UMCOR US Disaster Relief for Hurricanes Helene and Milton

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Friends,

During the first week of October, Hurricane Helene spread devastation in six United Methodist Conferences in southeastern states. Then, on October 9, Hurricane Milton ravaged Florida for a second time. Among the worst areas hit, the FEMA designated disaster areas in North Carolina includes more than 20 counties in the western part of the state and now parts of central Florida. Please join us in our efforts to offer assistance, and keep those in affected communities in your prayers.

The purpose of this letter is to ask your church to consider having a special offering to assist UMCOR as they reach out to the impacted conferences. 100 percent of your gifts to UMCOR’s US Disaster Relief will go to the affected communities.

Please consider sending monetary donations through the links below. Money is what they need most and is the more efficient use of donations when they can be purchased locally. This has a more positive impact both on the cost of recovery efforts and benefits the local economy. 

Your church may consider having a special offering one Sunday just for Disaster support -additional information and materials here: Resources - Global Ministries (umcmission.org)

Donate funds to help:

  • Give to the Rio Texas Annual Conference Disaster Fund #2050 – which will go under Conference Advance

  • Give to: UMC Advance# 901670 – which will go under UMCOR Advance

  • You may also give by writing a check to the Rio Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

    • Write “Disaster Fund” in the memo line of your check. Place the check in the offering plate of any United Methodist Church OR send the check to the conference office at:
      C/O Treasurer’s Office
      Rio Texas Annual Conference
      16400 Huebner
      San Antonio, TX  78248

Please note that donations do go toward the church’s five-star rating. I want to remind everyone that relief is just the first step toward recovery. The ultimate goal is to make homes whole, and it is always a long, expensive, and laborious process. Thank you for all you do. Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions.

Eugene Hileman
Disaster Response Coordinator
Rio Texas Conference

Rio Texas Receives $1.25 Million from Lilly Endowment Inc. for Nurturing Children Through Prayer and Worship Initiative

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NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Rio Texas Receives $1.25 Million from Lilly Endowment Inc. for
Nurturing Children Through Prayer and Worship Initiative

The Rio Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church has received a $1,250,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish Making Meaning Together, an initiative to nurture children in worship and prayer in partnership and collaboration with the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church.

The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, a national initiative designed to help Christian congregations more fully and intentionally engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer practices.

Through this initiative, Rio Texas and Michigan Conferences will partner with their churches and leaders to foster inclusive worship and prayer practices within intergenerational communities. Rev. Dr. Tanya Campen and Rev. Kathy Pittenger will lead this initiative. We are eager to see children participating in worship more fully alongside adults as we all worship and pray together. This initiative will provide tools, strategies, and seed money for designing and implementing worship with a high view of children. The objectives of this initiative are to listen to children, develop leaders through intentional training and cohorts, and design intergenerational worship and prayer experiences that honor children and invite them to participate fully.

We are excited about the collaboration between the Rio Texas and Michigan Conferences of The United Methodist Church in implementing this initiative. We are eager to see its impact on working towards a culture shift in corporate worship that values inclusivity and participation of all individuals, where children feel welcome, respected, and encouraged to engage in worship to deepen their connection to God and their faith community.

The Rio Texas Conference is one of 91 organizations funded through the latest round of the initiative. They represent and serve congregations in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, including Catholic, mainline Protestant, evangelical, Orthodox, Anabaptist and Pentecostal faith communities. Several organizations are rooted in Black Church and Hispanic and Asian American Christian traditions.

“Congregational worship and prayer play a critical role in the spiritual growth of children and offer settings for children to acquire the language of faith, learn their faith traditions and experience the love of God as part of a supportive community,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “These programs will help congregations give greater attention to children and how they can more intentionally nurture the faith of children, as well as adults, through worship and prayer.”

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About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.

About Rio Texas Conference:

The Mission of United Methodists of The Rio Texas Conference is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation about the world. We seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach out, in the name of God, to the people of Texas and beyond. Some of our churches are in some of the fastest-growing areas of the country, others are in areas where people struggle with poverty, lack of affordable housing, and a loss of hope. We are committed to providing vital missions, vital congregations, and strong leaders to connect our churches to all people. 

The Rio Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church is made up of 215+ worshipping communities in South, Central, and West Texas. The conference is divided into seven districts: Las Misiones, with its office in San Antonio; Hill Country, located in Kerrville; Capital, in Austin; West, in San Angelo; Coastal Bend, in Corpus Christi; El Valle in Harlingen; and Crossroads in Victoria. There are roughly 600 clergy under appointment by the bishop.

The Rio Texas Annual Conference is a part of the South Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church has approximately 24,000 congregations in the US and abroad. For more information on the history and governance of the denomination, visit umc.org.

Representatives from each church in The Rio Texas Annual Conference meet annually usually in Corpus Christi to conduct the business of the conference, celebrate the ministry of the church and commission and ordain clergy.     

PRESS CONTACT:
Rev. Dr. Tanya Marie Eustace Campen, PhD.
Intergenerational Discipleship
Rio Texas Annual Conference
United Methodist Church 
210-408-4500
tcampen@riotexas.org

Welcome Bishop Harvey!

