The Rio Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

By Teresa Keese, Laura Merrill, and Abel Vega

Sixteen members of the Rio Texas General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegation attended the South Central Jurisdictional General Conference Delegate Gathering held at St. Luke’s UMC in Oklahoma City on October 4-5. The gathering, hosted by the SCJ Mission Council, was held to inform the delegates of the three structure options to be presented at the 2019 Special Session of General Conference. The pension implications of each plan were also presented. Delegates from across the jurisdiction joined in a time of listening, learning, worship, prayer, sharing, and developing a sense of community and understanding across different backgrounds and beliefs. The event planners purposefully assigned seating to create a mixed group from different delegations and beliefs at each table, which allowed for a new depth of conversation surrounding the UMC and our mission and purpose. We discussed how that depth applies to the decisions to be made at the General Conference Special Session next February in St. Louis.

WASHINGTON, D.C. _ The Council of Bishops President Bishop Ken Carter, who is also the resident bishop of the Florida Area, has issued the following statement in the aftermath of the mass shooting today in Jacksonville, Florida, USA:

"He was pretty blunt about that's what we got to do," Barnette said. "So who are we to argue with Jesus?"