Bishop Names Key Leaders in New Unified ConferenceBishop Names Key Leaders in New Unified Conference

Bishop Names Key Leaders in New Unified Conference

The newly named department heads will lead teams built around five strategic priorities. 

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., episcopal leader of the Central and North Texas Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church, named six clergy and laity to leadership positions for the new unified conference, to become fully operational by January 1, 2025. Informed by church organizational consultant reports, the Central, North and Northwest Texas cabinets, in collaboration with cross-conference unification teams and leaders, have developed a new conference structure designed to Multiply Jesus Followers, Champion Children and Youth, Maximize Care and Healing, Pursue and Embrace Diversity and Tell Our Story.

Individuals named to lead departments within the new conference are:

Rev. Joy Dister-Dominguez, Director of Care and Healing

Rev. Joy Dister-Dominguez is an associate pastor at Keller UMC in the Central Texas Conference and national team leader for The Caring Congregation, which teaches church leaders a scalable team approach and system to care ministry. She had an extensive career in hotel management for almost 10 years before answering her call to ordained ministry in 2012. Dister-Dominguez is from Southern Michigan and received her Bachelor of Science in communications from Eastern Michigan University. Her appointment as director of care and healing will begin July 1, 2024.

 

Pam Hughes, Director of Communications

Pam Hughes has served as director of communications for the North Texas Conference since January 2022, leading internal and external communications strategy, including content development, social media and email marketing and media relations. Before joining the NTC, Hughes worked for over 15 years in Dallas and Washington, D.C., providing communications counsel for leading brands and personalities, including corporate and nonprofit executives and a former U.S. president. Her role with the new conference officially begins August 1, 2024.

 

Rev. Dr. Owen Ross, Director of Multiplication

Rev. Dr. Owen Ross currently serves as director of the North Texas Conference’s Center for Church Development, where he leads efforts to equip and engage local congregations as they gather new faces in new spaces for spiritual formation in the Wesleyan tradition. As director of multiplication, Ross will oversee strategy and resourcing for church vitality, lay and clergy leadership development and new church/ministry planting across the unified conference. His appointment will begin July 1, 2024.   

 

Dr. Kevin Walters, Director of Operations

In 2014, Dr. Kevin Walters joined the Central Texas Conference as director of the Center for Leadership, and since 2018, has served as CTC’s operations and project management director. In his current role, Walters provides invaluable resourcing for local congregations, manages CTC’s property and physical facilities and leads special projects. As director of operations in the new conference, he will manage conference properties, build effective conference processes and implement information technology systems to enhance the conference’s effectiveness and efficiency. His new role will take effect March 1, 2024.

“As our three conferences unite, we must have strong, forward-thinking leaders to help support a high-performing organizational culture that will drive missional growth and impact,” said Bishop Saenz. “These four directors bring valuable experience from the local church, the cabinet room and the corporate world. Their gifts and expertise will enable us to expand and enhance our mission throughout the boundaries of our new annual conference in the most effective and efficient way possible. I look forward to working closely with them as we unite to support the local churches in their mission to multiply Jesus followers, champion children and youth, maximize care and healing, pursue and embrace diversity and tell our story.”

In addition to the four extended cabinet-level positions, Saenz has also appointed two associate directors to positions within the new Multiplication Team.

Rev. Stacey Piyakhun, currently lead pastor at Melissa UMC, will serve as associate director of multiplication.

Rev. Derek Jacobs, currently lead pastor at The Village UMC, will serve as associate director of leadership. Their appointments take effect July 1, 2024.

The chief financial officer position has been posted to the three conference websites, and candidates are currently being received. Additional positions for the new conference will be posted as well, to be filled by individuals who have the knowledge, skills and passion to lead well.

More information about the unification process can be found at www.nwtxconf.org/unification

South Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy Recommendations

South Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy Recommendations

From the SCJ Committee on Episcopacy: "We intend to recommend to the SCJ Conference that there be no election of bishops in 2024. This recommendation is informed by the high number of disaffiliations in our Jurisdiction, the changing landscape of the church, and the projected financial pressures on the episcopal fund.

Bishop Jimmy Nunn, currently serving the Oklahoma, Oklahoma Indian Missionary, and Northwest Texas annual conferences, has announced his intention to retire as of August 31, 2024. As a result, there will be seven active bishops in the SCJ available for assignment in the next quadrennium.

