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Urban Ministry Profiles

Lens E · Standing "Study" for each urban county · Rio Texas Urban Ministry Strategic Plan (2016; upd. 2018 & 2020)

Why these exist. The Urban Ministry Strategic Plan requires the District Strategy Team to conduct a Study of the mission field before any urban church property is sold (2016 Discipline ¶2549.7, ¶212), so the proceeds can be restricted to vital urban ministry. These pages are that Study, built ahead of need for every urban county — so any proposal to the Conference Trustees can move quickly. Each county page is organized around the Plan's three required parts: (1) Demographic Profile · (2) Feasibility · (3) Proposed proceeds restrictions.

What counts as "urban"

The Plan defines an urban area as a county with population ≥ 50,000. The official trigger is the annual list of qualifying counties published by the Texas Office of the State Demographer. Counties below are classified here from ACS 5-year (tract sum) — verify trigger against annual OSD list; any county within striking distance of the line is flagged watch so it can be verified against the current OSD list before a proposal relies on it.

Urban areas — the Urban Ministry Plan applies

County Population 5-yr growth Hispanic Black N. Dist. UMCs People / church Ministry priority
Travis urban 1,307,625 9% 33% 8% 27 (5 non-Anglo) 48,431 Hispanic/Latino + Black
Williamson urban 643,889 22% 25% 7% 4 (0 non-Anglo) 160,972 Hispanic/Latino + Black
Hays urban 256,429 26% 39% 4% 6 (2 non-Anglo) 42,738 Hispanic/Latino + Black
Bastrop urban 102,370 24% 44% 6% 4 (0 non-Anglo) 25,592 Hispanic/Latino + Black
Burnet urban 51,064 12% 23% 1% 1 (0 non-Anglo) 51,064 Hispanic/Latino + Black
Caldwell watch 47,184 14% 56% 4% 6 (3 non-Anglo) 7,864 Hispanic/Latino + Black

"People / church" counts only the North District UMCs physically in the county against the whole county population — a rough read on reach, and on the Plan's core concern: the gap between the diversity of the mission field and the make-up of our churches. A watch county sits just below the line and may flip to urban on the next OSD list.

Rural counties — non-urban proceeds policy (¶4)

Profiled for the same demographic & feasibility read, but a property sale here follows the general policy, not the Urban Ministry Plan: 20% admin retention, then the entire remainder to the District Strategy Team (no Conference-office share, no urban restriction).

County Population 5-yr growth Hispanic Black N. Dist. UMCs People / church Ministry priority
Austin rural 30,712 4% 27% 9% 1 (1 non-Anglo) 30,712 Hispanic/Latino + Black
Gillespie rural 27,202 4% 22% 0% 2 (0 non-Anglo) 13,601 Hispanic/Latino + Black
Fayette rural 24,783 -1% 22% 6% 3 (2 non-Anglo) 8,261 Black
Lampasas rural 22,267 8% 20% 4% 3 (0 non-Anglo) 7,422 Black
Llano rural 22,011 7% 13% 1% 2 (0 non-Anglo) 11,006 Black
Colorado rural 20,736 -1% 30% 13% 5 (2 non-Anglo) 4,147 Hispanic/Latino + Black
McCulloch rural 7,565 -7% 31% 1% 1 (0 non-Anglo) 7,565 Hispanic/Latino
San Saba rural 5,802 -3% 30% 2% 1 (0 non-Anglo) 5,802 Hispanic/Latino
Mason rural 3,951 -5% 21% 0% 2 (0 non-Anglo) 1,976 Black

How proceeds are split

For an urban property sale, the Plan distributes the net proceeds (gross − sale costs − carrying costs):
→ 20% retained by the Conference Trustees for the Property Administration Fund (capped at $400,000).
→ Of what remains, 75% to the District Strategy Team (≈ 60% of net) for the restricted urban purpose.
→ and 25% to the Conference Office of Congregational Vitality & Development (≈ 20% of net), restricted to urban ministry conference-wide.
Former Rio Grande Conference properties carry an additional restriction: highest priority to Latino and Hispanic ministries.

The process, in order

  1. Trigger. A church in an urban county is closing, or a congregation proposes to sell and leave — the DS directs the District Strategy Team to act before any sale.
  2. Study. The Strategy Team conducts the mission-field Study (these pages are the standing version): demographic profile, feasibility, and proposed proceeds restrictions.
  3. Plan or market. If a ministry-use plan is presented to the Trustees promptly, the property may be held for that use; otherwise the Trustees market it (these properties decline fast and are costly to hold).
  4. Restrict & distribute. On sale, net proceeds are split 75/25 (after the 20% admin retention) under the restrictions the Study sets.
  5. Apply & report. The Strategy Team and Conference Office receive, evaluate, and approve applications for the funds, and report use to the Uniting Table, Trustees, and Conference membership.