South Central Jurisdiction Conference 2024

The South Central Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church was brought into existence by the momentous Uniting Conference of 1939. This Conference marked the re-unification of the three divisions of Methodism that had been separate for nearly a century.
In 1968, the Uniting Conference convened in Dallas, Texas. It was during this historic gathering that The United Methodist Church was officially formed, uniting the Methodist and the Evangelical United Brethren Church.
There are ten Annual Conferences in eight States—Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. By action of the General Conference in 1968, the SCJ area also includes a small strip of Northeastern Arizona that encompasses the Navajo Indian Nation.
At the historic 2022 Jurisdictional Conference, three bishops were elected on the first ballot, including the first Native American bishop and the first African American female bishop for the jurisdiction.
Secretaries/Directors of the Mission Council and its predecessors:
1944-1961                   Dr. Paul D. Womeldorf       Central Kansas
1961-1972                   Dr. Virgil D. Morris             Lousiana
1972-1985                   Dr. S. Duane Bruce              NW Texas
1985-1992                   Dr. Earl B. Carter                 North Arkansas
1992-1998                   Dr. Ray L. Branton              Lousiana
1998-2004                   Dr. Thalia F. Matherson      North Texas
2005-2016                   Dr. David L. Severe             Oklahoma
2016-2021                   Rev. Brian Bakeman            Oklahoma
2021-                           Eddie Erwin                         Texas
The South Central Jurisdiction initiated the following institutions:
- Southern Methodist University & Perkins School of Theology—Dallas, Texas - Lydia Patterson Institute—El Paso, Texas
- Mount Sequoyah Conference Retreat Center—Fayetteville, Arkansas