The 2024 General Conference could always act in a way that would change our thinking. But given what we know today, as we consider ministry affinities, geographic proximity, and relative annual conference strength, we intend to make the following recommendations to the 2024 SCJC regarding episcopal areas:

1. One bishop assigned to the Arkansas Episcopal Area and the Oklahoma Episcopal Area (OK and OIMC annual conferences)

2. One bishop assigned to the Dallas-Fort Worth Episcopal Area (Central Texas, North Texas, and Northwest Texas annual conferences or their successor)

3. One bishop assigned to the Houston Episcopal Area (Texas Annual Conference)

4. One bishop assigned to the Great Plains Episcopal Area

5. One bishop assigned to the Louisiana Episcopal Area

6. One bishop assigned to the Missouri Episcopal Area

7. One bishop assigned to the New Mexico Episcopal Area and the Rio Texas Episcopal Area

We make these recommendations after extensive consultation with the SCJ college of bishops and in line with their recommendations to us. These recommendations as well as the specific bishops assigned to each area, will need to be voted on by the Jurisdictional Conference in July."

Introducing the Unification Implementation Sub-Teams

Introducing the Unification Implementation Sub-Teams

Dear Clergy and Laity of the Northwest Texas Conference,

As Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. shared in his November video update, the unification process to bring together the Central, North, and Northwest Texas Conferences is well underway. Following thorough research by two outside consultants and directed by a guiding vision and priorities from our combined Cabinets, the process has now moved to the implementation planning phase. We are honored to have been asked to serve as Unification Implementation Team Co-Chairs and look forward to developing a Unification Proposal to guide the “how” of unification.

However, we know this is a big task, and one that cannot be accomplished alone. 

Over the past several weeks, a Nominations Task Force, comprised of members of the NTC Nominating Committee and an equal number of representatives from the Central and Northwest Texas Conferences, has met to build out Unification Implementation Sub-Teams. These sub-teams will address specific questions of the unification process, working to help craft the Unification Proposal that will come before our conferences for approval at Annual Conference 2024. Each sub-team includes representatives from all three conferences, and thoughtful consideration has been given to tapping people with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. You can find the full list of sub-teams and participants below.

We appreciate these individuals’ commitment to laying the foundation for a strong, unified conference, and we look forward to sharing their work with you as the proposal is drafted and finalized this spring.

We will continue to keep you apprised of news and updates from the Unification Implementation Team, including how you can share your thoughts and inform our work. In the meantime, we ask for your prayers as we determine how best to unify and harness our conferences’ collective resources to best serve the greater Central/North/Northwest Texas region and multiply the followers of Jesus seeking the loving, just, and free world God imagines for all people.

Blessings,
Rev. Richard Edwards, Northwest Texas Conference
Kim Simpson, Central Texas Conference
Kenneth Wolverton, North Texas Conference

 Unification Implementation Sub-Teams

 Boards/Committees Structure
Mary Brooke Casad, NTC
Abby Johnson, CTC
Gary Pitner, NWTC
Rev. Andy Roberts, NTC
Rev. Dr. Jeff Smith, CTC
Rev. Josh Stueve, NWTC

Board of Pensions & Health Benefits
Made of Conference Boards of Pensions and Health Benefits
Allison Alvarado, CTC
Rev. Dave Anderson, NWTC
Rev. Dr. Tim Bruster, CTC
Phil Bush, NTC
Greg Carey, CTC
Janie Davis-Fly, NWTC
Necia Dexter, NTC
Christy Drenner, NTC
Julie Gould, NTC
Peter Hang, NTC/Wespath
Sheila Hayes, NTC
Natalie Hermes, NWTC
Shirley Miller, NTC
Charlie Powell, CTC
Shawn-Marie Riley, CTC 
Katerina Scott, NWTC
Andy Skroka, NWTC/Wespath
Marcy Stueve, NWTC

Communications and Writing
William Gilkey, NWTC
Pamela Hughes, NTC
Jaime Montgomery, NWTC
Vance Morton, CTC
Rev. Kristen Von Gonten, CTC
Rev. Silvia Wang, NTC

