Latest News

Could you be a Centennial Church?

  Tapping into this year’s time of Centennial Celebration — the 100th anniversary of the Central Texas Conference — a Centennial Church designation will given to congregations reaching certain levels of effectiveness for sharing Christ. They will be recognized at the 2011 Annual Conference June 5-8 in Waco. The challenge will also be highlighted at the Conference Centennial Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Will Rogers Complex in Fort Worth. The celebration event...

Raising awareness, funds for INM

Members of Grandview First United Methodist Church (Waxahachie District) held their first of several planned events last weekend in their community. From their booth at the local “Fourth in the Park” event, members handed out pipe cleaner mosquitoes and information brochures about malaria and the Imagine No Malaria campaign. They sold approximately 150 snow cones and collected $187.50. They also received $82.65 in donations for a total of $210.15 for the "Imagine No...

Heeding call to make disciples

More than 300 of the 1,100 members attending the 2010 Central Texas Annual Conference June 6-9 in Fort Worth responded to Bishop Mike Lowry’s challenge to follow Jesus’ plea to be disciples. One by one, clergy and laity came forward with their signed Holy Covenant and took a scrolled copy back to their local church. About 47 percent of those who came forward were laity. The Holy Covenant reads: Before Almighty God and my sisters and brothers in faith, I enter into this Holy...

Tim Brown is MCH 10th president

Tim Brown, a veteran child care administrator, was elected president and chief executive officer of Methodist Children’s Home Friday during a meeting of the Home’s Board of Directors.   The announcement was made by Dr. Clayton Oliphint, chairperson of the Board of Directors.   Brown has held various leadership roles during 26 years of service at MCH, most recently as vice president for community services. He was named interim president at MCH April 1 following the...

1910-2010: Centennial Celebration

The deadline for all online or mail-in registrations is October 1. Centennial Celebration Online Registration   Download and Print the following forms:   CTC Centennial Event Registration Form Centennial Commemorative Pin Order Form Centennial T-Shirt Order Form Centennial History Book Reservation Form Local Church Display Table Form     Our History It was 100 years ago that the Northwest Texas Conference of the then Methodist Episcopal Church had hit...

Faith in Action - FUMC Burleson

By Rev. Mike Love First United Methodist Church, Burleson   On May 2, 2010, seven people from First United Methodist Church of Burleson set out for Galveston to Crocket Place United Methodist Church, a United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) facility set aside for the restoration and recovery program for Hurricane Ike.   Hurricane Ike struck Galveston in September 2008. Thousands of houses were damaged by flood. In many cases, homeowners were prevented from moving back in...

Faith in Action - Morningside UMC

On the way to participating in the Central Texas Conference’s Great Day of Service April 10, Alicia Wrice, surprised herself as she, without hesitation, responded to a potentially tragic situation.  Alicia and her youth sponsor, Emma Clegg, observed a dark cloud of smoke coming from a burning tree in someone’s backyard. Upon closer investigation, they realized that the fire from the burning tree was quickly advancing towards the house.  When Alicia saw a woman...

$308,323 for Haiti Relief

PHOTO: Central Texas Conference volunteers on a mission trip to UMCOR’s Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La., verify and secure thousands of health kits bound for relief efforts in Haiti. Congregations in the Central Texas Conference assembled many of the health kits. Pictured are Rev. Laraine Waughtal, chair of the Conference Disaster Response Task Force, and members of Bethel United Methodist Church, Weatherford.     Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and...

New rules for wireless mics

Businesses, organizations and churches using wireless microphones operating in the 700 MHz band must stop using them no later than June 12. Both licensed and unlicensed users must comply or face fines, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The new rule affects only wireless microphones and similar devices operating between 698 MHz and 806 MHz. Systems operating at other frequencies are not affected. Users may find the spectrum in which their equipment operates by checking a...

40 Days of Prayer

Prayers written by the youth and youth workers of the Central Texas Conference form the collection of prayers that will lead our youth through 40 days of preparation and the sending forth for their summer of mission outreach (CTCYM). 40 Days of Prayer for Youth begins April 28 and culminates in the final prayer being read Sunday, June 6, as part of the 2010 Annual Conference opening worship at First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Worth. Believing that prayer is a powerful tool for...

