Did the gathering have a theme or slogan, and if so, what was it?
Love Boldly
Officiating bishop:
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.
Guest speakers and memorable points or quotes by speakers:
Bishop Connie Shelton, opening worship
- “You are already loved, fully, completely, without condition. Love found you. Love holds you. Before you accomplish, fix, prove, or produce anything, love already had a claim on you.”
- “'Let them' is the spiritual practice of unclenching your fists and releasing the need to control.”
- “How will you love? Because everything that matters in the life of the church is shaped by the answer to that question.”
The Rev. Kenda Creasy Dean, keynote speaker
- “We are all doing ministry on Malta right now. The terrain is unfamiliar. The tools and resources we are working with are not well-known to us ... and that's the world in which you have been called for such a time as this.”
- “We are not the innovators. We are the participants in God's innovation. … We're not called to have great ideas. We're called to have great love.
Main actions enacted by the conference:
- Adopted the 2027 budget
- Multiple resolutions passed, including those encouraging recognition and celebration of encouragers, and forming Creation Care/Justice and LGBTQ+ Taskforces
Is the conference planning any new initiatives?
- Horizon Texas Conference Intercessory Prayer Team, which is being formed to help shape a culture of prayer across our churches, clergy, ministries, and leadership, grounding us in communion with God, attentiveness to the Holy Spirit and deeper love for the mission Christ has entrusted to us.
- Clergy Justice Network to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit for faithful action in response to justice concerns and empower laity to do the sam.e
Number of churches that closed because no longer sustainable (please list each church):
Two churches; one campus ministry: Aley United Methodist Church, Ever,am United Methodist Church and Belton United Wesley Foundation.
Budget
$16.5 million, a $190,000 increase over 2026.
Resolutions adopted by the conference:
- 2026-01: Location of 2027 Meeting of the HTC*
- 2026-02: Resolution Regarding Office Location and Property
- 2026-03: 2027 HTC Proposed Budget
- 2026-04: HTC Financial Policies*
- 2026-05: Minimum Number of Charter Members
- 2026-06: Auditor for Conference Accounts and Financial Statements*
- 2026-07: Moving Expenses Policy*
- 2026-08: De-Designating the Earnings from the Overfunded Portion of the Retiree Medical Account for Unrestricted Use by the Conference and to Fund Family Health Subsidy*
- 2026-09: Clergy Family Assistance for Healthcare Coverage
- 2026-10: Local Church Apportionment Policy*
- 2026-11: Resolution To Designate Rental Housing Allowances for Retired or Disabled Clergy*
- 2026-12: Schedule of Equitable Compensation of Clergy Members*
- 2026-13: 2027 Equitable Compensation Budget Recommendation*
- 2026-14: Standing Rules
- 2026-15: Process for Delegate Elections*
- 2026-16: Discontinuance of Aley UMC*
- 2026-17: Property Acquisition Policy*
- 2026-18: Nominations Report
- 2026-19: Discontinuance of Belton United Wesley Foundation*
- 2026-20: Renewed Commitment to Ministry at Navarro College*
- 2026-21: Proceeds from Mineral Properties*
- 2026-22: Discontinuance of Everman UMC*
- 2026-50: Identifying and Celebrating Encouragers in Christ
- 2026-51: Creating a Creation Care/Justice Taskforce
- 2026-52: Safeguarding Creation and Community from Unsustainable Data Center Growth
- 2026-53: LGBTQ+ Inclusion Taskforce
- Conference Reports*
- Connectional Reports*
- Statistical Reports*
*adopted on consent calendar
Number of people ordained, commissioned or received into associate membership, and average age:
- Commissioned: 10, average age 42.2.
- Ordained: 13, average. age 42.8.
- Associate Members: 1, 66.
- Orders Recognized: 1, 45.
Number of clergy retired: 29
Membership stands at 176,988, down 565 from the previous year.
Worship attendance stands at 43,012, up 779 from the previous year.
Church school attendance stands at 18,912, down 1,579 from the previous year.
Professions or reaffirmations of faith for 2025: 2,639, up 84 from 2024.
Adults and young adults in small groups for 2025: 43,734, down 49,033 from 2024.
Worshippers engaged in mission for 2025: 51,248, up 2,036 from 2024.