Conference Staff/Personnel
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.
Darlene Alfred, CTC
Rev. Don Boren, NWTC
Kim Brannon, NTC
Caitlin Congdon, GCFA
Greg Feris, CTC
Ted Haynes, NTC
Rev. Dr. Clifton Howard, CTC
Rev. Marilyn Jones, CTC
Rev. Andy Lewis, NTC
Deborah Vela, NTC
Sheila Warren, NWTC

Finance 
Rev. Dave Anderson, NWTC
Rev. Dr. Tim Bruster, CTC
Christy Drenner, NTC
Rev. Sela Finau, CTC
Natalie Hermes, NWTC
Matt Jones, NTC
Alan Martin, CTC
Rev. Dr. Joe Pool, NTC
Rev. Todd Salzwedel, NWTC
Gary Sult, CTC

International Covenant Partner
Rev. Jeff Fisher, NWTC
Rev. Dr. Jeff Hall, NTC
Rev. Molly Hayes, CTC

IT Systems 
Rev. Kay Eck, NTC
Rev. Daniel Hawkins, CTC
David Kim, NTC 
Lisa Putnam, NTC 
Calvin Scott, CTC
Dr. Kevin Walters, CTC  

Legal 
Rev. Jeff Fisher, NWTC
Rev. Jeff Miller, CTC
Rev. Geoffrey Moore, NTC
Lisa Peterson, NWTC
Richard Stewart, NTC
Nancy Vidad, CTC 

Mission/Vision 
Rev. Dr. Edgar Bazan, NTC
Rev. Don Boren, NWTC
Chris Buse, CTC
Marie Cox, NWTC
Rev. Dr. Clifton Howard, CTC
Rev. Matt Ibanez, CTC
Rev. Andy Lewis, NTC
Ray Morgan, NTC
Rev. Benji Van Fleet, NWTC

Name 
Rev. Leslie Byrd, CTC
Ann-Claire Gustin, NWTC
Pamela Hughes, NTC
Laureen Kuizon, CTC
Jaime Montgomery, NWTC
Vance Morton, CTC
Rev. Dr. Sheron Patterson, NTC
Rev. Jonathan Perry, NTC
Perry Tipton, NWTC

Nominations Task Force
Rev. Don Boren, NWTC
Kim Brannon, NTC
Rev. Edlen Cowley, NTC
Rev. Stephania Gilkey, NWTC
Karen Goodwin, CTC
Janie Gulley, NTC
Rev. Felicia Hopkins, NWTC
Rev. Dr. Clifton Howard, CTC
Rev. Andy Lewis, NTC
Christine Peirce, CTC
Rev. Ramon Smith, CTC
Rev. Josh Stueve, NWTC

Board of Ordained Ministry

Rev. Edgar Bazan, NTC
Rev. Chris Dowd, NTC
Rev. Beth Evers, CTC
Rev. Derek Jacobs, NTC

Rev. Marcus Jones, CTC
Rev. Tom Long, NWTC
Rev. Alan McGrath, CTC
Rev. Maggie Proshek, NTC

Rev. Josh Stueve, NWTC

Rev. Matt Ybanez, CTC

Holly Brower, CTC
Mary Nickson, NTC
Lisa Peterson, NWTC

Enter Your 2024 Church Stats by January 23!

It’s that time of year to update your 2023 church stats! The Conference will be using the ACSTATS system again this year.  https://stats.gcfa.org/ There are no changes from the 2022 local church reporting data elements. 

Please note that the 2023 local church statistics will be the basis for the 2025 apportionments of the potential new Conference. Please ensure the accuracy and completeness of Table 2 Expenses and Table 3 Income.  

 

A new incentive check of $1,000 will be distributed to churches that submit their 2023 statistics by the deadline of January 23, 2024. Note the portal will be opened on Monday, January 8th. 

Each church user will have to register as a new user; last year’s information has been deleted.

To enter the stats system, follow these steps:

  1. Go to https://stats.gcfa.org/Login.aspx (see attached screenshot).

  2. In the Login box where is says “email@gcfa.org” enter the church GCFA number.  This is a 6 digit number that is sometimes called the Permanent ID.  Most GCFA numbers start with 7. (see attached screenshot).

