Adelante con Esperanza — Moving Forward with Hope” served as both an invitation and a challenge: to recognize God’s abundance, remain rooted in connection, and take faithful steps into the future.

Opening Worship set that direction from the beginning, praying that the Spirit would lead the conference adelante con esperanza, walking together in faith, hope, and love.

A strong emphasis throughout the conference was the United Methodist vision to Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously. Teaching sessions translated those words into ministry practice. Participants explored courageous leadership amid uncertainty, ministries that build relationships and welcome neighbors, and joyful service alongside communities experiencing hardship. One session invited participants to identify where they had witnessed God’s abundance and hope during the past year and to discern the next courageous step God was calling them to take.

Serving Joyfully became especially tangible through the conference's focus on disaster response and recovery. Rio Texas reported extensive ministry following the historic 2025 floods, including a growing network of trained Early Response Team volunteers and continued long-term recovery efforts. Conference leaders described more than 2,000 families across the Rio Grande Valley, Concho Valley, and Hill Country potentially still needing assistance. The conference emphasized that disaster ministry is more than rebuilding property; it includes walking alongside survivors and attending to spiritual, emotional, and community needs.

The gathering also highlighted the breadth of ministry already happening across Rio Texas. In 2025, 181 of 198 reporting churches served 932,301 people through outreach, justice, and mercy ministries. Those ministries included migrant hospitality, poverty awareness, disaster response, community partnerships, and other efforts extending across Rio Texas' border, coastal, rural, and urban communities.

The conference intentionally made space for remembrance, reconciliation, diversity, and inclusion. During Friday’s Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving, the conference honored clergy and clergy spouses who had died since the previous Annual Conference. Family members and clergy carried lanterns into the service and placed them beside photographs of those being remembered, offering a visible reminder of the light their lives and ministries had shared. Grounded in the promise that the church is surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses,” the service gave thanks for the saints who had gone before and called those gathered to carry their light forward.

An Indigenous Peoples presentation acknowledged the ancestral relationship of Indigenous peoples to the land and invited the conference to learn the true history of the communities on whose lands its churches and ministries exist. The conference also held a significant Juneteenth worship observance, remembering the history of emancipation, honoring Black resilience and excellence, acknowledging continuing injustice, and calling the church toward beloved community.

Another major emphasis was developing a shared future for Rio Texas. The Uniting Table and Strategic Priorities Task Force reported on work to imagine the conference's witness toward 2035, with a desire for Rio Texas to become increasingly known as a trusted, connected, and community-engaged presence throughout South Texas. Listening sessions and conference-wide feedback have been helping shape proposed strategic priorities intended to guide shared ministry in the years ahead.

Celebrating Ministry and Leadership

Friday's Celebration of Ministry and Ordination Service was one of the central moments of the gathering, celebrating God's call to ministry across the whole Church. The service began by reaffirming the common ministry shared by all Christians through baptism before recognizing those called to licensed, commissioned, ordained, and associate ministry. The conference celebrated newly licensed local pastors, provisional deacons and elders, deacons and elders entering full connection, and an associate member. The service reinforced the understanding that ministry belongs to the whole baptized community and that those set apart for ministry serve alongside laity and other clergy in the shared mission of the Church.

The conference also celebrated significant milestones in ordained ministry, including 70 years of the ordination of women and 30 years of the Order of Deacons. The Saturday teaching session on Leading Courageously featured personal stories of calling, perseverance, barriers overcome, and faithful leadership across generations.

Annual Conference recognized ministries and leaders embodying the church's mission. Joseph Tobias was announced as the One Matters Award recipient. The Rio Texas #BeUMC Awards recognized Cindy Andrade Johnson with the Layperson Award, Rev. Cynthia Engstrom with the Clergy Award, and Westlawn United Methodist Church, led by Rev. Laura Dorantes, with the Congregation Award.

Conference Business and Stewardship

Alongside worship and teaching, delegates carried out the formal business of the Annual Conference, including organizing the conference, receiving reports, considering resolutions, nominations, finances, pensions, property, and other matters of shared governance.

Among the financial matters presented for conference action were the 2027 apportioned funds of approximately $5.6 million, representing a reduction of approximately $324,000 from the amount approved for 2026; minimum pastoral compensation recommendations incorporating a 2.8% increase; support for district superintendents; and a revised Equitable Compensation Moving Policy.

The Board of Pensions reported strong participation in the new Compass Pension Plan: all full-time clergy were contributing, 98% were contributing at least 4%, and the average contribution rate was 6%. The conference also highlighted the Shepherd's Fund, which has made assistance available to eligible Rio Texas and predecessor-conference retirees and had distributed approximately $684,000 to 65 applicants.

Hope Made Visible

Stories shared throughout Annual Conference demonstrated what the theme looks like in practice. Lydia Patterson Institute reported that 100% of its seniors graduated, 100% were accepted to college, and the class received nearly $7 million in scholarships and financial aid, while more than 50 students participated in Student Lay Ministry. Stories of disaster recovery, ministries with immigrants and vulnerable neighbors, new faith communities, youth and young adults, community partnerships, and local congregations similarly illustrated hope as something created through faithful action and connection.

The conference concluded with the Fixing of Appointments, sending clergy into a new year of ministry and calling both clergy and laity to renew their commitments to discipleship and service. Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey declared the appointments for the coming conference year fixed and invited the conference to receive them with prayer, trust, and mutual support. The final sending captured the spirit of the week: moving from gathering to mission with courage, praise, faith, and hope—sent together to love, lead, and transform the world.

Taken together, Annual Conference 2026 told a story of a connection choosing to move forward—not by ignoring uncertainty or hardship, but by recognizing God's abundance within it. Rio Texas celebrated new leaders, honored faithful ministry, confronted difficult histories, responded to communities in crisis, strengthened its shared stewardship, and began discerning priorities for its future. The invitation leaving Annual Conference was clear: love boldly, serve joyfully, lead courageously, and continue adelante con esperanza.

Resolutions

Want to learn more about the actions taken by the Annual Conference?
Review the resolutions approved by the 2026 Rio Texas Annual Conference.

View the 2026 Approved Resolutions

Relive Annual Conference 2026

From worship and teaching to celebrations, fellowship, and moments of connection, explore photos from throughout the 2026 Rio Texas Annual Conference.

VIEW ANNUAL CONFERENCE PHOTO GALLERIES

Watch Annual Conference

Missed a service or want to revisit a favorite moment? Watch worship services and plenary sessions from the 2026 Rio Texas Annual Conference on our YouTube channel.

Watch the Annual Conference 2026 Video Playlist

Awards & Recognitions

Each year, the Rio Texas Annual Conference celebrates churches and individuals whose ministries reflect faithful discipleship, vibrant leadership, and a commitment to making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Explore this year's recognitions: