Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor - a Cooperative in H. Matamoros Tamaulipas Mexico - provide clothes, diapers, undeergarments and socks for those in need
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor - a Cooperative in H. Matamoros Tamaulipas Mexico - provide clothes, diapers, undeergarments and socks for those in need
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor
Templo Emmanuel - Rev. Arnoldo Cavazos Pastor
Rev. Alicia Tovar and her granddaughter Corporal Stephanie Tovar
Rev. Alicia Tovar's granddaughter Corporal Stephanie Tovar- Afghanistan
Southern District - Cluster 1 - Youth Retreat at Camp Ebenezer!
Southern District - Cluster 1 - Youth Retreat at Camp Ebenezer - PASTORES Y PASTORAS!
Southern District - Cluster 1 - Youth Retreat at Camp Ebenezer!
Southern District - Cluster 1 - Youth Retreat at Camp Ebenezer!
Southern District - Cluster 1 - Youth Retreat at Camp Ebenezer!
Southern District - Cluster 1 - Youth Retreat at Camp Ebenezer!
Ninos de Capilla de la Fe en Rio Grande City
\Ninos de Capilla de la Fe en Rio Grande City
CMT #5 Central Dist. Churches meet for a workshop (El Divino Salvador, El Buen Pastor and Latin American)
Rev. Carlos and his wife Carmen celebrate his birthday! Happy Birthday from Rio Grande Conference!
Ruth (Rev. Carlos's sister), Rev. Carlos Espinoza and his wife Carmen - celebrate Rev. Carlos's birthday!
Holy Land Group 2012 remembering our baptism in the Jordan River.
Happy 50th Anniversary to the Vela's!
La Trinidad - Pharr - Over 100 toys collected @ The Bridge Toy Drive/Praise Bash!
KELSEY MEMORIAL UMC, CORPUS CHRISTI
Bilha Alegria from UMCOM and Rev. Lorenza Andrade Smith at UMCOM office
click on picture for complete flyer!
Unification Steering Team (Rio Grande and SW Texas Conferences)
San Antonio Extended Cabinet (Rio Grande and SW Texas Conferences)
Rev. Lorenza and Lester in El Paso, TX - Click on picture to read story in Interpreter.
Lady KATZ Southern District girls!
Southern District - Mimi Aguirre's children wanted a picture with Jesus!
Southern District - Cluster 1 Youth Retreat! Awesome!
The Revs & spouses: Perez, Heredia and Valle - Happy 25th Wedding Anniv Heredias!
Pastor Leyva handing out school supplies
Rev. Leyva - outhreach in Southern District
Rev. Leyva - class time - outreach in Southern District
Oakgrove VBS - snacktime
Oakgrove VBS - the Youth
Oakgrove VBS - the children!
Southern District Outreach - Joey and Bequi teaching
Artesia - Yaya in Computer class
Pastor Carlos at Artesia - meeting the youth
Artesia - waiting for the bell to ring!
Teaching to Trust - Artesia
Artesia - Getting to know each other!
Artesia - Din Din time!
Artesia
Artesia - Arts and Crafts time!
Rev. Leyva - outreach program
Artesia Lock-in
Artesia! We are Methodists!
Oscar Lobos at Artesia Youth Lock in!
Salomon in computer class!
UMW in Dallas Texas - Rev. Francisco Campos with our ladies from Abilene!
UMW in Dallas Texas - Southern District with Bishop and Barbara Dorff!
The Blanco Family - God bless you!
The National Hispanic Plan - click on picture to go to link!
El Divino Redentor UMC, El Paso, Texas took a fruit basket to firemen in memory of 911.
Pastor's Convocation at Mt. Wesley - August 29-31,2011
School of MIssion 2011
School of MIssion 2011
School of MIssion 2011
School of MIssion 2011
School of MIssion 2011
School of MIssion 2011
School of MIssion 2011
School of MIssion 2011
2011 Youth Assembly! Go Soul Rebels!
SOUL REBELLS 2011! YOUTH ASSEMBLY
El Buen Samaritano in Harlingen celebrates 4th of July!
Shake it up VBS - La Trinidad UMC in Fort Worth
Shake it up VBS - La Trinidad UMC in Fort Worth
Shake it up VBS - La Trinidad UMC in Fort Worth
Shake it up VBS - La Trinidad UMC in Fort Worth
Shake it up VBS - La Trinidad UMC in Fort Worth
Shake it up VBS - La Trinidad UMC in Fort Worth
Shake it up VBS - La Trinidad UMC in Fort Worth
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Jubilados Luncheon at AC!
Celebration dinner at AC
Celebration dinner at AC
Celebrating Colombia Mission Trip!
Robert Rabb
Alex Gonzalez honored for all his work in Youth Ministry!
Celebration dinner at AC
Mariachis!
Celebration dinner at AC
Bishop Carcano and her daughter Sophia joined us!
Everyone had a great time!
Rev. Lorenza and Daniel Tijerina
Rev. Miguel Ramirez riding a 4-wheeler in New York! Go Pastor Go!
ekklesia El Paso: See ekklesiaep.org and join them on facebook!
Breast Cancer Awareness
I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.” 1 King 8:13 (pictured - Ismael Nava)
Salmos 33:4-5 - “Porque recta es la palabra de Jehová, Y toda su obra con verdad hecha. El ama justicia y juicio: De la misericordia de Jehová está llena la tierra.”