  3. In the Password box, enter the temporary password NWTXConf2023! (see attached screenshot)

  4. Click Log in

  5. This will take you to a screen entitled Local Church Identification/Registration.  There should be no Registered users so click on the box “I’m not Listed.” (see attached screenshot)

  6. A new screen will open where you will enter your information.  Every box that has an asterisk is a required field. (see attached screenshot)

  7. In the password box, it may have a password suggestion but if you click in that box and start typing, you can choose your own password.  It must be at least 8 characters long and contain 1 special character (e.g., exclamation point).  You can click on the eyeball to the right of the box and it will show you what you are typing. (see attached screenshot)

  8. When completed, click on “Register with Local Church”.

  9. Go back to the login https://stats.gcfa.org

  10. Log in using your email and password that you entered when you registered as a user. (see attached screenshot)

  11. This will take you to the Church Details screen.  Please review this screen and make note of any missing or incorrect information.  You cannot edit this screen but please send an email with the missing or incorrect information to the district office. (see attached screenshot)

  12. Click on the box “Annual Report” or click on the “Annual Statistics” in the top menu bar.

  13. Begin entering your stats.  There is a toggle switch that you can use to display the question instructions.

 

ACSTATS system support & Questions Process Steps:

  1. Contact your District Assistant with any initial questions:

  1. If DA can’t answer, email Conference Staff:

      • Conference Office Phone: 806-762-0201

  • Note: DA or Conference staff resource availability may be limited, and the ability to quickly respond to your questions if you delay until Jan. 16 - 23 to begin input.

Enhancing and Expanding the Gospel of Jesus in the United Methodist Tradition

In February of 2023, shortly after being assigned as the episcopal leader of the North and Central Texas Conferences by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church, Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. began to work with clergy and lay leaders of both conferences to determine how to best move our disciple-making mission forward in the short- and long-term.

In June 2023, Bishop Saenz and Bishop Nunn began to work together in looking forward for a possible unification of the Northwest Texas Conference, North Texas Conference and the Central Texas Conference pending approval at Jurisdictional Conference in July 2024.

With an eye on what the world of 2050 will be like and need, the conference leadership set out to cast a vision that would energize and guide the people and local churches in our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In August of 2023, the Central and North Texas Cabinets were joined by members of the Northwest Texas Cabinet for a vision retreat. After hearing from visioning experts, reviewing current and forecasted demographic data for each conference and much prayer, the set a vision and supporting strategic priorities for the conferences.

Our Vision

We are followers of Jesus, seeking the loving, just and free world God imagines for all people.

Our Strategic Priorities

  • Multiply Jesus Followers

  • Champion Children and Youth

  • Maximize Care and Healing

  • Pursue and Embrace Diversity

  • Tell Our Story

Conference Unification

Another key initiative set forth by Bishop Saenz shortly following his assignment to the North and Central Texas Conferences was to consider how to unify and harness the collective resources of the Central, North and Northwest Texas Conferences to best serve the region. By working together as one body with a unified vision, we will be well-positioned to multiply Jesus followers as a unified conference following the widely anticipated adoption of new conference boundaries by the 2024 South Central Jurisdictional Conference.

The process for exploring unification began in earnest in February 2023. Throughout the spring and summer of 2023, Bishop Saenz and clergy and lay leaders from all three conferences worked together on a unification plan set for the second half of the year and into 2024.

Consultants' Review

The conferences appointed Unification Project Managers Lisa Gafford (Central Texas Conference), Tim Griffy (North Texas Conference) and Randy Stutes (Northwest Texas Conference) and contracted independent consultant John Wimberly and a team from GCFA led by Caitlin Congdon. The consultants were charged with researching the conferences’ current organizational structure and culture, conducting interviews with conference staff, clergy and lay leadership and providing recommendations as how the conferences can organize moving forward.

Dr. Wimberly and the GCFA team delivered their reports in October 2023. Common themes revealed in both reports include prioritization of:

  • Focusing on ministry with younger generations

  • Actively engaging in community mission work

  • Building connections within the larger geographic Annual Conference

  • Prioritizing campus ministry, including commensurate funding

  • Enhancing clergy and laity leadership development and programs that focus on growth strategies

  • Supporting ministry in rural areas

  • Investing in clergy wellbeing

After receiving these reports and summaries from the Unification Project Managers, the Cabinets began developing an organizational structure that supports the conferences’ strategic priorities and focuses on collaboration, communication and the flexibility needed to adapt to our rapidly changing world.

