Global church event planned

FORT WORTH - With the Tarrant County Convention Center touting its renovation and expansion plans to the religious community, the United Methodist Church has scheduled its 2008 worldwide conference in downtown Fort Worth.

After reviewing sites in San Antonio and Houston, a 16-member committee voted unanimously to send delegates to Fort Worth for an 11-day conference expected to attract at least 3,000 people, church officials said. The conference is set for April 22-May 8.

With 8.4 million members, the United Methodist Church is the nation's second-largest Protestant denomination. The last time the church held its global General Conference in the Lone Star State was in 1968 in Dallas. Pittsburgh has been chosen for the 2004 conference.