North Texas Conference

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The North Texas Conference is an Annual Conference (a regional episcopal area of the United Methodist Church). This conference encompasses a triangle-shaped northern portion of the state of Texas that spans from Dallas to Wichita Falls to Paris. The conference includes a small geographic area relative to most annual conferences. At the end of 2006, it ranked 18th of 63 in membership and 22nd of 63 in worship attendance for U.S. Conferences.^[1][2]

Administrative offices are located in Plano, Texas. It is part of the Southcentral Jurisdictional Conference. On September 1, 2008, Bishop Earl Bledsoe began leading the conference.^[3]

Bishop Earl Bledsoe (left) at his election as a Bishop

Districts

The North Texas Annual Conference is further subdivided into four smaller regions, called "districts", which provide further administrative functions for the operation of local churches in cooperation with each other. Each district has a District Superintendent who has a vital role in determining the appointments of clergy to local churches. The districts that are comprised by the North Texas Conference are: ^[4][5]

• Metro District. The Metro District comprises most of Dallas County. The 80 churches and fellowships in the Metro District share a mission field that is the most economically, ethnically, and culturally diverse part of the North Texas Conference. Persions living the Metro District face unique struggles and challenges. Likewise, the churches that comprise the Metro District have unique ways of assessing their needs, reaching new persons, and responding to their neighbors. A Metro District allows the District Superintendent to oversee the pastors and laity of these 80 congregations to dream dreams and implement measurable and creative ways of reaching the neighbors and neighborhoods in the Metro area. Over the next 10 years it is expected that the Metro District will increase in population by 9%. District Superintendent is Reverend Clara Reed.^[6]

• North Central District. The North Central District mission field is one of continued growth. Projected growth in parts of Dallas, Wise, and Kaufman counties is considerable. Expansive growth is expected in Denton, Collin, and Rockwall counties. Overall the North Central District can anticipate 39% population growth by 2019. By 2019 the population of the North Central District will almost equal the Metro District's population. The 73 churches and fellowships in the North Central District share a mission field that is developing, accelerating, and expanding. The District Superintdent, pastors, and churces of the North Central District have a unique and evolving mission field and need to strategize, implement, and reach the largest influx of persons moving into North Texas in the next 10 years. District Superintendent is Reverend Milton Guttierrez II.^[7]

• Northwest and East Districts. The Northwest and East Districts comprise the greatest number of rural, town and country, and county seat congregations in the North Texas Conference. While they share that demographic reality, there is little affinity of lifestyle between those who live in the East District and those who live in the Northwest District. Both Districts have projected population growth over the next decade. The Northwest District of 66 churches and fellowships can anticipate 6% growth. The East District compriseing 90 churches is projecting growth of 12%. Relating, reaching and responding to the lifestyles and midset of those who live in our rural town and country settings take a different set of skills for the District Superintendent, pastors and churches to connect, grow and send forth disciples who will transform the world for Christ.The District Superintendents are Reverend John Rosenburg for the Northwest, and Reverend Paul A. Gould for the East.^{[8] [9]}

Institutions (owned by or with a strong relationship with the North Texas Conference)

• Bethlehem Center
• Bridgeport Camp & Conference Center
• C.C. Young Home
• Methodism's Breadbasket
• Methodist Medical Center of Dallas
• Project Transformation
• Prothro Center at Lake Texoma
• Southern Methodist University (including Perkins School of Theology)
• Texas Methodist Foundation
• UMR Communications, INC
• Wesley Rankin Community Center
• Wesley Village

Statistics

• 2006 Membership 159,490
• 2006 Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 61,839 ^[10]

Key Conference Leaders

Delegation leaders Mary Brook Casad & Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball

