The 2020 General and Jurisdictional Delegation of the Northwest Texas Conference is pleased to announce its endorsement of the Rev. Dr. Eduardo (Eddie) Rivera for the office of bishop in the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. He has also received the Affirmation (endorsement) of MARCHA (Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans).

Rev. Dr. Rivera currently serves in the New Mexico Conference - our sister conference - as the District Superintendent of the El Paso District and is Dean of the New Mexico Cabinet. In past years, he served in the Northwest Texas Conference as the Senior Pastor of St. Paul UMC-the Abilene District flagship church. He was a member of our delegation to the 2012 General and Jurisdictional Conferences and served as the Chair of our Board of Ordained Ministry.

Rivera attended the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas where he learned his English. He earned his Bachelor of Theology Degree from the Seminario Metodista Juan Wesley in Monterrey, México (1985), a Master of Theology Degree (1992) and a Doctor of Ministry Degree (1997) both from Candler School of Theology-Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He was ordained an Elder of the Methodist Church of Mexico in 1988 and transferred his credentials to the New Mexico Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1998.

Rivera is a delegate of the United Methodist Church to the World Methodist Council, a member of the UMDF (United Methodist Development Fund) Board of Directors, a member of the South Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy, and a member of the TMF (Texas Methodist Foundation) Board of Directors. In his ministerial journey, he has served in other jurisdictional and conference related ministries and has been an elected delegate to every General and Jurisdictional Conferences since 2008.

We pray that God will bestow wisdom and discernment to all delegates attending the 2020 South Central Jurisdiction Conference in July, as we elect Episcopal Leadership that will lead us into fruitful ministry amid challenging times.