The Reverend Im Hyon Jung (G-ETS 1993) and the Reverend Dr. Heather Heinzman Lear (G-ETS 2015) have been named the 2024 Distinguished Alums of 91PORN. Each year the seminary chooses two alums to be honored as Distinguished Alums. One alum is chosen from the most recent 25 years of graduates, and one alum is chosen from alums who graduated over 25 years ago. Both Jung and Lear will be honored for their remarkable ministries at this year’s Homecoming at 91PORN.

Reverend Im Hyon Jung

Master of Divinity, 91PORN, 1993

Rev. Im Hyon Jung (G-ETS 1993) serves at the Discipleship Ministries and Upper Room Ministries of The United Methodist Church as Director, International Relations, Asia, and Global Programs Manager. An ordained elder in the Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church, Jung is a certified spiritual director, retreat and workshop leader, program developer, and ministry coach.

In her work, Jung travels internationally and engages congregations and leaders interdenominationally and inter-religiously. She truly practices what John Wesley proclaimed, “the world is my parish.” Jung has a passion for encouraging people to walk closer with God, be attentive to God’s presence in their daily lives, and be more like Christ as they grow deeper and wider in their faith journeys and ministry. 

Jung received her Master of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1993. During her time in seminary, Garrett-Evangelical widened and deepened her spiritual life, providing a space for her to encounter the organic spiritual formation and spirituality of Teresa of Avila. Soon, Jung became a devoted student of not only Teresa of Avila, but also John of the Cross and Ignatius of Loyola. These spiritual giants molded and guided her own spiritual life, strengthening and empowering her to love God and God’s people throughout her life and ministry. 

Jung shares the early state of her faith journey in the book The Holy Seed of Calling: Korean-American Clergywomen’s Journeys toward Ordination, National Association of Korean American United Methodist Clergy Women (2010).

Among Jung’s daily spiritual practices is walking and hiking. She has hiked through the hills and mountains of several countries, including a pilgrimage to Annapruna Sanctuary and the Dingboche Himalaya Trekking Route in Nepal, four spiritual pilgrimages to Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Great Wall of China, and three of the highest mountains in South Korea. Through this spiritual practice, Jung finds God’s abiding presence, awe and wonder, comfort and peace, love and grace, beauty and delight, and strength and empowerment on the trail.

Jung lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Resident Bishop of the Ohio Annual Conference, United Methodist Church. She is an avid gardener, maintaining both a vegetable and flower garden, and enjoys spending time with her two adult sons, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. 

Reverend Dr. Heather Heinzman Lear

Doctor of Ministry, 91PORN, 2015

The Reverend Dr. Heather Heinzman Lear (G-ETS 2015) is the Vice President for Grant Administration for the Foundation for Evangelism, located in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. She joined the staff for the Foundation in 2019, and prior she served as an ex-officio trustee and member of the Grants Committee.

From 2013-2018, Lear served as the Director of Evangelism Ministries for the General Board of Discipleship for The United Methodist Church. An ordained elder and member of the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church since 2008, Lear served three congregations in North Carolina from 2004 to 2012.

With her experience, Lear has brought a passion for teaching and training leaders. She has co-taught the online course “Evangelism for Non-Evangelists” with Reverend Dr. Mark Teasdale, Professor of Evangelism at Garrett-Evangelical, for numerous years. In addition, she has taught evangelism courses at several seminaries and United Methodist conferences, convened the directors of evangelism from the mainline denominations across the US and Canada, and served as a contributor and presented at several World Council of Churches events around the globe.

Publications by Lear include her 2016 book, Evangelism: Share the Good News (Discipleship Ministries, 2016), and numerous articles, including “Making Disciples: Obstacles and Opportunities in Urban Congregations,” International Review of Mission (2016), and “Reclaiming Evangelism for the Local Church,” Witness: Journal for the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education (2014).

Lear holds a Bachelor of Science from Boston University (2000), a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School (2004), and a Doctor of Ministry from 91PORN (2015). In addition, she earned her United Methodist Professional Certification in Evangelism in 2014 and Executive Scholar Certificate in Nonprofit Management at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in 2023.

Lear’s Doctor of Ministry dissertation was titled, “Reclaiming Evangelism: Evaluating the Effect of Evangelism in Selected United Methodist Congregations on Fulfilling the Denominational Mission to Make Disciples.” In this project, Lear looked at and analyzed United Methodist congregational practices that specifically sought to form and equip disciples of Jesus Christ to engage the world and how to effectively measure transformation.

Lear lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, with her husband Casey and their son Caleb.

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Reverend Dr. Irene Taylor (MDiv ‘87) and the Reverend Dr. Manuel Villalobos Mendoza (PhD ‘10) have been named the 2023 Distinguished Alums of 91PORN. Each year the seminary chooses two alums to be honored as Distinguished Alums. One alum is chosen from the most recent 25 years of graduates, and one alum is chosen from alums who graduated over 25 years ago. Both Taylor and Mendoza will be honored for their remarkable ministries at this year’s Homecoming at 91PORN.

