txconfumw Spring Retreat

Register now for 2024 Spring Event

Save the date and make plans to join us Saturday, March 2nd, via Zoom from 9 am – 1:30 pm. for the Texas Conference United Women in Faith Spring Event.

Our theme this year is Get Together, and we are lucky to have Rev. Janet Wolf bring our keynote message.

Following the conference news items and Rev. Wolf’s message, we will hold three workshops in separate breakout rooms.

  • Get together to serve – Wesley Community Center will share their programs and how ladies can volunteer.
  • Get together to worship – Rev. Neomi Fletcher will lead
  • Get together to advocate – Texas Impact will share ways to engage our communities this election season.

Each workshop will be repeated once, so you can choose to attend TWO of these workshops. Each session will be 45 minutes long with a 15 minute break in between.

Register today

Speakers

Rev. Wolf is an elder in The United Methodist Church and has served as a pastor of rural and urban congregations. She is a college and seminary professor, community mediator, learner, and partner for transformative justice. In July 2012, she was appointed to work with Marian Wright Edelman and the Children’s Defense Fund on nonviolent direct-action organizing to dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline, work that includes the organization’s Freedom Schools and the annual Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry. She is the author of “To See and To Be Seen,” a chapter in I Was in Prison: United Methodist Perspectives on Prison Ministry, edited by James M. Shopshire Sr., et al., and numerous other writings. She is the author of the book, Practicing Resurrection: The Gospel of Mark and Radical Discipleship.

Rev. Neomi Fletcher holds a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology – Emory University with a concentration in Theology and Ethics. While at Candler, Neomi served on the Candler Community and Diversity Committee working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the school.

txconfumw Legislative Event

2024 Legislative Event is a Wrap

Texas Conference Attendees

A New and Serious Response was the theme of this year’s Texas Legislative Event (TLE).  The event provides annual training and information on statewide public policy issues and pending legislation to educate and equip women to do justice by putting their faith, hope and love in action to fulfill the purpose of the United Women in Faith. The event is organized by the United Women in Faith and their advocacy partner, Texas Impact. 

Attendees were presented with an election year overview of the legislative priorities for 2023-2024 and their impact on the March 6th primary elections.  The overview was followed by issue briefings on reproductive policy, climate justice, public school vouchers, gun violence, immigration, voter education resources and civic engagement. An inspirational worship service was led by Rev. Cheryl Smith, she urged us to be witnesses as we advocate for justice.  The keynote speakers, Rev. Sharon Austin, Director of Connectional and Justice Ministries in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and Sally Vonner, General Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of United Women in Faith both spoke with the same engaging and prevailing theme, our God is a justice seeker and He seeks to make things just for all people in due time.

We shared our legislative priorities on Tuesday morning with visits to our representatives and senators offices at the Capitol. We concluded our time together with encouragement to return home ready to advocate on behalf of women, children, youth and the marginalized by putting faith, hope and love into action.

Dorothy Ringer Sumner
Social Action Coordinator

txconfumw Jurisdiction Quadrennial, South Central Jurisdiction

Scholarships available for St. Louis Jurisdictional Meeting

On June 21-23, 2024, United Women in Faith members from across the South Central Jurisdiction will meet in St. Louis, Missouri. Early bird registration for the event is open until November 30. Registering early not only saves money, but it also ensures that you get the workshops and Ubuntu activity of your choosing. Click here to get started.

Scholarships are available for first time attendees, youth, young adult, or newly retired women from the Texas Conference. The scholarships will cover the cost of registration up to $300.

If you would like to apply for a scholarship, download the application, which includes a 200-word essay on why you want to attend and why you should receive the scholarship, and send it to Kathy Aubin, 1621 Prairie Mark Lane, Houston, TX 77077, or email it to khaubin@earthlink.net or thrgram@yahoo.com. Deadline for submitting your scholarship application is November 27.

scholarship-applicationdownload scholarship application

What is the South Central Jursidiction?

