The purpose of this feature is to continually allow you all to be aware of what is happening in your Austin offices.  These offices are yours; we are here to serve you and to be an extension of the wishes of the Board of Directors.  I feel that my primary duties include strengthening the relationships among our judicatory leaders and our judicatories, as well as to increase the membership of Texas Conference and to find new and exciting ways of projecting the TCC.  One of the ways that this "projection" will work is to communicate constantly and to strengthen our website.  Every month this section will be a way of staying in touch.  Therefore, PLEASE constantly check our evolving website.  You all have received the current TEA newsletter.  It was a joint effort of the staff and the contributors and the commission leaders.  To all of you a great big THANK YOU!!  The upcoming issues will feature new and exciting articles. 

Since my travel update in the TEA, I continue visit the judicatory leaders and the leaders of the various local ecumenical organizations.  On October 28, it was my honor to visit with several Dallas judicatory leaders for breakfast; these included Rev Dr. David Wasserman (Executive Presbyter Grace Presbytery), Bishop Charles Grahmann (RC), and Bishop Kevin Kanouse (ELCA, NTX-NLA Synod) who was our host.  After our breakfast, I met privately with Rev Wasserman and members of his staff to discuss ways in which TCC can better serve the needs of Grace Presbytery.  After these two meetings, a meeting was held to review strategies to address the upcoming legislative initiative to introduce slot machine gambling as a funding source for State Education. Ms Suzii Paynter (BGCT) and several consultants engaged by the Baptist General Convention participated in this meeting.  In the afternoon Sr. Pearl Ceasar of Dallas Interfaith Ministry and I met to examine the work and ministry to immigrants as well as the possibility of her organization sponsoring a display table at are Annual Assembly in February.

On October 29th, it was my honor to meet with Archbishop Dmitri, Orthodox Church of America (OCA) Diocese of Dallas and the South.  Our discussions concerned the possibility of the OCA in Texas joining the TCC.  As a result of these discussions, I am delighted to announce the newest member judicatory of the TCC, the Orthodox Church of America Diocese of Dallas and the South (http://www.oca.org).  Take a moment and please welcome Archbishop Dmitri and his flock to the TCC.

Bishop David Fellhauer (RC Victoria) was gracious enough to meet with me on November 2, 2004 .  The meeting with the Bishop took place in his lovely diocesan center in Victoria.  The conversations dealt with the role of the TCC and ways in which we can help the Diocese of Victoria.  We also discussed the increased budget request from TCC, the 2005 Budget and the reasons that this budget required additional support from our member judicatories.  That afternoon I stopped in San Marcos and met with Mary Compton, President of Church Women United - Texas.  Our visit was a very fruitful.  We discussed the continued ecumenical partnership of Church Women United and the TCC.  Our upcoming Assemblies, TCC' s in February and CWU' s in September, were also topics of discussion.

Because of the increase in my calendar commitments and the upcoming events, I will continue to constantly update this conversation.  Lastly, and most importantly, we at the Austin office have instituted a new feature on our Website.  In the E.D. Column of the home page, you will find prayer requests from our membership.  This list is made up of people who are part of the TCC family in need of your prayers for Health, Healing and Comfort.  Our hope is that you will e-mail your request for prayer to the office so that we can add them to our prayer intentions.  Prayer is the greatest gift we can offer one another.  The strength of prayer is a reassurance and offering of love.  Help us bring Christ's healing power into the lives of our brothers and sisters in their time of need. 

Caryn, Carol, Ria (my wife) and I wish you a joyous Thanksgiving.