Rio Texas Annual Conference

United Methodist Church

16400 Huebner Road
San Antonio, Texas 78248
210.408.4500
media@riotexas.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Antonio, TX September 16, 2016 A woman was arrested today on charges of the sexual
assault of a child stemming from an incident at St. Peters United Methodist Church in East
Austin. The incident occurred on May 8th of this year. The accused was not employed by St.
Peters.
This is a tragic situation that reminds us that the church in not immune to the evils of the world.
As United Methodists, the care and safety of our children is a central part of our duty as
Christians. Our denomination and our churches place great emphasis on creating safe places for
children to learn, grow, and experience the love of God. Because of this, our local churches,
including St. Peters, have policies and protocols in place. St. Peters Child Abuse Prevention
Policy was created in concert with the policies of the annual conference and establishes rules for
appropriate supervision of children by multiple adults, proper training in the safety of children, a
covenant of conduct and background checks for all sta who have contact with children. The
policy also outlines procedures for reporting alleged abuse. Because of this policy, this incident
was properly recorded and immediately reported to police.
St. Peters has been serving East Austin for 150 years. This is a church that is a bedrock of the
community and has a passion for reaching out to those in need. East Austin has its share of
problems and the people of St. Peter's reach out to the parts of the community that are hurting
to teach of the love God has for them and help them restore a sense of hope and dignity. They
have ministries to help the homeless community get back on their feet. The are in ministry with
the Lakeside community in East Austin, inviting the kids there to Vacation Bible School and
receiving members from the people they meet
No matter how diligent we are, we know there is no way to completely remove our children from
danger. We are deeply grieved by events such as this and they cause us to pause and review
what else we might do to protect our children. We pray for the healing of the victim and family
and pray for the continued protection of our children.

The Mission of United Methodists of The Rio Texas Conference is to make

disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation about the world.

Rio Texas Annual Conference

United Methodist Church
16400 Huebner Road
San Antonio, Texas 78248
210.408.4500
media@riotexas.org
www.riotexas.org
Media Contact
Rev. Will Rice
Director of Communications
210-408-4500
wrice@riotexas.org
Social Media
facebook.com/RioTexas
twitter.com/riotxac
Officers
Robert Schnase
Bishop
Rev. Bill Wyman
Conference Treasurer
Rev. Laura Merrill
Executive Director
Mission Vitality Center

The Rio Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church is

made up of 380 worshipping communities in South, Central, and West
Texas with a total membership of 123,699 and an average weekly worship
attendance of 47,505. The conference is divided into seven districts: Las
Misiones, with its office in San Antonio; Hill Country, located in Kerrville;
Capital, in Austin; West, in San Angelo; Coastal Bend, in Corpus Christi;
El Valle in Harlingen; and Crossroads in Victoria.
There are currently 445 active pastors serving in these churches and
beyond. These clergy members serve under the authority of our Bishop,,
Robert Schnase with supervision from the seven area District
Superintendents.
There are several designations of clergy. Ordained Elders are ordained to
a lifetime of preaching, administering sacraments and ordering the life of
the church. Ordained Deacons are ordained to a lifetime of preaching and
serve to the church. Provisional Elders and Deacons are serving, under
appointment of the bishop, a two-year provisional term prior to their
ordination. Local Pastors are certified by their districts, trained by the
annual conference and serve in the capacity of pastor under the authority
of the bishop.
The Rio Texas Annual Conference a part of the South Central Jurisdiction
of The United Methodist Church. For more information on the history and
governance of the denomination, visit www.umc.org.
Representatives from each church in The Rio Texas Annual Conference
meet annually in Corpus Christi to conduct the business of the
conference, celebrate the ministry of the church and commission and
ordain clergy.
We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach out, in the name of God, to
the people of South Texas in the name of Jesus Christ. Some of our
churches are located in some of the fastest-growing areas of the country.
Others are located in areas where people are struggling with issues of
poverty, lack of affordable housing, and a loss of hope. We are committed
to providing vital missions, vital congregations, and strong leaders to
connect our churches to the people.
Our mission field spans South Texas. Our churches are in large cities and
small towns from Austin to McAllen, from San Angelo to Victoria in vibrant
cities, historic small towns and struggling communities.