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ROGERS, ARK.— Cynthia Fierro Harvey was assigned to the Rio Texas Annual Conference during the 15th Session of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference held in Rogers, Arkansas on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

Harvey will also continue to serve as episcopal leader of the Texas Annual Conference—where she has served for the past two years. She previously served the Louisiana Annual Conference for ten years beginning in 2012. She was consecrated as bishop after leading UMCOR as Deputy General Secretary from 2010-2012.

She previously served as the President of the Council of Bishops 2020-2022, President-designate 2018-2020 and as the Secretary of the Council of Bishops 2014-2018. She serves on the board of directors at various organizations, including the Board of Trustees for Southwestern University and the Lydia Patterson Institute. She currently serves as President of The General Commission of Archives and History of The United Methodist Church.

As bishop, Harvey challenged congregations to look beyond themselves and to keep an eye focused on the edge where God is at work. She also has a passion for young people as they lead the church into a future filled with possibilities.

“Bishop Harvey has many gifts and strengths to share with Rio Texas. Among them, a strong commitment to building a church for future generations,” said Rachel Wright, member of the Rio Texas Episcopacy Committee. “I look forward to the ways that our daughters and granddaughters will newly see their present and future selves reflected in Bishop Harvey’s leadership.”

After the announcement, Bishop Harvey shared: “I am looking forward to getting to know the people of the Rio Texas Conference. It is a time to build a church for the future.”

Prior to her 2012 consecration as bishop, Harvey was the Director of Missional Excellence for the Texas Annual Conference. She served as executive pastor for Houston Memorial Drive UMC (1996-2008) and an associate pastor of Houston The Foundry United Methodist Church (1992-1996). She previously spent 12 years in the corporate world as a regional director of marketing for The Rouse Company before her ordination in 1992.

Harvey is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology, and University of Texas at Austin. She was born in Big Spring, Texas in a “typical Hispanic neighborhood surrounded by family.” She married her husband Dean Alan in 1981. They have one adult daughter.

Bishop Robert Schnase, who recently announced his retirement from episcopacy effective September 1, said: “I am grateful to God for the leadership and service of Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey. Bishop Harvey is an experienced bishop with a careful and fruitful eye toward the future. Rio Texas is blessed to have her as our episcopal leader.” 

PRINTABLE PDF

SCJ Press Release - New Episcopal Coverage Areas Announced at South Central Jurisdictional Conference

U.S. Department of Labor Ruling - New Overtime Salary Threshold - Urgent Updates for Your Ministry!

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WHAT IS CHANGING?    

The U.S. Department of Labor released a new rule regarding overtime wage payments in the U.S. that increases the salary threshold for exempt employees in two phases.

JULY 1, 2024
From $35,568 to $43,888 annually

JANUARY 1, 2025
The salary level is expected to increase to $58,656

WHAT DOES THIS CHANGE MEAN?

The adjustment in salary thresholds means employees earning less than the new thresholds would no longer qualify for the overtime exemption and therefore become eligible for overtime pay.

Employers are to provide overtime pay to employees at one and one-half times an employee’s regular pay for every hour the employee works beyond 40 hours in a workweek, unless the employee falls within an exemption.

REQUIRED CRITERIA FOR EXEMPTION

Employees MUST meet the Job Duties Test! Each category of exemptions has its own criteria relating to the primary job duties the employee performs.

AND

Currently employees MUST be paid on a salary or fee basis at no less than $684 per week ($35,568 annually).

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT EXEMPTIONS

Employees are exempt from the FLSA minimum wage and overtime protections if they are employed in a bona fide executive, administration, or professional EAP capacity, as those terms are defined in the Department’s regulations here.

WHO DOES THIS CHANGE IMPACT?

  • Any employee paid on a salary basis.

  • Clergy serving in a ministerial role may be exempt from this requirement under the ministerial exception.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

Identify affected employees and assess how to handle changes to employee statuses such as:

• Payroll adjustments

• Redefining job descriptions

• Modifying work hours to manage labor cost 

Reclassify employees whose duties might not meet the requirements to be exempt

Plan for how to roll out reclassification decisions

• Train reclassified employees on timekeeping requirements

Budget for increases in salary and overtime expenses

Decide, given the interim and 2025 salary thresholds, if you will make the changes in two steps or jump to the 2025 threshold

HOW TO COMPLY?

Employers have a range of options for responding to the updated thresholds established in this rule.

Some examples include:

• Increase the salary of the employee to at least the new salary level to retain their exempt status

• Pay an overtime premium of one and a half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for any overtime hours worked

• Reduce or eliminate overtime hours

• Consider nondiscretionary bonuses up to 10% of the salary threshold

• Reduce the amount of pay allocated to the employee’s base salary (provided that the employee still earns at least the applicable hourly minimum wage) to offset new overtime pay

• Convert a position to hourly wages (tracking hours and providing meal/rest breaks would be required)

FIRST INCREMENTAL SALARY INCREASE DEADLINE: JULY 1, 2024

FAQ’s
Download PDF
Download PowerPoint “EFFECTING YOUR MINISTRY STARTING JULY 1, 2024”

Open Letter Regarding Ministries of Mercy and Compassion along the Texas Border

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March 2024
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Recently, there has been an intensity of dehumanizing language and a militarizing of border areas over the complex and demanding situation along the border in Texas. We recognize the efforts of many of our first responders, migrant shelters, and advocacy centers as noble and express our deep appreciation for engaging in this important and sacred work. Yet, we offer this open letter to stress the need for religious institutions of all faiths to freely continue in ministries that encompass acts of mercy and compassion to the most vulnerable in our communities, including migrants, without the risk of retribution by authorities.