The South Central Jurisdiction encompasses twelve conference, including the Texas Conference. Its role is to implement the election process for the United Women in Faith’s national board of directors, and it’s also responsible for hosting special programs. The jurisdiction meets as a body every four years.

txconfumw Central North, Districts, Fall Meeting, Southeast, Southwest

Fall 2023 Brings District Events

United Women in Faith from across the Texas Conference met for district meetings in October and November, in some cases for the last time and in some cases for the first time, as the current nine districts will be merged into five districts on January 1.

South/Southeast District

On Saturday, November 4, South District United Women in Faith held a fall meeting, including representatives from the Southeast District. This was their first in-person gathering since 2019, and attendees delighted in meeting face to face. Deer Park United Women in Faith hosted, providing light breakfast to begin the day and brown bag lunches to end it.

South District President Kandy Lawson of Seabrook was the keynote speaker, elaborating on the theme, “Into a New Season.” She closed by inviting her audience to assemble feminine hygiene kits, the hands-On project for 2024.

Conference Treasurer Kathy Aubin filled in for district treasurer, explaining the 2024 budget and leading the mission candle-burning ceremony. The morning concluded with communion service led by Rev. John R. Black, senior pastor of Deer Park United Methodist Church, and Debbie Talley, Deer Park choir accompanist.

Southwest District

Southwest District United Women In Faith held its Fall celebration on Saturday, November 4th, 2023 at Newman Chapel United Methodist Church in Kendleton, Texas. The theme was “Inspire” based on the scripture Isaiah 43:18-19.   The special guest speaker was Prophetess Sharon Y.  Allen of Kendleton.   

Installation of officers for the incoming year was done by Carolyn Milby, secretary of the Texas Conference.  Luncheon catered by Michael Phoenix “Made a Tea Cake Services”   It was enjoyed by all. 

Special games were presented including Biblical questions and a super fun icebreaker Bingo.  Special door prizes were also available to everyone.  Although attendance for the celebration was not as full as it has been in the past, those who were there heard a powerful message from the speaker and enjoyed a nutritious and filling lunch.  The event was enjoyed by all who were there.

Central North District

The Central North District met for the last time at Klein United Methodist Church in Spring on October 21st. President Florence Snyder led the meeting and the singing. Women enjoyed the breakfast provided by the Klein women.

Jane Clark, district treasurer, led the Mission Candle burning ceremony, and during the meeting a vote was taken to close our bank account as the Central North District will merge with the Southwest District in the new year. Suzie Worsham reminded us that the November election was coming up quickly and encouraged everyone to get ready to vote.

Linda Elms was the keynote speaker, and she reminded us that while our goals may seem hard and sometimes far away, our foremothers did great things in a time when it wasn’t easy for women to do many things. Yet they persevered.

txconfumw Events, Fall Meeting, Uncategorized

2023 Annual Fall Meeting Takes Place at Lakeview

“We’re back!”

Those are the words heard many times during the 2023 Texas Conference Fall Annual Meeting. The two-day gathering, which took place Oct 6-7 at Lakeview Methodist Conference Center, was the first face-to-face annual meeting since the pandemic.

Friday night members celebrated homecoming, with many in attendance wearing shirts from their favorite college and university. The speaker for the college-themed night was Rev Tabitha Rankin, Director of the Wesley Foundation at Texas Southern University. Rev Rankin brought us up to speed on all that is happening with college ministries inside the state of Texas and challenged us all to find a way to offer support.

The next morning began with a blessing of the Hands-On Mission Kits by Education and Interpretation Coordinator, Kathy Kraiza. After the welcome, greetings, and prayer calendar, Treasurer Kathy Aubin lit the mission candle in honor and memory of those lifted up by their units.

A special mission recognition was given to Valerie Adame, for her many years of work across the conference and the South District. If you’ve attended any event in the past several years that required registration or Zoom–which is just about every event–you can thank Valerie and her ability to navigate online technologies for making the experience so easy.

