Our Leadership
Rev. Ken Gurley
South Texas District Superintendent
Ken Gurley has served on the South Texas District board since the district’s inception, first as Secretary and later Superintendent. He has served in district-level positions since 1983 and has pastored the First Church of Pearland since 1988. He and his wife Tessie reside in the Clear Lake City area and have six children — one son, two daughters, a daughter-in-law and two sons-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren. He is the author of numerous books including Worth The Wait, Notable Women of Scripture, and the Preaching for a New Millennium series.
Rev. Danny Johnson
South Texas District Secretary-Treasurer
Danny Johnson graduated from Texas Bible College in 1977, with a Bachelors of Theology, where he later served as a faculty member for over 12 years. He now serves as the Pastor of Lighthouse Church in West Columbia, TX and as District Secretary-Treasurer for the South Texas District, United Pentecostal Church International. He and his wife live in Columbia Lakes and they have two wonderful daughters, one son-in-law, and two grandsons.
District Officers
View all District Officers and their contact information below.
District Board
Ken Gurley
District Superintendent | Email
Danny Johnson
District Secretary-Treasurer | Email
David Bernard
Honorary Presbyter
John Burnett
Spanish Ministry Director | Email
David Caruthers
Presbyter, San Antonio Metro | Email
David Fauss
Presbyter, Houston Metro North | Email
Arless Glass
Honorary Presbyter
Mark Hughes
Presbyter, Houston Metro South | Email
Alvin Kight
Presbyter, Central Coastal Bend | Email
Scott Lewis
Presbyter, Houston Metro West | Email
Ron Macey
Presbyter, Houston Metro East | Email
J.C. Milligan
Presbyter, Rio Grande Valley | Email
Tracy Richardson
Presbyter Ex-Officio, Eagle Ford Shale | Email
Nathan Scoggins
Presbyter, Hill Country | Email
Craig Stallard
Presbyter, Greater Coastal Bend | Email
Charles Stephens
Presbyter, Austin Metro | Email
Department Directors
Committee Chairs
Sectional Officers
View all Sectional Officers and their contact information below.
Central Coastal Bend (CCB)
Greater Coastal Bend (GCB)
Rio Grande Valley (RGV)
Houston Metro North (HMN)
Houston Metro East (HME)
Houston Metro South (HMS)
Houston Metro West (HMW)
Austin Metro (AMS)
San Antonio Metro (SMT)
Hill Country (HCS)
Eagle Ford Shale (EFT)
Our History
The South Texas District is part of the United Pentecostal Church International. In September 2002 the General Board of the UPCI approved the formation of the district. The district is divided into 8 sections. We began our first year of operations with 160 churches and daughter works and 330 ministers. We currently have a total of 357 churches and daughter works and 534 ministers spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Vision
Vision 7 is a collaborative effort of South Texas pastors, churches, and leadership to achieve seven “God-Initiatives” within the local church; and, by extension, the District through the year 2021.
1,000 People in Ministry Training
Reach for 1,000 people in ministry training in the Local Churches. This can include training in Children’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Worship Ministry, Ladies Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Ushers/Hostess training, etc. As more local people are trained, the reach of the local church is increased.
Infuse English and Spanish Speaking Ministries
Further infuse and unite our English and Spanish ministries. The South Texas District is unique in that we have a concentration of Spanish-speaking people in our district and a large number of Spanish-speaking ministers and churches. The district has a robust Spanish Ministry that supports all areas of the local church. We cannot let different languages limit our effectiveness, so we will look for ways to infuse and unite these areas.
We presently are in excess of 500 credentialed ministers in the district. This means that we will strive to prepare an additional 200 ministers for the work of the Gospel. The chief means is always the local pastor laying his hands on people who could be used in the harvest and mentoring them. Methods such as CTM, Purpose Institute, and Ministry Central will be important in this area.
Target Areas to Strengthen Apostolic Presence
The addition of the new sections gives immediate focus to areas that need to be strengthened. The Eagle Ford Shale section will be of concern to all of our churches and ministers. Plus, 24 of the 75 counties in our district still do not have a work of any sort. Each of us can target one or more areas to lend our efforts.
Grow to 500 Works
We presently have 357 works (churches, daughter works, and preaching points). This “God-Initiative” only becomes attainable as we target areas that need strengthening and seek for more laborers in the harvest.
Form New Regions and Functioning Sections
Continued effort has been made to regionalize our district. Plans are in place to effectively and efficiently bring meetings closer to our constituents.
Reach Out to Other Apostolic Groups
There are people all around us in this district who are searching for greater fellowship and united efforts. There are denominational pastors who need a friend. Iron must come in contact with iron to be sharpened. Who is within our reach or influence?