It is our sacred duty as Christians and United Methodists to follow the teachings of Jesus when it comes to ministries of mercy and compassion. Jesus said in gospel of Matthew, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” We seek to honor this teaching in the best traditions of the Church Universal. We seek to serve all humanity to honor God.

We support migrant shelters and ministries offering food and shelter and dignity in many places from the Annunciation House in El Paso, TX to the Good Neighbor Settlement House in Brownsville, TX. We support our Catholic friends and other leaders of faith. We stand in solidarity with the statement from the Conference of Catholic Bishops: “We must especially preserve the freedom of Catholics and other people of faith to assist their communities and meet migrants’ basic human needs.” The United Methodist Church has a long history of supporting and funding migrant refugee centers on the border. Some of these Christian migrant refugee centers are well over 100 years old and have been providing humanitarian assistance long before the divisive politics of our modern times.

We call on Christians and United Methodists to continue in the sacred work of providing food and shelter and dignity to the most vulnerable in our midst.

We call on government institutions to work in harmony with us towards ending this crisis along the border in a way that reflects the best traditions of our country.

We call upon leaders to cease dehumanizing rhetoric that fans the flames of prejudice and racism.

Respectfully,

Robert Schnase
Bishop
Rio Texas Conference
New Mexico Conference

 

Transformational Communities Network Receives $1.25 Million from Lilly Endowment Inc.

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The Rio Texas Conference has received a $1,250,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Transformational Communities Network Academy for Congregational and Community Transformation (ACCT) of the Rio Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church.

The project is funded through the Lilly Endowment Inc. Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to encourage the flourishing of congregations by helping them deepen their relationships with God, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute to the vitality of their communities and the world.

Transformational Communities Network (TCN) is a project of the Rio Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Its goal is to strengthen local congregations and revitalize communities by providing training and ongoing support for congregational work and community development. The TCN training helps congregations join with their neighbors to accurately assess their current reality, identify giftedness, map community assets, clarify and articulate a shared practical vision, formulate strategic directions, and develop an actionable plan for moving forward.

Recognizing that community transformation is “long work,” TCN provides ongoing training and support by connecting local church leaders with others doing similar work throughout the Rio Texas Annual Conference and beyond. TCN’s vision is to see a vital and ever-expanding network of thriving churches actively participating in the work of community transformation.

“TCN is excited about this next step to journey with congregations in their ongoing community engagement work and to celebrate the stories and learnings coming out of this work,” said Abel Vega, Rio Texas Conference Director of Mission, Service, & Justice Ministries. “It is hoped that in the next few years partnering with communities, we will see the vibrancy of transformation, healing, and wholeness needed for these days.”

Rio Texas Conference is one of 105 organizations that has received grants though a competitive round of the Thriving Congregations Initiative. Reflecting a wide variety of Christian traditions, the organizations represent mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, peace church, and Pentecostal faith communities.

“Congregations play an essential role in deepening the faith of individuals and contributing to the vitality of communities,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment Inc. Vice President for Religion. “We hope that these programs will nurture the vibrancy and spark the creativity of congregations, helping them imagine new ways to share God’s love in their communities and across the globe.”

 

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.

Contact:
Abel Vega
Rio Texas Conference
Director of Mission, Service, & Justice Ministries
(210) 408-4514

Are you ready to be a Lighthouse Congregation?

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After Annual Conference in June, Rio Texas Conference began working on what we felt were important and contextual pieces needed to become a Lighthouse Congregation. Other conferences began the concept earlier as they had churches disaffiliate as early as fall 2022. 

Rev. Karen Horan, Director of Creating and Vitalizing Congregations and Developing Leaders along with the Las Misiones Lay Leader Mark Mitchell began learning all they could about Lighthosue Congregations. We are so grateful to Rev. Rob Hutchinson of the Western North Carolina Conference who has shared their process and materials. Many congregations made the decision and taken the steps to become a Lighthouse Congregation. If your church desires to be a Lighthouse Congregation, please visit riotexas.org/lighthouse-congregations

If your church has voted to be a Lighthouse Congregation and you don’t see your name on the list below, please send your signed resolution to Rev. Karen Horan (khoran@riotexas.org) and Nicole Alabi (nicolea@riotexas.org) and we can get you on the list.

Current Lighthouse Congregations:

  • La Trinidad San Antonio

  • Colonial Hills UMC

  • St. Mark UMC McAllen

  • Manchaca UMC

  • Emanuel UMC

  • Kempner UMC

  • Travis Park UMC

  • FUMC Edinburg

  • Helotes Hills UMC

  • Oak Meadow UMC