eke UNITED z-mi CENTRAL 0 TEXAS CHURCH CONFERENCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 19 11 ANNUAL JOURNAL PICTORIAL, EDITION PRICE $5.00 per copy TABLE OF CONTENTS (Arranged in Accordance with Par. 704.3, The Discipline, 1976) Page 1. Officers of the Conference ..................... ,....................................... 11 II. Boards, Councils, Commissions and Rolls ofthe Conference Members .................................................... 12 III. Daily Proceedings ......................................................i..................... 61 IV. Business of the Annual Conference .................................................. 70 V. Appointments .................................................................................. 85 VI. Reports ............................................................................................103 VII. Memoirs ..........................................................................................177 VIII. Roll of Deceased Ministerial Members ............................................199 IX. Historical .................... ............................................................ ........200 X. Pastoral Records :..............:..............................................................222 XI. Index ....................................................................Before Folded Inserts XI 1. Financial Records ............................................................Folded Inserts XIII. Pictorial Section ..............................................................................233 T 1977 CENTRAL TEXAS CONFERENCE BEING THE EIGHTH ANNUAL SESSION AFTER THE MERGER OF THE PREVIOUS CENTRAL TEXAS CONFERENCE WITH A GROUP OF CHURCHES IN THE FORMER WEST TEXAS CONFERENCE - PICTORIAL EDITION - Waco, Texas JUNE 5-8, 1977 Permanent records of the Central Texas Conference ore located in a safe inside the vault of First Methodist Church, Fort Worth. Current records are in pos- session of the conference secretary in a fire proof cabinet The Historical Room of the Central Texas Conference is at Glen Lake Methodist Camp, Glen Rose, Texas c o 0 LL ° T C p C 0 p O Ur C O 7E O p CO C J O` O N o j co 8 v Q u w G! 3 w O O in a ° o m s o` N N m _ C n ~ P O = O v O ° Z C O Wp Q °a C o ~ ~ y N ~ p — C N 3 t~3 O N o T °a -CC o d 5 T~ 4i O _N O' ~U O ° o3 0 Of u p m LL C O Of C t 3 a 3 W 0O v f 0 0 v4) E 10 T v c c Y S V 7 n O n C O~ V O W O U c 2 3c N O C W W J W 41 N 0 O C_ CC C d O 3 LL O V1 a 0 c 0 a s m c vi 0 a `c v D] L D. C a O E 0 v t 0 0 o✓ 0 0 0 0 o: E 0 `c 0 `0 LL m — , 1 vi C_ S O Q C W ° 3 C Ul v 0 E 3 v UW o _Z T LC ~ UQ N~ ULU Z o W N W 0 LL O Z L vO m N — KQ 3 W O H w Q F- O WZ T V °a d 0 L <U_ d Y a c 0 v Y0 ° J 1977 CENTRAL TEXAS CONFERENCE JOURNAL 7 "STATE OF THE CHURCH" By Bishop W. McFerrin Stowe When one considers the state of the Church, the immediate question is: is the Church failing? After due consideration, in honesty, one must answer: "Yes. the Church is failing. She is not impacting the lives of her adherents, or the persons outside her gates, nor the society in which she lives as she should. Yes, the Church is failing." But, for one who knows the story of the Church, it is obvious the Church has always been failing. Dip down into the New Testament Church and look at the Church in Corinth. Consider the Church in the age of Augustine, or Luther, or Wesley, These men stand so tall partly because the Church had fallen so low. Because we compare the Church to her Master, she always falls short. But when we compare her to other human institutions, we find her achievements go for beyond any other. We could spend our time berating the Church and castigating ourselves, but I see many favorable things the Church is doing, and all in all, I find the Church in a healthier condition than at anytime in my life. Let me tell you some things I see. 1) 1 see the Church is flabby in many places and wishy-washy, but I see, too, that there have been more Christian martyrs in this century than any other century, including the first century. There have been more persons who have given their life for Jesus Christ and the Church than ever before. Last week we heard of Dr. Glen Eschtruth being murdered by the rebels in Zaire. This Doctor could have been flown to safety, but he stayed to care for the sick in his hospital for their sake and for Christ's sake. 2) There are places where Christianity has lost its vitality, and the Church is slipping slowly into a lethargic condition that has a sign on the door: "Do not distrub." Many, many congregations in America and in Europe are limp and lifeless and dwindling. away. But the fact is that is there are more Christians in the world today than at any previous time. In much of Africa in parts of South America, in places in Asia, the Church is alert, alive with great vitality, and growing rapidly. 