IN THE KNOW August 2026

IN THE KNOW with Bill and Lisa Walker Your EMC Missions update—AUGUST 2026 HAPPY 100TH ANNIVERSARY EMC Mexico! Most of our readers are aware that the Mexican Evangelistic Mission (MEM) was founded by the Rev. Dr. Ezekiel Vargas in 1926, 20 years before Dr. Hamblen and others founded the Evangelical Methodist Church. In 1948, the first EMC General Conference voted to include the MEM as part of the Evangelical Methodist Church (formalized in 1957), making Mexico our oldest and elder partner. In fact, it would be over 50 years until the next international partner would be affiliated.

Dr. Ezequiel

Since those early days, there have been many EMCers who have served as missionaries to the MEM: Alta Dixon, Hariette Tautwine, Caroline Burry, Dorothy Holman, Mary Massey, John and Ruth Pawelski, Leroy (Sr.) and Jesse Lindsey, Leroy (Jr.) and Kay Lindsey, Alex and Mae Hoover, Jack and Sandra Conner, Vernon and Ruth Perkins, Ken and Kathy Kile, Colin Conner, Meda Jane Leach, John and Paula Gentry, and lastly Bill and Lisa Walker. They served in ministries such as Christian school, church planting, pastoring, evangelism, discipleship training, and the Life and Truth Bible Institute. WHAT A GREAT HERITAGE we have in the EMC and the MEM! There are stories told, such as Dr. Vargas kneeling on the side of a road to pray for God to call a certain person to Mexico as a missionary—and God did it! (Can you guess who that was?)

Space does not allow for extended stories here. However, Rev. Colin Conner just published a book largely written by the late Mae Hoover about “the amazing life of Alta Dixon.” It is available on Amazon. The Board of World Missions purchased 30 copies, and we gave them as a gift personally to each MEM pastor in Mexico and gave copies to the churches: the gift of recorded history! We were surprised how many in attendance at the 100th Conference knew “Miss Dixon” personally.

The 100th MEM Annual Conference was a time of celebration and thanksgiving to God for our heritage, as well as a challenge to remember the evangelistic burden and passionate ministry that characterized Dr. Vargas and his early ministry partners. The EMC Board of World Missions invited and sponsored some former missionaries to participate: Vernon and Ruth Perkins, Colin and Dana Conner, OMS Missionaries and EMCers Troy and Jenny Gentry (representing John and Paula Gentry). Rev. Aaron Withrow and Rev. Max and Judy Edwards also attended. Revs. Withrow, Conner, and Edwards shared in preaching along with MEM GS Rev. Flores.

The MEM holds annual conferences but has elections every four years. This year saw the election of Rev. Daniel Duran as the new MEM General Superintendent, along with his wife, Luz Urtusuastigue, who will now lead the MEM EMW. We give our heartfelt thanks to Rev. Isaias Flores and his wife, Elva Mares (outgoing EMW president), for their excellent service over the past 8 years (many of you saw them at the 34th EMC General Conference).

…and now you are IN THE KNOW!