Many Parts, One Body: An Ash Wednesday Collaboration Across Conferences

Rev. Dr. Aaron Gonzalez
Assistant to the Bishop
Chief of Staff

On a solemn evening marking the beginning of Lent, four United Methodist ministries spanning two conferences gathered as one body to observe Ash Wednesday, offering a powerful witness to the connectional spirit of The United Methodist Church. Members of Rockbridge United Methodist Church, Leander United Methodist Church, Cedar Park First United Methodist Church, and the Texas Wesley Foundation gathered for their second annual collaborative Ash Wednesday service, bringing together worshipers from both the Rio Texas Conference and the Horizon Texas Conference. The evening stood as a living testament to the connectional nature of United Methodist ministry.

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey and Rev. Dr. Aaron Gonzalez, Assistant to the Bishop. Pastors Eric Douglas of Rockbridge, Ryan Jacobson of Leander, Peter Castles & Suzette Birch of Cedar Park First, and David McMinn & Aislinn Kopp of the Texas Wesley Foundation.

Clergy from each ministry shared leadership in the service, reflecting the collaborative spirit that shaped the evening. Pastors Eric Douglas of Rockbridge, Ryan Jacobson of Leander, Peter Castles and Suzette Birch of Cedar Park First, and David McMinn and Aislinn Kopp of the Texas Wesley Foundation stood together at the altar, guiding worshipers into the holy work of repentance and renewal.

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey.

Rev. Dr. Aaron Gonzalez, Assistant to the Bishop.

Special invited guests included Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey and Rev. Dr. Aaron Gonzalez, Assistant to the Bishop, both representing the Rio Texas Conference. Their presence highlighted the broader covenant that binds United Methodists across congregations and conferences, underscoring that the work of ministry is shared and sustained together.

The service featured praise bands, choirs, and lay leaders from all four ministries. Musicians blended contemporary and traditional expressions of worship, while pastors read and proclaimed Scripture and lay leaders assisted in prayer and the imposition of ashes. No single congregation carried the night alone; rather, each offered its gifts, creating a unified and reverent worship experience.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season when Christians confront their humanity and acknowledge their dependence on God. As ashes were traced in the sign of the cross, worshipers were reminded of both human frailty and divine faithfulness. The collaborative nature of the service deepened that reminder: we not only depend on God individually, but we also rely on one another as the Body of Christ.

Now in its second year, this combined Ash Wednesday celebration has become more than a shared service — it has become a shared commitment. Relationships among clergy have strengthened. Lay leaders have built new partnerships. Students connected through the Texas Wesley Foundation have discovered supportive congregations eager to walk with them in faith. What began as an idea for collaborative worship is maturing into an embodied expression of connectional ministry.

The gathering also served as a visible bridge between the Rio Texas and Horizon Texas Conferences. In a time when conference alignments and denominational landscapes continue to evolve, the evening testified that shared mission transcends administrative boundaries. United Methodists remain bound together by common doctrine, shared covenant, and a commitment to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

As the final hymn concluded and worshipers departed in quiet reflection, the image lingered: four ministries, two conferences, countless gifts — yet one Church moving into Lent together.

The Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:12 provide an apt closing reflection on the evening: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” In Cedar Park, Leander, and beyond, that unity was not merely spoken — it was seen, heard, and experienced.