A Conversation on Racism

Join Bishop Schnase as he welcomes Bishop Tracy Smith Malone to a live online conversation about racism, especially as it is manifested in our work together as United Methodists. Bishop Malone served as a pastor and District Superintendent in the Northern Illinois Conference and is Bishop of the East Ohio Conference. She and Bishop Schnase will explore what is helpful in identifying and dismantling racism in conference operations and practices, and what simply does not work. What do we need to learn? What is the best approach for bringing change that makes a difference?

Wednesday, September 16, 10:00 a.m.
Register HERE

Bishop Tracy S. Malone is the resident bishop of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. She provides spiritual oversight; shares in equipping, teaching and encouraging mission, outreach, witness and service; and serves as a shepherd of the church in providing a prophetic witness of justice, mercy and unity.

Malone serves on the Boards of Trustees at the United Methodist-affiliated colleges, seminaries and organizations in East Ohio. She also is currently the president of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, the secretary of the Council of Bishops, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Africa University.

Malone has a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Sociology, with a minor in Computer Science, from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. She holds a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and earned her Doctorate of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Malone grew up in The United Methodist Church and accepted her call to ministry at the early age of 13. She and her husband Derrick are the parents of two daughters.

Warming hearts at Texas State University!

by Rev. Todd Salmi, United Campus Ministry at Texas State

For more than 90 years, the United Campus Ministry at Texas State has partnered with The United Methodist Church to welcome all students in the love and grace of Jesus Christ. With a diverse school enrollment of over 39,000 students, including 40% first-generation in college, the UCM cares for individual students, creates disciples, and serves our neighbors in the name of Jesus. 

If you know a student at Texas State, or want to make a positive impact with emerging young adult leaders of the church, please contact Todd Salmi (todd@ucmtxstate.org) and visit www.ucmtxstate.org. You can also find us on Instagram which is our main social media account: www.instagram.com/UCMtxstate.

The United Campus Ministry at Texas State is a mission of the Río Texas UMC and connected to the Wesley college ministry network.

Appointments Booklet

In a normal year, the lay and clergy members of the Rio Texas Annual Conference would have ended our conference session in June with our bishop setting the pastoral appointments for the coming year. Each delegate would have received a printed Appointment Book, which would then be reprinted in that year's conference journal. While this year we were not able to meet, Bishop Schnase has still made appointments! Please find attached the list of Rio Texas appointments, which became effective July 1, 2020.

2020 Appointment Booklet

Project Transformation - Adapting, Growing, & Moving

The Rio Texas Conference and Project Transformation would like to share an important update. This summer, Project Transformation (PT) will be moving out of the conference office and into a new facility. Details about this move can be found in the update written by Kercida McClain below. The ministry of PT is a blessing for the college interns who teach and lead grade-school students, for the churches, and volunteers, and donors that make PT possible.  We look forward to our continued work with Kercida McClain and the team that works with Project Transformation.

Robert Schnase, Bishop
Rio Texas Conference

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Grape Juice
An Update on Project Transformation Housing and Home

The long and short of it is that Project Transformation will have a fabulous new home by the end of June.

The details: PT has completely re-modified its summer 2020 program to be virtual out of love for all those we work with and beside. That means no interns living in the community this summer. The good news is that as we hit the typical speed bumps of construction, we are no longer on a compressed time table and everything is still being completed meeting high expectations and code requirements. The building looks fabulous. The transformation is remarkable.

The Capital Campaign that had just begun has been paused in light of people needing to support much more basic needs in the crisis. The good news is that gap funding had already been secured from TMF and it is being used and is enough. The generosity of the Las Misiones District and the Coker UMC Foundation got everything rolling and TMF will sustain us until we ramp the Capital Campaign back up in the fall.

PT has also had the privilege during COVID to stand in the gap for St. Marks’ neighbors needing food. When the church needed to close during COVID, so did the food pantry. PT kept serving those neighbors and that allowed us to get to meet and interact with our neighbors. Our presence on the campus has meant activity and interaction when things would have been very quiet otherwise.

Our immediate plan is to relocate the PT offices into two rooms in the Housing building so as to not have an amazing building sit empty and to continue the work anchoring in the neighborhood that began this spring. The goal is still for the Afterschool Fellow(s) to live there when it is safe to be back together physically and of course we are looking toward a full building next summer. PT is still planning to welcome guests visiting our community by offering low cost accommodations as they serve in our area.

We can’t wait to throw the doors open wide and celebrate this facility and all the potential it holds. Thank you for your partnership with us and so many yet to come.

Kercida McClain
Donor. Volunteer. CEO.
Project Transformation Rio Texas

Click here to see some pictures!