The North Texas Conference is an Annual Conference (a regional episcopal area of the United Methodist Church). This conference encompasses a triangle-shaped northern portion of the state of Texas that spans from Dallas to Wichita Falls to Paris. The conference includes a small geographic area relative to most annual conferences. The North Texas Conference comprises 301 churches, 141,827 members, 4 districts and 20 counties. Administrative offices are located in Plano, Texas. It is part of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference. On September 1, 2012, Bishop Michael McKee began leading the conference. Districts The North Texas Annual Conference is subdivided into four smaller regions, called "districts", which provide further administrative functions for the operation of local churches in cooperation with each other. Each district has a District Superintendent who has a vital role in determining the appointments of clergy to local churches. The districts that are comprised by the North Texas Conference are: Metro District. The Metro District comprises most of Dallas County. The 79 churches and fellowships in the Metro District share a mission field that is the most economically, ethnically, and culturally diverse part of the North Texas Conference. Persons living in the Metro District face unique struggles and challenges. Likewise, the churches that comprise the Metro District have unique ways of assessing their needs, reaching new persons, and responding to their neighbors. The Metro District allows the District Superintendent to oversee the pastors and laity of these 79 congregations to dream dreams and implement measurable and creative ways of reaching the neighbors and neighborhoods in the Metro area. Over the next 10 years it is expected that the Metro District will increase in population by 9%. District Superintendent is Reverend Camille Gaston. North Central District. The North Central District mission field is one of continued growth. Projected growth in parts of Dallas, Wise, and Kaufman counties is considerable. Expansive growth is expected in Denton, Collin, and Rockwall counties. Overall the North Central District can anticipate 39% population growth by 2019. By 2019 the population of the North Central District will almost equal the Metro District's population. The 66 churches and fellowships in the North Central District share a mission field that is developing, accelerating, and expanding. The District Superintendent, pastors, and churches of the North Central District have a unique and evolving mission field and need to strategize, implement, and reach the largest influx of persons moving into