Our exhilarating Annual Conference reminded us of our urgent charge: making disciples of Jesus Christ and spreading Scriptural Holiness across the globe. The Rev. J.D. Walt urged us to keep our eyes fixed on Scripture, for in “…reading the word of God: the sound barrier is broken; and the great awakening begins…of love through Jesus to a person, through a person…until every person has been reached.” He left three questions: (1) If not me, then who? (2) If not here, where? (3) If not now, when?
That urgency filled Friday night as our three Laity Warriors testified to the Conference theme, “The Power of Personal: Inviting Others to Christ through Personal Stories.” Landry Hobson asked, “What voice are you listening to? Fear, or the voice of Jesus calling you by name?” Caleb Lester showed how God uses ordinary people as His tools, asking, “Will you say ‘yes!’ and be a tool in God’s toolbox, all to God’s glory?” Trish Garcia-Monet spoke of crying to God in “big, sparkly letters”: “I know that God now knows that I know the sound of His voice. He equips; we just need to be ready to work.”
Thursday’s Laity Gathering took its tagline from Rev. R. Hiltibran’s article “From ‘Come and See’ to ‘Go and Tell’” (Firebrand, Dec. 24, 2025), which urges us beyond the comfort of our church buildings to spread the Gospel. David Amend recounted moving from pew-sitter to church planter because of this call. Area groups answered, “What is one small step each can take to spread the Gospel?” — responses coming soon.
A bittersweet moment was the retirement of one of our own, Co-Conference Lay Leader Carl Brothers of Arkansas. The fruits of his and others’ work were validated by the unanimous vote approving the Guidelines for Conference Lay Leaders (CLLs), establishing Area Lay Leaders (ALLs) with guidelines, and revising the Local Church Lay Leader (LCLL) guidelines.
Nine individuals have stepped up as our new Area Lay Leaders, with two Areas still to be filled. They will enhance communication among our churches and foster cross-fertilization of ideas, training, and practice. They invite us to imagine what God can do when leaders are equipped, disciples are empowered by the Holy Spirit, and churches join together for evangelization. As John 4:35 reminds us, “Open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for the harvest.”
This equipping begins with our Trinity Conference new three-year strategic plan, “Equipping for the Harvest.” The Trinity Conference commits to: (1) equip every leader to grow and raise up leaders, training 2,000 laity and clergy in leadership multiplication; (2) equip every disciple to make disciples, with a clear discipleship pathway in every church; and (3) equip every church to partner in planting, launching fifteen new worship communities.
Oscar Garza and Sarah Kreutziger are thrilled that John Dawson, III has agreed to serve as our new Co-Conference Lay Leader. John is in the land and timber business and Owner of Arkansas Pulpwood Company, Inc., in Camden, AR. He is married to Cathy, and father to John D Dawson, IV and Anna Dawson Dunn. John D, his son, is to be married in September, while Anna is already married and lives in Tyler, TX. More importantly, he is a committed servant of Christ and life-long Methodist who has served in numerous lay leadership roles at Westside Church. John enjoys hunting in his down time and considers his hunting adventures as “therapy sessions.”
Your Conference Lay Leaders are committed to equipping the laity for the harvest in the ripe fields around us. It begins with prayer and continues with Spirit-led action. As Co-Lay Leader Oscar Garza said,
we begin and end every gathering with prayer. We prayed for our clergy and encourage all laity to do the same. Then “go and tell” your personal story of what Jesus is doing in your life.
In His Service,
Oscar, Sarah, John
