Cynthia Fierro Harvey serves as bishop of the Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, having been assigned there in November of 2022. The Texas Annual Conference is composed of 304 congregations and represents a region encompassing Galveston, Houston, College Station, Beaumont Texarkana, Longview, Tyler and towns in between.
Under Bishop Harvey’s leadership, the Texas Annual Conference follows a mission to equip congregations to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world to the glory of God and holds a vision of vibrant, growing congregations changing lives and reshaping futures for Jesus Christ. The Conference is driven by the core values of radical hospitality, passionate worship, faith-forming relationships, risk-taking mission, extravagant generosity, connectional ministry, fervent prayer and diligent study of scripture.
Bishop Harvey challenges faith communities to look beyond themselves and to keep an eye focused on the edge where God is at work. She also has a passion for young people as they lead the church into a future filled with possibilities.
She previously served as bishop of the Louisiana Annual Conference for 10 years beginning in 2012. She served on the Board of Trustees for Centenary College, the Louisiana United Methodist Foundation, and the Louisiana Interchurch Conference as part of her episcopal assignment to Louisiana. She currently serves on The Perkins School of Theology Executive Board. She previously served as the President of the Council of Bishops 2020-2022, President-designate 2018-2020 and as the Secretary of the Council of Bishops 2014-2018.
After graduating from the University of Texas in Austin in 1980, Bishop Harvey spent 12 years in the corporate world as a regional director of marketing for The Rouse Company, a shopping center developer with properties throughout the United States. She focused on properties in Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Harvey went on to serve as associate pastor of The Foundry United Methodist Church in Houston from 1992-1996 and as executive pastor for Memorial Drive UMC in Houston from 1996-2008. She then moved to the position of Director of Missional Excellence for the Texas Annual Conference, serving from February of 2008-May 1, 2010. Just prior to her election as a United Methodist bishop in 2012, Harvey served as Deputy General Secretary for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, where she earned a Master of Divinity and The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism.
Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey was born on May 5, 1959, in Big Spring, Texas. She and her husband, Dean Alan Harvey, were married in 1981. Dean is a financial advisor and owns his own firm. Their daughter Elizabeth Grace Harvey is a design specialist and makes her home in Dallas. Dean and Cynthia love good food. They love to cook but can also give you recommendations for the best restaurants from Houston to Baton Rouge, and wherever their travels have taken them. Dean is an excellent chef while Cynthia is at his side as his sous chef (aka clean-up duty!)