Perkins announces 2026 Perkins Awards recipients

DALLAS (SMU) – Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University (SMU) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Perkins Awards. 

This year’s awards include the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Woodrow B. Seals Laity Award and, for the first time, the Emerging Leader Award.

Recipients will be honored at the Perkins Awards Banquet on March 30 at 6:30 p.m. in Prothro Great Hall on the SMU campus. The annual event brings together alumni, church leaders and friends of Perkins to celebrate faithful leadership in ministry and service. Friends, faculty and family of Perkins are invited to attend. 

“It is deeply rewarding to witness the ways Perkins alumni and lay leaders continue to embody faithful leadership and service in their communities,” said Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean Bryan P. Stone. “The Perkins Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates and the extraordinary contributions of laypeople whose lives and work reflect the mission of Perkins School of Theology.”

2026 Perkins Awards recipients include:

•  The Rev. Elizabeth A. Lopez, M.Th. ’75, D.Min. ’76 — Distinguished Alumni Award
• Beth Bentley, M.A.M. ’25 — Woodrow B. Seals Laity Award
• Cathy Hall — Woodrow B. Seals Laity Award
• The Rev. Michael Gienger, M.Div. ’17 — Emerging Leader Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award
Lopez, who earned a Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry from Perkins School of Theology, spent more than four decades in ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church. She was the first Hispanic woman, and the second woman ever, to earn a doctoral degree from Perkins. Lopez served congregations in New Mexico, Texas, and Minnesota and later became district superintendent for the MetroWest/Twin Cities District in the Minnesota Annual Conference, the first Hispanic woman to serve on the conference cabinet. Her leadership has included service on several denominational boards and the founding of the Association of United Methodist Hispanic Clergywomen.

“The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes Perkins graduates whose trailblazing accomplishments in ministry inspire and challenge future generations of alumni in their calls to faithful service,” said Tracy Anne Allred, assistant dean of Students, Alum and Community Engagement.

The Woodrow B. Seals Laity Award
Bentley, a lifelong member of St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in McKinney, Texas, serves as laity leader and director of Christian education and formation. She also serves the denomination as the Eighth Episcopal District Coordinator of US Mission Engagement and works professionally as a care coordinator for Allen Independent School District.

Hall serves as office and hospitality manager for the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas and has supported the Arkansas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in multiple roles. She also served on the Perkins Summit for Faith and Learning Lay Advisory Board and is an active member of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“The Perkins Seals Laity Award continues to lift up and recognize the breadth and beauty of all of God's gifts to the church through a committed and empowered laity,” said Bart Patton, assistant dean of External Programs and Church Relations.

The Emerging Leader Award
An ordained elder in the Texas Annual Conference, Gienger serves as co-pastor of Central United Methodist Church in Galveston, Texas. He is also the co-founder of Galveston Housing Plus, a nonprofit that provides supportive housing for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

“Perkins is offering the Emerging Leader Award to honor a recent graduate whose innovative leadership in ministry demonstrates creativity, vision, and compassionate service with God’s people,” said Allred. “Through this recognition, Perkins celebrates an alum who is expanding the scope of ministry and embodying the Church’s engagement in new and transformative ways.”

Register today
The deadline to register for the 2026 Perkins Awards Banquet is March 25 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Register online.

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 Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.