FROM OSCAR O. GARZA - STATISTICIAN:
2011 Statistical Reporting
2011 Statistical Reporting
Statistical Reporting Website
All local churches are required to submit a statistical report to the conference each year. The report for 2011 is due on February 15, 2012. Reports should be submitted online at the General Council on Finance & Administration (GCFA) website at:
http://ezra.gcfa.org
Statistician Contact Info
Instructions for entering statistical data are mailed to every pastor in December. If you need a username and password or have questions, contact the conference statistician:
Oscar O. Garza
Oogarza4@gbcglobal.net
Phone: (210) 342-8154 Residence and Cell (210) 861-2266
Related Documents for Completing the Statistical Reports for 2011
Helpful Hints and Tips for the 2011 Statistical Report
Sample Blank Church Input Form 2011 Statistical Report
Detailed Line Descriptions for the 2011 Statistical Tables
User's Guide to the GCFA On-Line System for Statistical Data Entry
Sample Chart A - Outside Use of the Building Form
Website link for the following forms can be found here:
http://www.gcfa.org/forms
Statistical Reports
Important letter from Council of Bishops dated November 10, 2011:
-
SEE ANNUAL CONFERENCE TAB:
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION OF AC2011!
AC 2011 PICTURES!
AC 2011 PICTURES OF RETIRED PASTORS LUNCHEON AND MORE!
PDF DE 2011 - CONFERENCIA ANUAL - REPORTE EN ESPANOL - ABEL VEGA JR.
PDF OF 2011 ANNUAL CONFERENCE REPORT BY ABEL VEGA JR.
NOMBRAMIENTOS/APPOINTMENTS 2011 - revised 01.31.12
2011 LIST OF ALL PASTORS (INCLUDES RETIRED PASTORS) - IN ALPHA ORDER
PRECONFERENCE JOURNALS 2011
EVALUATIONS (RATINGS AND COMMENTS)
Rio Grande Annual Conference
June 16-18, 2011, San Antonio, Texas
Now in the 158th year of its origins of ministry, the Rio Grande Annual Conference met at University United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas, June 16-18. Under the theme of “Moving Forward to Do God’s Will,” approximately 220 delegates received various reports on the state of the conference’s vitality, initiatives and opportunities to create a culture of growth.
The annual gathering began Thursday evening with an opening community dinner and celebrative worship and communion service where Bishop Minerva Carcaño served as the special guest preacher. She was warmly and enthusiastically welcomed home as a native of the Rio Grande Conference. Her sermon challenged and encouraged the conference truly to move forward together toward the next levels of doing the will of God.
Friday evening, during a Celebration of Ministry worship service, the lives and ministries of clergy and their spouses were memorialized and honored, including: Antonio Luna, Yolanda Z. Barrera, the Rev. María Magdalena Pino, the Rev. John Shanks, Julia Anita González, Natalia Nieto, María Cristina Espinoza, Felicitas Arévalo de Gamez, Eduvina Sosa and the Rev. Oscar Francisco Garza. David Sanchez, originally of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was commissioned for ministry during this service. Bishop Dorff was the worship service’s preacher.
Worship service offerings were dedicated to support the work of Imagine No Malaria, disaster relief for tornado victims in Missouri and the Central Conferences pension fund.
In his annual address to the conference, Bishop Jim Dorff emphasized that the “time is now” more than ever to respond to the growing population in the episcopal area in making disciples of Jesus Christ. As an expression of preparing the area for deeper change and engagement in congregational vitality, Bishop Dorff spoke of the need for both conferences to prepare themselves through financial assessment, clergy leadership development and maximizing the sharing and leveraging of resources in the area for the greatest missional good and outcomes.
Within the episcopal address, a report was given on the Bishop’s Commission on Area Cooperative Ministries stating that – “after two years of discernment, the BCOACM invites the Rio Grande Conference and the Southwest Texas Conference to embrace a merger—not necessarily of structures or conferences—but of vision and purpose. We believe that if we are to reach our common mission field more effectively, we must begin to function as: One church. One ministry. One people.”
The Common Table reported on various programmatic developments:
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The Lay Missionary Planting Network held in the lower Rio Grande valley announced nine participants completing the 10-month training in starting new faith communities and eventual congregations and two more networks to begin in September 2011 in the Austin and San Antonio area.
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The new church-start Ekklesia in East El Paso, Texas
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The Congregational Mobilization Process as a means of revitalizing our existing congregations
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The conference’s partnership with the Methodist Church of Colombia, the March mission trip for beginning construction of a church in Ponedera, and an invitation to go to Colombia to continue and complete this construction project
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An increase in the number of outreach and justice ministries coming from our congregations
Retiring clergy honored, serving a total of 158 years in ministry, were: David Maldonado, Jose L. Palos, Bernabe Muňoz Sol and Melquisedec Soliz.
Edgar Avitia and Cindy Johnson were elected to the 2012 General Conference as clergy and lay delegates respectively. Additional alternate delegates and observer team members elected were: Alex Valverde, Sandra Cabrera, Robert Lopez, Daniel Soliz, Javier Leyva, Samuel Blanco, Leticia Ortegon, and Jeremiah Gutierrez.
Business items were:
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Delegates approved a total budget of $1,428,979 of which $675,122 is apportioned to the local churches, a decreased apportioned amount of $108,430 from the previous year – resulting in all churches (with the exception of two) facing reduction in their 2012 apportionment assignment.
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The annual conference tentatively agreed to return to University United Methodist Church, San Antonio for the 2012 annual conference, June 14-16.
Conference membership stands at 13,845, up 58 from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 4,597, down 167. Church school attendance stands at 1,949, down 211.
—Abel Vega, Jr., Director of Connectional Ministries
FEBRUARY 2012 
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