This Week in Texas Methodist History  October 21

West Texas Annual Conference Meets in San Antonio,  October 20-25, 1937

Travis Park Methodist Church has been the site of numerous historic events in Texas Methodist history.  There have been memorial services for distinguished Methodists, many sessions of Annual Confernce, and many noted speakers travelling through San Antonio.  It is also the church that began the publication of the Upper Room, a booklet for private and family devotions.  It began in a Sunday School class of which my Aunt Velma was a member, so I have family connection, and the UR was a constant in my childhood and youth.  Another family connection is that my grandparents, Wesley Hardt and Ida Wilson were married there---not in the sanctuary, but in the pastor's office.  

Bishop Boaz was the presiding officer of the Annual Confernce, but he was not the only bishop there.  Arthur Moore, who had served as pastor at Travis Park was there as was A. Frank Smith.  Both men had been elected as young men in 1930.   They had become friends when Moore was at Travis Park and Sith was at Laurel Heights in San Antonio.   Both men played important roles in Methodist history.  Future bishops were there too.  President of SMU, C. C. Selecman attended.  J. Chess Lovern was admitted on trial.  Oliver Eugene Slater, then a pastor at Ozona was beginning their careers.  Other universsity presidents Law Sone and J. W. Bergin were also there.   SMU also provided Professor Robert Goodloe as Confernce preacher. The Spanish-speaking conference was represented by Frank Ramos and Alfredo Nanez.  

On the first day, Bishop Boaz called for the vote on unification.  Committees had been working for years to effect an merger between the MEC, MECS, and MP denominations.  Boaz ruled that no debate would precede the vote.  All the members of the Conference had received merger plans well in advance.  The vote was 246 to 5.   Then the Conference began balloting for delegates to the 1938 General Conference of the MECS---a Conference that would be the final one of the MECS as the Uniting Conference of 1939 would create then Methodist Church.  As part of the merger the West Texas Conference would be renamed the Southwest Texas Conference because the MEC also had a West Texas Conference. 

My three uncles received their appointments.  Uncle Charles Hardt to Ward Memorial in Austin, Uncle Dan Hardt to Skidmore, and Uncle Louis Hardt to Buda/Dripping Springs.  Louis's son-in-law, Lennie Dubberly was admitted to the conference and appointed to Marble Falls.  

One notable pastor was not there to answer the roll call.  Sterling Fisher had been conference secretary for 46 years--but was unable to attend.  He was elected anyway for the 47th time.  The real work of the secretary was done by his assistants---Olin Nail, J. Fisher Simpson, and R. F. Curl---names you probably know.