3) In Americo, where many congregations are dormant, where there is com- mitted leadership, able and optimistic, churches are growing. There is a hunger for God. C. Peter Wagner says: "A new national mood of receptivity to spiritual truth is prevalent." Sales of religious books, even poor ones, have soared, increasing a third faster than general book sales Religious affiliation is growing faster than the population and is now 62.3 per cent -of the population; and church attendance is going up again, and is at 42 per cent. George Gallup says that findings suggest America is in the beginning of a religious revival. 4) Are we running out of ministers in America? No! In America today there are 43,023 persons studying for the ministry — a record enrollment, and we ore fortunate in that in our area we have Perkins School of Theology, one of the five greatest Protestant theological seminaries in the world. CENTRAL TEXAS CONFERENCE JOURNAL 1977 It was at Perkins that the finest innovation and addition to theological education of the twentieth century — the Intern Program — was developed. It is costly, but is providing students opportunities to learn ministry under supervision and to check their calling against their performance. In the anti-hero mood of the lost decade, we do not have many nationally known preachers — no Phillips Brooks, no S. Parks Cadman, no Fosdick, but overall a far higher quality of preaching is found in the pulpit today, and we probably have the best trained clergy in the history of Christendom. 5) A purpose of God is that we love one another as He has loved us. How well is the Church measuring up? Sometimes, I think, very . poorly. When I read many letters I receive, I wonder where is the love within the family of God for each other. When I see the bitterness within certain congregations against a minister or against each other, I ask, "Have we learned nothing of loving another because we have been loved, forgiving another because we have been forgiven, accepting another even as Christ has accepted us, in spite of our imperfections?" But when I step back I see another scene — persons different in theology, sex and race worshiping together, seeking to understand differences, and honoring those differences, becoming one as the family of God. But now we are beginning to recognize the will and wisdom of God who made us different. Dr. Eric Lincoln described our differences as a great mosaic, beautiful in our variations. That is helpful, but as I wrote this I was listening to a symphony, and I said, "That's it." God created us to be a great symphony — with drums, and violins, French horns, and cellos and all the others — each essential in its own part and all together under the leadership of the Master bringing forth beautiful music. So God plans with persons, women and men and children, black and red and yellow and brown and white, wise and foolish, young and old, that we each shall join with the other to play God's music. And we are beginning to hear the music. The Church is always failing when judged by her Master, but He hasn't given up hope, and I see signs of hope, reasons for rejoicing — the state of the Church leaves much to be desired, but gives much to be encouraged about. We have seen some of the signs of hope in the state of the Church. Now I would like to bring it very close home and tell you some dreams I have for you of the Central Texos Conference that I think are pieces of God's purpose for us. 1) 1 want us to focus more and more on the study, the teaching, and the preaching of the Bible. Much erroneous and inadequate Bible teaching is going on, even in our churches. Ministers should be authorities on at least the Bible, and should be the interpreters and teachers of the Scriptures. I call upon each minister to fulfill this responsibility and each lay person to help establish authentic Bible studies in every church. Preaching takes on power when it arises out of the Word of God. Out of our study of the Scriptures, I want us to become sensitized to three things about people: One, the spark of God hidden in every person, the in- carnation -of our Lord in every human face, in every person's heart; the dignity and worth of every human being; the sacredness of every child and each adult. 2) 1 want us to become sensitized to the hungers and the hurt, the lone- liness and the defeated condition of, oh, so many persons, and go, like Christ, to them to bring them face to face with love; to give them bread for their bellies and compassion and caring for each of them.