The Rio Texas Conference is well-represented by people responding to God's Call to serve in mission with Global Ministries in 2025:
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Missionary Support in 2025: Congregations gave $12,856.42 in 2025 to support Global Ministries Missionaries who are bringing the Good News across the country and around the world (a decrease of $9,136.85). Many Rio Texas congregations support one of the nearly 201 Global Ministries missionaries serving in over 60 countries. For example in 2025 RTC supported: Guillermo (Willie) Berman (Mexico), Rev. Anna Troy (of RTC), Cristian Schlick (UMCOR), Sandra Raasck (Belize) and Gaston Ntambo (Africa), etc.
In 2026 Global Ministries will be itinerating the following Missionaries to RTC with hopes your congregation will invite them to speak so you can hear what God is doing in our world: Daniel Contreras and Family serving the Methodist Church in Honduras; Willie Berman serving the Mexican Methodist Border Mission in Mexico (https://umcmission.org/missionary-bio/berman-guillermo/).
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Global Ministries Advance Project Support Giving: Congregations have also supported Global Ministries projects by giving $61,080.64 in 2025, an increase of $38,553.73 from 2024.
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UMCOR Special Focus Giving: Congregations supported Global Ministries with their gifts to UMCOR & Special Focus in 2025 of $174,090.44 (a decrease in UMCOR Giving of $59,679.54 from 2024).
These totals along with missionary support totaled giving to Global Ministries of $248,027.56 in 2025 a decrease of $35,733.35.
We recognize St. John's UMC, Austin with gifts to Global Ministries in 2025 totaling $17,577.00.
If you feel called to become a missionary yourself, please explore the various categories of short-term and long-term adult and young adult mission service opportunities that are described on the Global Ministries web site (https://www.umcmission.org/serve-with-us/missionaries).
United Women in Faith (United Methodist Women) note there are currently six active deaconesses from and serving in the Rio Texas Conference. They are:
- Tara Carnesi; Leave of Absence
- Sonia Cruz; Bus Operator at VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio
- Cindy Johnson; Consultant for La Posada Providencia, San Benito, Texas
- Julie Smith; Volunteer at Early Head Start, Bastrop, Texas
- Karen Smith MD, M.Ed; Free Clinic, Manor, Texas
- Diana Woods; Social Services Coordinator, Buda UMC
Deaconesses and Home Missioners are laywomen and laymen who are called by God to be in a lifetime relationship in The United Methodist Church in full-time ministries of love, justice, and service. After commissioning, each person finds his or her own place of employment.
The Office of Deaconess has been part of our tradition as a church since 1888. The Office of Home Missioner was established at the 2004 General Conference and currently is administered by the National Office of United Women in Faith.
Becky Wright, Rio Texas Conference Secretary of Global Ministries, bhinscj@gmail.com