Honoring faithful leadership at the Perkins Awards Banquet 2026
From grateful alumni to dedicated laypersons to proud family and church members, the 2026 Perkins Awards Banquet brought together the different communities under one roof to celebrate this year’s award winners.
This year’s awards banquet was held in Prothro Great Hall on March 30, where recipients for the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Woodrow B. Seals Laity Award, and the Emerging Leader Award were recognized for their innovative and faithful service.
Distinguished Alumni Award recipient
The Rev. Elizabeth (Liz) Ann Lopez (M.Th.’75, D.Min. ’76)
Bishop Cynthia Harvey, of the Texas Conference and the Rio Texas Conference Episcopal Areas, executive board member, and SMU Board of Trustees member, describes Liz as a generous mentor and steadfast supporter whose belief in others has strengthened ministries far beyond her own.
“Trailblazers change the landscape for everyone who follows,” said Harvey. “The Rev. Liz Lopez has done just that through courage, wisdom and faithful leadership. She is a true pioneer in The United Methodist Church, having been the ‘first’ in so many places and opening doors for others along the way.”
She also served congregations in New Mexico, Texas, and Minnesota, including as lead pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester, Minnesota, and as a District Superintendent in the Minnesota Annual Conference.
“From one Latina to another, our bond was formed quickly and will last a lifetime,” said Harvey. “Liz is a beautiful example of a faithful servant whose call is to share the love of Christ at all times and in all places.” “The story of Methodist women’s ordination is not primarily a story about charismatic individuals finally being heard,” she said. “It is a story about infrastructure.”
Emerging Leader Award recipient
The Rev. Michael Gienger (M.Div. ’17)
Gienger, an ordained elder in the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and co-pastor of Central United Methodist Church in Galveston, Texas, is an alum from Perkins who is now also the founder of Galveston Housing Plus, a nonprofit providing supportive housing for people exiting homelessness.
Some ministries speak loudly while others speak through the quiet, persistent work of love the. Rev. Michael Gienger’s ministry does both,” said Harvey. “His call to serve those too often overlooked — neighbors experiencing homelessness, people pushed to the margins, those longing for dignity and home — reflects the very heart of the gospel. Under his leadership, The United Methodist Church and the Texas Annual Conference are embodying the same good news they proclaim.”
Wesley Allen, the Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics, described Gienger as an incredibly bright and curious leader.
“But two things above all make him an especially good leader: (1) He doesn’t simply think outside the box—he refuses to acknowledge that the box exists and forges ahead when anyone else would utter the word, ‘Impossible.’ (2) He empowers people, all people, to bring their gifts into the church and to shape what it means to be church."
Woodrow B. Seals Laity Award recipients
Mrs. Beth Bentley (M.A.M. ’25)
Bentley has served Allen ISD as a Care Coordinator for over a decade and previously worked for twelve years as a director of a local housing authority. A lifelong member of St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church in McKinney, Texas, she serves as a leader that continues to grow while uniting communities across different backgrounds.
“While Beth is a confirmed local Exhorter, I have led the charge of naming her our ‘Reluctant Preacher,’” said William T. Spearman, Pastor at St. James CME Church. “Even before serving as her SMU Internship sponsor, we've been able to witness and hear a depth of servant leadership, a love of God's word and people that provides a very practical preached Word when she shares with the congregation.”
Among her long list of contributions are coordinating outside birthday parties or food collections for the elderly during the pandemic, regularly participating and advocating for underrepresented communities and attending and coordinating several youth-focused events. She is also the co-founder of Legacy Keepers of Old East McKinney, an entity that documents, honors and promotes the historic legacies of Old East McKinney, predominantly Black and Mexican neighborhoods.
“She is a strategic thinker and exposes herself to learning through various conferences and classes that can grow her individually, for her church and community,” said Jesse McGowen Jr., McKinney steward and treasurer at St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. “She takes the Lord into the community spaces through justice initiatives, areas of food insecurity, and mental health, community and economic development, and more.”
Ms. Cathy Hall
Hall serves as office and hospitality manager for the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas, establishing the foundation partner organizations and institutions. She previously served the Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, where she helped lead learning communities and spiritual enrichment opportunities.
She is a former member of the Perkins Summit for Faith and Learning Lay Advisory Board and an active member of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock.
Amy M. Forbus, former Perkins Lay Advisory Board member and current Communication Manager for the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas, shared Hall’s level of care in the workplace.
“Her spiritual gift of hospitality shines through every project she takes on, and many of her projects involve dozens or scores of people and almost as many congregations,” said Forbus. “I suspect she also has the spiritual gift of apostleship, because I regularly see her walk alongside those who need guidance or uplifting in one way or another, regardless of what church they are part of.”
Hall’s work has made it possible for hundreds to engage in modern spiritual enrichment, including initiating a grant from the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas to promote the program and encourage participation in the Perkins Summit for Faith and Learning.
“Cathy is at the center of the group—encouraging, making arrangements, building community and following up to make sure that what is learned is also put into practice,” said the Rev. Deidre J. Roberts.