This Week in Texas Methodist History October 15 Texas Mexican Mission District Makes Huge Leap Forward with Admission of Four New Preachers, October 16, 1878 Bishop John C. Keener presided over the West Texas Conference from October 16-21, 1878 in San Marcos. One of the most gratifying aspects of the conference was the admission of four new preachers for the Mexican Mission District of that Conference. They were to provide years of faithful service that eventually resulted in a Spanish-speaking annual conference, and then even more conferenences. Alejo Hernandez became a preacher in 1871 but his life was all too short. He died in September 1875. New ministerial recruits were desperately needed. The Presiding Elder of the Mexican Mission District of the West Texas Conference was A. H. Sutherland (1848-1917). His district was strengthened in 1878 when four men, Jose Policarpo Rodriguez, Metilde Trevino, Alejandro DeLeon, and Roman Polomares joined the conference On Trial. Crecencio Rodrigues and Cruz Rodriguez remained on trial after being admitted the previous year. Four men were admitted into full connection James Tafolla, Gumercendo Paz, Josue Acosta, and Trinadad Armindarez. Only one member of the district, Clemente Vivero, withdrew from the ministry. The preaching points of the Mexican Mission District in1878 were concentrated in southern Texas and also included churches in Mexico. San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Bandera, Lodi, Rio Grande City, Brownsville, Medina County, Mier, Carmargo, Laredo, Concepcion, Eagle Pass, and Brackettville, San Diego, and Hidalgo County all had Methodist Churches. Many of these churches still exist and can proudly point to abut 150 years of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We bless their memory. (note: it is obvious that the Confeernce Secretary was not all that fluent in Spanish, but I have left the spelling as he recorded them in the Conference Journal.)