The Texas Conference held its Quadrennial Constituency Session on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center. Over 1,000 delegates met to elect executive officers, vice presidents, departmental directors and associates for the 2023-2027 quadrennial term. Delegates also discussed and voted on business affecting the Texas Conference.
Texas Conference President Elton DeMoraes started the day with a devotional before sharing the president’s report. Texas Conference Executive Secretary David Montoya and Texas Conference Treasurer Randy Terry then shared their reports.
Before lunch, delegates voted for the executive officers, individually electing Elton DeMoraes, president, center with his wife, Alessandra; David Montoya, executive secretary, right with his wife, Mary Ann; Randy Terry, treasurer, with his wife, Tamara.
Vice presidents elected included Kenn L. Dixon, communication and public relations; Kisha R. Norris, education; Ismael Castillo, Hispanic ministries and Spanish evangelism and Nathan L. Krause, ministry and evangelism. Along with vice presidents, department directors and associates were voted in one block.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve the Texas Conference as president,” DeMoraes said. “I am proud of our conference office team and delighted that we can continue serving our constituents.”
During the secretariat’s report, delegates voted and welcomed the following churches into the sisterhood of churches: Longview Spanish (Dec. 7, 2019) and Benbrook Seventh-day Adventist Churches (Oct. 16, 2021). Two churches united: Katy Central Spanish and Bear Creek Spanish Company (Nov. 26, 2022). They are now known as Katy Bear Creek Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church.
With sadness, delegates had to vote to accept the dissolution of the following churches: Del Rio San Felipe Spanish (Dec. 5, 2019), Eastland Cross Timbers (June 27, 2019) and San Antonio Adventist Christian Fellowship (Oct. 28, 2021).
Church revitalization was recently added to the church planting and volunteer lay pastor title held by Robin Lopez, director. “We need to be intentional about revitalizing our churches so that we will never have a vote for another church dissolution,” DeMoraes added. “Together as one, we must embrace our fellow members and encourage our community to find hope in Jesus Christ.”
This was the first time the session was streamed live. It can be viewed on the TexasAdventist (English) and Adventistas Hispanos de Texas (Spanish) YouTube channels. Photos from the day can be found on Flickr. Join the conversation on the TXSDA App and TexasAdventist social channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
By Tamara Michalenko Terry, Texas Conference associate director for Communication & Public Relations.
A version of this article appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of the Southwestern Union Record.
