About

 

Our Mission

To be a leading inclusive, Christ-Centered resource to support the academic, social, and spiritual development interests of students attending the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, South Texas College, and others desiring to participate in this ministry.

UMCM seeks to establish a central and safe presence for students to assemble for healthy and wholesome peer interaction and support through planned and elective opportunities for intellectual engagements, recreational activities, social and respite fellowship, and spiritual study and guidance.

 
 

Welcome Home

Through the UMCM, I was able to help maintain a safe space for others and a community. With this internship, we were able to see many people throughout the week and build relationships that allowed others to come into our building and feel at home. This semester, our motto has been Welcome Home; I think we, as interns, understand what our organization should mean to us through this phrase. Through Welcome Home, we hope that other students, Church Leaders, and anyone who has heard of UMCM will understand what it means to be a part of UMCM.

— Tori Frias, UTRGV Alum

 
 
 

Rev. Todd Jones, Pastor/Director

I have been appointed by Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey to serve as Pastor/Director at the United Methodist Campus Ministry of the Rio Grande Valley. Along with this role, I also serve as the Rio Texas Regional Director for U.M. ARMY. Yes, that’s a lot of words in my titles! Basically, I work with college students in the RGV and organize youth mission trips across South and Central Texas.

I am originally from Mercedes, TX and was raised United Methodist. I attended the University of Texas at Austin, where I was involved with the Texas Wesley Foundation. It was there that I heard, and began to process, my call to ministry. I also met my wife, Julianne, at the Texas Wesley, and we were married by our campus pastor in 2014. We now have two sons, Charlie (5) and Sam (3), along with our pets Norah, Keeley, and Coco.

In 2013, I began working as a full-time youth minister in Austin. In 2015, I enrolled at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and split my time between ministry and school. I graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2019 and received my first appointment to FUMC Harlingen, where I served as the Associate Pastor until 2022. I then served as Pastor at FUMC Weslaco until 2025.

I’m so excited to be back in the world of college ministry, as it made such a huge impact on my life! My hope is that God will use me to bring about transformation in the lives of the UMCM students, as well as the UTRGV campus as a whole! Let’s all learn how to follow Jesus better, and let’s eat some great food and have lots of fun while doing it!

Please know I’ll be praying regularly for all UMCM and UTRGV students. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you want to talk!

 

Board of Directors

  • Dara Newton - Chair

  • Debra Howard - Secretary, Nominating

  • Rebecca Morrison - Treasurer, Finance

  • Nilda Cantu - Property

  • Gricelda Careaga

  • Maryann Denner

  • Marco de la Garza - Marketing

  • Steven Foy - Faculty Advisor

  • Karina Garza

  • Angela Leal - Student

  • Carla Lopez - Student

  • Nancy Murray

  • Zach Ramsey - Student

  • Sarah Solis


Our Partners

 
 

Edinburg First United Methodist Church

3707 West University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78541 4.59 km, 2.86 mi

Website

El Mesias United Methodist Church

209 E. 6th St., Mission TX 78572 15.00 km, 9.32 mi

Website

First United Methodist CHurch of McAllen

4200 North McColl Road, McAllen TX 78504 3.72 km, 2.31 mi.

Website

 

La Trinidad United Methodist Church

105 E Warren Street. Pharr TX 78577 6.73 km, 4.18 mi

Website

San Pablo United Methodist Church

1002 E. Birch Ave, Alamo TX 78516 11.35 km, 7.06 mi

Website

Nueva Vida Iglesias Unida Metodista

304 W Dicker Dr., Pharr TX 78577 16.05 km, 9.97 mi

Website

First United Methodist Church of Mercedes

200 16th Street, Mercedes TX 78570 31.46 km, 19.55 mi

Website

La Feria First United Methodist Church

331 N Main Street, La Feria TX 78559 38.53 km, 23.95 mi

Website

First United Methodist Church of Port Isabel

101 W Adams St, Port Isabel, TX 78578 131 km, 81.4 mi

Website

El Buen Pastor United Methodist Church

705 E University Dr, Edinburg TX 78541 4.84 km, 3.01 mi

Website

St Mark United Methodist Church

301 West Pecan Boulevard. McAllen TX 78501 6.57 km. 4.08 mi

Website

 

First United Methodist Church of Brownsville

1225 Boca Chica Blvd, Brownsville TX 78520 78.31 km, 48.67 mi

Website

First United Methodist Church of Weslaco

520 S Illinois Ave, Weslaco TX 78596 23.49 km, 14.60 mi

Website

Los Wesleyanos United Methodist Church

204 West 14th St. San Juan TX 78589 10.32 km. 6.42 mi

Website

Dios es Amor United Methodist Church

304 W Cypress, La Feria TX 78559 38.08 km, 23.67 mi

Website

First United Methodist Church of San Benito

400 North Sam Houston Boulevard, San Benito, TX 78586 35.89 mi

Website

Templo Emanuel United Methodist Church

4601 Palacio Real, Brownsville TX 78521 85.40 km, 53.08 mi

Website