Vice-President Stacie Hawkins gave an update on the Legacy Fund, and then Bishop Harvey blessed us with a talk about all the good things happening within the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.

During the business meeting that followed, Ella Aubin and Carren Rogers were elected and installed as the 2030 class of the Nominations Committee. Stephanie Pounds and Dorothy Ringer-Sumner were elected as nominees for the National Board of Directors, and Paulette Moore-Hall was elected as a nominee for the National Program Advisory Group. The 2024 budget was adopted and the pledge service completed.

After lunch Christine Riggle, Facilities Manager of the Mission Center of the Texas Annual Conference, thanked everyone in the Conference for their support of the Hands-On Mission Kits, and described the new Feminine Hygiene Kit that we will be making next year.

The event ended with a hymn, communion, grateful hearts for the chance to see each other again, and a promise to meet back again next year.

You can check out our album of pictures from the event here!

txconfumw Jurisdiction Quadrennial, South Central Jurisdiction, Videos

Registration for 2024 Jurisdiction Event in St Louis Now Open – Get Together!

South Central Jurisdiction President, Ellen Lipsey, invites you to the 2024 Quadrennial Event

Registration is Open for the 2024 Quadrennial Event in St Louis Missouri to be held June 21-23, 2024. Click here to register.

  • Early Registration – 9/1/2023 through 11/30/2023: $300
  • Regular Registration – 12/1/2023 through 4/30/2024: $350

Registration does not include hotel cost. Hotel reservations will open September 15th.  Please do not call the hotel before that date.

stephaniepounds Fall Meeting, Hands-On Project

2023 Fall Annual Meeting Registration is Open

Join us for Fall Annual Meeting, our first in-person event since the the pandemic. Our scriptures for the weekend will be Mark 8:27-30 and Ephesians 4:2-4. Bookmark this page to check for ongoing updates.

Registration

Registration should be completed by September 12. If you are registering by mail, the treasurer should receive your check by September 12.

Agenda

Friday

Gather with your friends from across the conference for an evening of fun and inspiration. Our theme will be Homecoming, and our guest speaker will be Pastor Tabitha Mock Rankin.

Saturday

We’ll begin the day with worship and be blessed by the words of Bishop Cynthia Harvey. We’ll also learn more about how our Hands-On Project donations will be used from Christine Riggle. It will be a full day of workshops, voting, business, and sisters in action.

Voting

On Saturday, we will be voting to approve our 2024 budget. You can see the proposed budget here.

We will also be voting to elect two new members to the Committee on Nominations. Nominees are:

  • Ella Aubin
  • Carren Rogers

Note that all women are invited to join us at our Fall Meeting (invite your friends!); however, non-members will not be able to vote.

Housing

There are two options for housing this year.

  • Dorm Housing – Many people to a room. You’ll need to bring your own bed & bath linens, pillows and a flashlight.
  • 1st Class Housing – Single or double occupancy. Linens & pillows are provided.

Food

There will be three meals available–a Friday meal, a Saturday breakfast, and a Saturday lunch. Your registration can include meals or you can provide your own.

Speakers

Bishop Cynthia Harvey

Cynthia Fierro Harvey serves as bishop of the Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, having been assigned there in November of 2022.  Previously Harvey served as associate pastor of The Foundry United Methodist Church in Houston from 1992-1996 and as executive pastor for Memorial Drive UMC in Houston from 1996-2008. She then moved to the position of Director of Missional Excellence for the Texas Annual Conference, serving from February of 2008-May 1, 2010. Just prior to her election as a United Methodist bishop in 2012, Harvey served as Deputy General Secretary for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).  She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, where she earned a Master of Divinity and The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism. 

Bishop Harvey was born on May 5, 1959, in Big Spring, Texas. She and her husband, Dean Alan Harvey, were married in 1981. Dean is a financial advisor and owns his own firm. Their daughter Elizabeth Grace Harvey is a design specialist and makes her home in Dallas.