What's Coming Next

Welcome Grace UMC, Dalhart as the newest NWTX Church!

On September 24, 2023, Grace United Methodist Church of Dalhart, Texas, was chartered as a new church in the NWTX Conference!

The worship service was held where they met in the welcome center of an apartment complex. Rev. Felicia Hopkins preached, and Rev. Josh Stueve, pastor of St. John’s UMC, celebrated a Dalhart youth in his completion of confirmation. Rev. Jeff Fisher and Rev. Robert Burk, pastor of Amarillo FUMC, both were present to assist with the service.

Following the service, the chartering service took place with a luncheon celebration hosted at a member’s home.

We are excited to share this new start in Dalhart! As a Wesley Community Group, they came together to discern their purpose and mission and became an official United Methodist Church in their community. We celebrate with them and our other newly launched church, Amarillo FUMC. Seek where God is calling you and your church! Is there a new or fresh vision you are being called to step into? Let now be the time!

Special Called Session of Annual Conference Announced

In accordance with ¶603.5 of the 2016 Book of Discipline and with the support of the District Superintendent, I hereby call a Special Session of the Northwest Texas Annual Conference to be held on Monday, October 23, 2023, at 6:30 pm on the Zoom Webinar Hosted by the Annual Conference.

The purpose of the called session is as follows:

1. To act on the disaffiliation report from the Board of Trustees on recommendations for disaffiliation,

2. To act on a resolution from the Lubbock Methodist Hospital (LMH) Board.

 

Bishop James Nunn

Register above for the Special Called Session. Each voting delegate must have their own registration link for the webinar to vote in the polling questions. Only one device will be able to be used with each registration link. For example, if your church is gathered to attend the session on Zoom, each voting member will need to be on their own device to vote on the poll.

 

Documents for the called session will be emailed out as soon as they are available. Each registration will be manually processed in order to organize the voting members and visitors correctly. Once your registration is processed you will receive an email from Zoom confirming your spot.

 

If you have any questions please email montgomery@nwtxconf.org.

Both/And: Maximizing Hybrid Worship Experiences For Online and In-Person Audiences

Jason Moore, Author of Both/And “Maximizing Hybird worship Experiences” will be leading a workshop, Saturday, April 22nd from 10-3.  The event will take place at St Luke’s UMC, Midland Texas.  For registration information contact Rev Tom Long at tlong@stlukesumcmidland.org.  Team registration fee is $50.00, lunch included.

Before the global pandemic, the majority of congregations who were streaming worship online were (more or less) creating an experience for the people gathered in-person in their buildings. Leaders would often (at some point) look into the camera and say, "And if you're worshiping with us online, we're glad you've joined us." They'd then look back at the people gathered in-person and continue on with a worship experience designed as a physical gathering.

This meant that the home audience were observers of what was happening in real time on-site. They could watch, but not truly participate. This model (arguably) worked because - at the time - we knew nothing different.

In March 2020, when congregations ended in-person worship and went online (many for the first time) the methodology for streaming worship completely shifted paradigms. Everything was about the home audience. There was no one in the room, and the people at home could feel that shift. They knew they were being talked to directly.

Now we face one of the most critical moves in the next iteration of the online worship experience. As we move back into our buildings, we mustn't return to making people at home observers after talking directly to them for so long. They'll feel that too.

We also can't take an approach where we treat the in-person crowd as the studio audience, providing the laugh or clap track, for the people watching at home. Neither of these audiences should feel secondary.
If we fail to think about how to create a BOTH/AND scenario as we go back to in-person worship, we will lose so much of what we've gained in these last seven plus months.

Join us for Both/And: Maximizing Hybrid Worship Experiences For Online and In-Person Audiences

This one day workshop will delve into strategies for how to create, level up and sustain powerful transformative worship where no one feels like they’re an afterthought.

It will explore:

• Re-imagining worship for both/and
• How to create interactive both/and experiences
• Bringing at home and in-person audiences together in real time
• How to address hospitality in a BOTH/AND way
• Alternative opportunities for online audiences watching in-person livestreams
• Repurposing in-person worship for online audiences
• Strategies for adapting practices for both/and
• Avoiding letting your groove becoming a rut
• How to create a discipleship/relational pathway
• And more

Register your team today!