Perkins names The Rev. Adam Hamilton as 2010 Distinguished Alum

The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, has been named recipient of the 2010 Perkins Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Alumni/ae Council of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University.

The singular award recognizes annually one graduate of Perkins who has demonstrated effectiveness and integrity in service to the church, continuing support and involvement in the goals of Perkins School of Theology and SMU, distinguished service in the wider community, and exemplary character.

Rev. Hamilton’s service to the church, spanning more than two decades, has taken myriad forms and found many fruitful expressions. An ordained elder in the Kansas East Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, Rev. Hamilton studied at Oral Roberts University before attending Perkins, where he received his Master of Divinity degree in 1988.

He was appointed in 1990 to a start-up mission in Leawood, Kansas, a southern suburb of Kansas City. He has overseen the growth of that congregation, the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, into one of the largest in United Methodism, with a membership of more than 12,000 and average weekly worship attendance of more than 7,500.

Besides his role as pastor and preacher, he has written extensively on the subjects of church leadership, evangelism, family relationships, and spiritual growth and renewal.

Rev. Hamilton is the recipient of the B'nai B'rith Award in Social Ethics, the Denman Award in Evangelism, and the Circuit Rider Award for excellence in church leadership. He was named Distinguished Evangelist of The United Methodist Church by the Foundation for Evangelism, as well as one of the "Ten People to Watch in America's Spiritual Landscape" by Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. He has received two honorary doctorates and numerous other recognitions. 

Rev. Hamilton currently serves as a trustee at Saint Paul School of Theology and as a member of the Kansas East Board of Professional Ministry. He lectures on leadership, evangelism, and preaching across the country.

The Perkins Distinguished Alumnus Award will be presented to Rev. Hamilton during Ministers Week at Perkins, to be held February 2-4, 2010. The presentation will be made at the Distinguished Alumnus Dinner on Tuesday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center on the SMU campus. Reservations for the dinner are $49 per person and can be secured at www.smu.edu/perkins/publicprograms.

For additional information about the Perkins Distinguished Alumnus/a Award, Perkins School of Theology, or Ministers Week, please contact Roberta Cox, director of Public Affairs, Perkins School of Theology, SMU, at rcox@smu.edu.

Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Church Ministries, and Doctor of Ministry, as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

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