Radical Hospitality Covenant

In Matthew 28, Jesus tells His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Because we are disciples, lay and clergy members attending the 2010 Annual Conference June 6-9 in Fort Worth will be invited to join in a covenant to accept Jesus’ call in Matthew 28 to...

Imagine No Malaria

Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria. It is a disease that is preventable and treatable. We eliminated it in America in the 1950s, but today 90% of deaths from malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Our conference raised $135,276 with the Nothing But Nets Annual Conference offering in 2007, resulting in 13,527 bed nets now providing protective coverage for families in Africa! Imagine No Malaria is the next step in the goal of ending suffering and death from this preventable disease. It...

Changing the World in NE Tarrant County

  By Melissia Mason Communications Director First United Methodist Church, Grapevine   What if on one weekend all around the world, 11 million United Methodists came together to work in their local communities? Methodist churches in Northeast Tarrant County are gearing up to join United Methodists worldwide to “Change the World” on April 24. First Methodist Church in Grapevine, First Methodist Church in Colleyville and White's Chapel Methodist Church in Southlake are...

2010 Annual Conference promises change

Many aspects of the Annual Conference will be different this year, but “Energizing & Equipping Local Churches to Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World” continues to drive the role of the conference in providing resources and leadership that enable local churches to excel in their mission to make disciples. Making disciples embraces the mission of The United Methodist Church and holds accountable the conference and local churches in their vital...

Tim Brown named MCH interim president

The Methodist Children’s Home Board of Directors named Tim Brown, a veteran childcare administrator, as interim president of the agency. He will serve in this role while the board begins its search for a new president to succeed Bobby Gilliam. The announcement was made by Dr. Clayton Oliphint, chairperson of the board and senior pastor at First United Methodist Church of Richardson. “I know Tim welcomes this new challenge and he will provide strong leadership as we build on the...

Into the Fire: Death & Resurrection

In time for Easter, United Methodist News Service offers a compelling, behind-the-scenes narrative of the courage and sacrifice shown by United Methodist mission workers trapped in the rubble of the Haiti earthquake. For more than two days after the Haiti earthquake, United Methodist mission workers lay buried underneath the rubble of the Hotel Montana. On the third day, they were found. In a three-part narrativebeginning March 30 (Into the Fire: Death and Resurrection in Haiti), UMNS tells...

Experience Jerusalem 33 A.D.

Experience Holy Week in a very personal and intimate way as First United Methodist Church in Killeen bring “Jerusalem 33 A.D.” to life by portraying how Jesus was tried, convicted, crucified and resurrected. Jerusalem 33 A.D. gives the faithful, the seekers and the unfamiliar in the community an opportunity to journey back to the time of Jesus Christ and witness live reenactments of the experiences of Holy Week. Reenactments capture the Last Supper, the betrayal and trial of Jesus...

The Church Responds

As of March 11, 2010: ●          $14.5 Million has been received for UMCOR Haiti Relief — $212,068 from churches and individuals in the Central Texas Conference ●          Please remember that 100% of your gifts to the Haiti Emergency will support the people in Haiti. UMCOR can do this because overhead costs are covered through the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS). This year’s...

Kids and Christ

Beginning March 17 with "Let the Children Come" byBishop William Willimon, The United Methodist Reporter will publish a six-part series, "Kids and Christ."  The articles will be published every other week and, in addition to Bishop Willimon, contributors include:  Bishop Mike Lowry, Bishop Scott Jones, Rev. Patricia Farris, Rev. James Harnish, and Rev. John Ed Mathison. Readers will be encouraged to comment using a link to a dedicated Facebook page...

Imagine No Malaria

Imagine No Malaria Selected for 2010 Annual Conference Offering The Central Texas Conference’s Mission Leadership Team selected at their annual meeting March 6 Imagine No Malaria for the 2010 Annual Conference offering. Our launch date of April 25 coincides with World Malaria Day with a special emphasis at the 2010 Annual Conference June 6-9 in Fort Worth and a continuation throughout the year and beyond. Imagine a world without malaria—a preventable disease that kills one child...