• Bishop Earl Bledsoe, Bishop effective September 2008

• Rev. Fred Durham, Director of Connectional Ministries ^[11]
• Rev. James (Jim) Ozier, New Church Development Officer
• Rev. Dr. L. Marvin Guier, III, Director of Administration/Treasurer/Benefits Officer ^[12]
• Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball, Chair Board of Ministry, Lead clergy delegate to General Conference, Chair of the Ministry and Higher Education Legislation Committee at 2008 General Conf., Board of Dir. Texas Methodist Foundation Institute for Clergy and Congregational Excellence, nationally known preacher^[13]
• Tyrone Gordon, Clergy Delegate to General Conference, Chair of the Discipleship Legislation Committee at 2008 General Conf., Member General Board of Discipleship, nationally know preacher
• Don Underwood, Clergy Delegate to General Conference, Member of General Council on Finance and Admin., Southwestern Univ. Board of Trustees ^[14]
• Clayton Oliphint, Clergy Delegate to General Conference, Board of Dir. Methodist Children's Home
• (See District Superintendents listed above.)

• Mary Brook Casad, Lead Lay Delegate to General Conference, Staff member for General UMC's Connectional Table
• Richard Hearne, Lay Delegate to General Conference, Conf. Lay Leader
  

  Ordination Service at Annual Conference

Other Information of Interest

• Rev. Ron Henderson – Senior Pastor - Custer Road UMC. This church is the largest UMC in the nation with a cross-racial Senior Pastor appointment. ^[15]

• In 2005, Highland Park UMC ranked 2nd in the nation for number of church members and 6th for worship attendance. Five churches in the conference were within the top 25 membership UMCs in the nation. Eight North Texas Conference churches were with the nation's top 100 UMCs for worship attendance. (Only the Texas, North Georgia, and Florida conferences had more churches within the top 100 for worship attendance.)^[16]

• In 1968, the North Texas Conference hosted the meeting in Dallas, Texas in which the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged with The Methodist Church to form the United Methodist Church.

See also

• Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church

References

1. ^ "Annual Report 2006". General Council on Finance and Administration of the UMC. http://www.gcfa.org/excel/ConfTablesExcelforWeb-AnnualReport2006.xls. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
2. ^ "North Texas Conference of the UMC". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://www.ntcumc.org/default.asp. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
3. ^ "Office of the Bishop". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://www.ntcumc.org/page.asp?PKValue=1432. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
4. ^ "Districts". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://ntcumc.org/Districts. Retrieved 2011-06-03. 
5. ^ "Strategic Plan". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://northtexas.s3.amazonaws.com/BA3CDC157025401AACA6FD07F7AF8A48_strategic_plan.pdf. Retrieved 2011-06-03. 
6. ^ "Metro District". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://ntcumc.org/districts/detail/27. Retrieved 2011-06-03. 
7. ^ "North Central District". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://ntcumc.org/districts/detail/28. Retrieved 2011-06-03. 
8. ^ "Northwest District". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://ntcumc.org/districts/detail/29. Retrieved 2011-06-03. 
9. ^ "East District". North Texas Conference of the UMC. http://ntcumc.org/districts/detail/26. Retrieved 2011-06-03. 
10. ^ "Annual Report 2006". General Council on Finance and Administration of the UMC. http://www.gcfa.org/excel/ConfTablesExcelforWeb-AnnualReport2006.xls. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
11. ^ "NTC Connectional Ministries Staff". North Texas Conference UMC. http://ntsite.brickriver.com/page.asp?PKValue=1323. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
12. ^ "NTC Administrative Staff". North Texas Conference UMC. http://ntsite.brickriver.com/page.asp?PKValue=1323. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
13. ^ "Biography". Suncreek UMC. Archived from the original on 2008-03-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20080316054032/http://www.suncreekumc.org/contacts/bios.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
14. ^ "Don Underwood". Christ UMC. http://www.cumc.com/about_CUMC/Rev_Don_Underwood/. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
15. ^ "About the Pastor". Custer Road UMC. http://www.crumc.org/templates/cuscusterroad/details.asp?id=33399&PID=340875. Retrieved 2007-02-16. 
16. ^ "About HPUMC". Highland Park UMC. http://www.hpumc.org/pages/about_hpumc. Retrieved 2007-02-10. 

External links

• North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church