An Invitation from the Bishop

An Invitation from Bishop Harvey

Dear Friends,
 
I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I pray that fall will soon be in the air and that we might enjoy some cooler temperatures very soon.

I have had such a rich experience listening and learning from lay and clergy leaders from across a broad representation of the Rio Texas Conference. I have met with conference and district leaders, conference staff, cabinet members—all in an effort to develop authentic relationships and begin to lay groundwork for our future work together. This has been accomplished through a robust onboarding process that has given me a beautiful start. I have been welcomed in Rio Texas style and Dean and I feel right at home.

We will host a series of Bishop's Gatherings across the conference so that I can hear your hopes and dreams about our ministry in the years to come.

• Thursday, October 17 at San Antonio Alamo Heights UMC, 6-8 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
• Thursday, October 24 at Austin Bethany UMC, 6-8 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
• Saturday, October 26 at Corpus Christi First UMC, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (doors open at 9:30 a.m.)

We will sing, dream, pray, and discern together. You will have an opportunity to learn a little more about me, my story and what excites me about being your bishop. I also hope to learn a whole lot more about you and your story and what excites you about the Rio Texas Conference. This will be an opportunity for us to look forward to what God has planned for us.

I know we live in a large swath of the state of Texas so the Gatherings will be regional. I hope you will plan to be at one of the three Bishop's Gatherings and that you will invite others to join you. Lay and Clergy are all invited. We are grateful for the hospitality of Bethany in Austin, Alamo Heights in San Antonio, and First UMC in Corpus Christi. Please register, we want to be sure we have enough space, coffee and cookies for all who plan to attend.
 
I cannot wait to meet you and learn from you!

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey

A Message from Bishop Harvey

Greetings Friends,

While it doesn’t quite feel like fall yet, we know it is coming and with it comes change – back to school, Texas football and yes, even changes in our church rhythm.

I’ve spoken briefly about the new journey God has set before me. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve as bishop of both the Texas Conference and the Rio Texas Conference.

I have been spending time listening and learning and getting to know leaders in Rio Texas and also spending time with leaders in the Texas Conference as we discover new rhythms for our life and work. I am filled with enthusiasm and hope for the future for both Conferences. My dual tenure will officially begin September 1.

First and foremost, let me emphasize that these two conferences remain distinct and independent entities. Each conference retains its unique identity, governance, and mission. My role is to serve, guide, and support both, recognizing and honoring their individual strengths and characteristics.

We will be exploring how we might leverage those strengths to further the mission for both conferences. One of the beautiful aspects of serving both conferences is witnessing the similarities that bind us together as United Methodists, even as we celebrate our unique differences. Both the Rio Texas Conference and the Texas Conference are committed to living out the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Both are deeply rooted in a Wesleyan tradition that values personal piety and social holiness. And both are led by passionate, dedicated laity and clergy who are eager to see their communities flourish.

I am eager to learn from both contexts, to listen to our stories, to celebrate our successes, and amplify them so that the world might know of our ministry and mission and the lives that are changed every day.

I am also keenly aware that this new arrangement may come with its own set of challenges. Balancing the needs and priorities of two conferences will require careful planning, clear communication, and a deep reliance on the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. I am confident that with God’s grace and your support, we can navigate this journey together.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to both the Rio Texas Conference and the Texas Conference for your commitment to our shared mission. I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and look forward to serving you with joy, dedication, and a deep sense of purpose. Together, we can continue to build vibrant, loving, and transformative communities of faith that reflect the love of Christ in all we do.

Thank you for your partnership in this new season of ministry. May God bless you richly as we embark on this journey together.

With faith and hope,

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey

Welcome Bishop Harvey

A message from Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey

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.”

A message from Bishop Robert Schnase

Frequently Asked Questions

The Rio Texas Delegation gives thanks for Bishop Robert Schnase's long service to this conference and ministry within the United Methodist Church. Bishop Schnase helped Rio Texas recover from an unexpected episcopal change, journeyed with us through the pandemic, and led us during an unprecedented period of disaffiliation within the denomination. Bishop Schnase was clear that his goal was to create a unified, "big tent" United Methodist Church, and he worked untold hours trying to help the denomination adopt the One Church Plan in 2019. We celebrate that much of his work finally became a reality at the recent General Conference held in Charlotte when that body affirmed regionalization, removed the harmful language that—among other things—prohibited LGTBQ+ people from ordained ministry, and made greater space for churches and clergy to host and/or perform the marriages of LGTBQ+ people.
 
As the General Conference grappled with a nearly 40% reduction in the budget, it made a number of decisions that were both missional and responsible, though difficult. As Bishop Schnase wrote in his recent letter announcing his retirement, the General Conference reduced the total number of US bishops from 39 to 32, which resulted in a corresponding reduction  in the number of bishops assigned to serve the South Central Jurisdiction from 8 to 6. This action came to the General Conference by unanimous recommendation from the Interjurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy, a body of more than 100 lay and clergy leaders.  With his retirement, Bishop Schnase is demonstrating once again his deep commitment to the vitality of the church that he has shown throughout his ministry as he supports the work of the General Conference to right-size the denomination's budget for the future mission of the church. We are grateful for the legacy of leadership Bishop Schnase and his wife, Esther, have offered the church through decades of ministry, which began in our own Rio Grande Valley, and which continues in this most recent decision.
 
Unlike previous Jurisdictional Conferences, the 2024 South Central Jurisdictional Conference will have no new episcopal elections. The Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy, which is made up of one lay and one clergy delegate from each conference, will make episcopal assignments. Rev. James Amerson and Rachel Wright are the Rio Texas Conference's representatives to that body. As we prepare to head to Rogers, Arkansas, this week, we ask for prayers for wise discernment for them, for the Episcopacy Committee as it begins to meet on Tuesday, July 9, at 9:00AM, and for the whole delegation. May God continue to be the center and guiding light of our conference and the mission of the United Methodist Church in South Texas.

The Rio Texas Delegation