Pastor Tabitha Mock Rankin

Pastor Tabitha Mock Rankin is an Ordained Elder and has served within the Texas Annual Conference of the UMC for 10 years. She is currently serving as the director of the Texas Southern University Wesley Foundation. Other full time appointments have included Chaplain, Wiley College, Director, Tyler United Wesley Foundation, and Pastor, St. Paul/Pleasant Grove, Huntsville.

Pastor Tabitha is the mother of six beautiful children. Nyah – 21, Taylor -18, Zora – 15, Isaiah – 8 and twin girls Kennedy and McKenzie 7.

Pastor Tabitha loves to spend time with family, travel, eat crawfish and dance for fun! Ministry has taken her many places, however her most memorable experience was serving in Nairobi for 10 days. Her favorite scripture is Philippians 4:13 and she frequently recites this scripture.

Pastor Tabitha is a graduate of Sam Houston State University, Gammon Theological Seminary and is currently working towards earning an Ed.D in Christian Education Leadership.

Christine Riggle

Send any questions to txconfuwf@gmail.com.

stephaniepounds Fall Meeting, Mission Giving

Mission Candle to burn at 2023 Annual Fall Meeting

Photo by lil artsy on Pexels.com

Each year Texas Conference United Women in Faith and their units honor the memory of members of their congregations and families by donating to the Mission Candle. Members and units send Mission Candle funds to their district treasurer through the remittance process, and the candle burns during the Annual Fall Meeting. The amount of money donated determines how long the Mission Candle will burn. In 2022 over $3000 was donated, which resulted in the Mission Candle burning for a little over 2 ½ hours.

How is the burning time calculated? Each year the National office calculates how much money United Women in Faith spends each minute on national, international, and partner missions. This is known as the Mission Minute. In 2023 the Mission Minute is $16.56. So a donation of $16.56 to the Mission Candle fund ensures that the candle will burn for a minute–and a minute of missions is funded. A donation of $33.12 ensures the candle will burn for two minutes and two minutes of missions are funded, and so on.

This year, units and districts should download and complete the form below to send the names of individuals to be recognized and the amount donated to the Conference Treasurer no later than September 23, 2023. District Donation checks should be sent to the Conference Treasurer by October 14, 2023, with the district’s third quarter’s remittance report. Since the 2023 Annual Meeting will be in person at Lakeview on October 7, it will great to be able to see the candle burning during the morning session.

6texas-conference-uwf-mission-candle_23Download
stephaniepounds Mission u

Mission u 2023 Digs Deep into The Lord’s Prayer

Women from around the conference joined together virtually on July 7-8 for the 2023 Mission u study, Living the Kin-dom: Exploring the Lord’s Prayer as a Spiritual Practice for Social Transformation. Leader Linda Elms challenged us to rethink each line of the prayer that most of us have recited since childhood. The study was enhanced each day with a worship service highlighted by music provided by the national office.

Thanks to Jane Frantz for serving as the 2023 Mission u Dean. Mission u curriculum is still available for purchase. It  can be adapted to a variety of settings outside of the Mission u format, including Sunday school and other church school settings.

stephaniepounds Annual Conference, Events

Officers Meet During 2023 Texas Annual Conference

Texas Conference officers met twice during the 2023 Texas Annual Conference in Houston to plan programming for the next year and to report on the previous year.

President Theresa Graham leads Officer Meeting

During the program meeting on May 29, officers worked on the theme and activities for the upcoming Fall Festival, which will take place Oct 6-7 at Lakeview, our first in person fall meeting in several years.

Officers also decided to hold two Ubuntu Days of Service. The first one will be in August at the Wesley Community Center in Houston, one of the United Women in Faith National Mission Institutes. UWF members from across the Texas Conference will be invited to spend the day volunteering at Wesley. Stay tuned for more details. The second Ubuntu day will be held in the Spring.

District presidents and Conference officers listen to reports

On Tuesday, May 31, District presidents joined Conference officers for a meal and to hear reports from each of the officers.