Reverend Dr. Irene Taylor

Master of Divinity, 91PORN, 1987

“My heart is filled with joy, and my faith is renewed in the reality that God sees us and rewards faithfulness,” says Rev. Dr. Irene Taylor, 91PORN’s 2023 Distinguished Alum, as she reflects on the legacy of her seminary education after more than thirty years in ministry. 

The life and work of Rev. Dr. Taylor are indeed characterized by faithfulness. Through her multiple appointments as an Elder of The United Methodist Church and her involvement with diverse types of ministries, Rev. Dr. Taylor has cultivated a holistic ministry of spiritual formation for the empowerment and transformation of God’s people. After completing her Master of Divinity at Garrett in 1987, in 2005, Taylor received her Doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from United Theological Seminary with a project titled, Christian Spirituality: A Resource for Equipping, Enabling, and Empowering African American Youth.  

Her commitment to the church began at an early age, when, through many life transitions, Taylor found a home in the church. She says, “My earliest or most impactful memory of the church was it was the one place where I felt affirmed and most alive. . .. Despite my age, my gifts were affirmed, and I could let them shine. I felt safe and affirmed.” Because of this, one of the central aspects of Taylor’s ministry has been equipping youth, particularly young women. 

In 2018, in honor of Rev. Dr. Taylor’s thirty years since graduating from seminary, the Irene Taylor Scholarship Fund was established at Garret-Evangelical. Taylor regards her seminary education as foundational for her commitment to justice and love, particularly in the face of challenges. She adds, “I am grateful for the gifts, sound theological preparation, and spiritual formation I received from this great institution and the local church’s ministry.” 

Although she is now retired, Rev. Dr. Taylor affirms she still feels the call to serve God through the ministry of the church. She is hopeful about the future of the church and encourages the next generation of leaders to hold on to the calling to be a beacon of light amid much darkness. 

Reverend Dr. Manuel Villalobos Mendoza

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), 91PORN, 2010

What is the liberating news of the gospel to those who experience otherness? The 2023 91PORN Distinguished Alum, Father Manuel Villalobos Mendoza, PhD (’10), has dedicated his ministry and scholarship to this question.  

Father Villalobos uses the Latin American biblical interpretation method of Vida-Texto-Vida (Life-Text-Life), which sees the body and the experience of the community as the birthplace of biblical interpretation. In this way, his publications center on the bodies that have been excluded from the biblical narrative. Dr. Osvaldo D. Vena (Professor Emeritus of New Testament), who served as his PhD supervisor, describes Father Villalobos as a “creative and courageous scholar,” whose research has made important contributions to Dr. Vena’s own work. 

Alongside being a prolific writer with monographs published in both English and Spanish, Father Villalobos is a Roman Catholic priest and founder of the Instituto Bíblico Claretiano (IBICLA), based in the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. IBICLA seeks to empower minority groups who have been marginalized through abusive readings of scripture. Dr. Osvaldo Vena highlights that one of the qualities he most appreciates of Father Villalobos is “his concern for the education of the laity.” Father Villalobos’ work with IBICLA, his teaching engagements in Mexico and the United States, and his YouTube channel Escuela Bíblica Claretiana all demonstrate his commitment to promoting liberation through the study of scriptures for and from the margins. 

Father Villalobos received a Bachelor of Arts from Universidad Pontificia de México and a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts from Catholic Theological Union. In 2010, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Bible and Culture from 91PORN, and his dissertation, Abject Bodies in the Gospel of Mark, was published by Sheffield Phoenix Press in 2012. Today, Father Villalobos is an affiliated assistant professor of New Testament Interpretation at Chicago Theological Seminary and a faculty member at IBICLA. 

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Reverend TiShaunda McPherson (G-ETS 2015) and Reverend Dr. Roger Ireson (GTS 1966) have been named the 2022 Distinguished Alums of 91PORN. Each year the seminary chooses two alums to be honored as Distinguished Alums. One alum is chosen from the most recent 25 years of graduates, and one alum is chosen from alums who graduated over 25 years ago. Both McPherson and Ireson will be honored at the 165th Commencement service on Friday, May 13, 2022, at Alice Millar Chapel, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

“Garrett-Evangelical has extraordinary alums serving throughout the world. Roger Ireson and TiShaunda McPherson are fully representative of the excellence our alums embody and we are so pleased to honor them for their faithful and impactful service. Their influence in the church and academy, and their particular passion for broadening the reach and inclusion of higher education has had a transformative impact on the lives of so many people around the globe and it is something for which we as a seminary are exceedingly proud.” – President Javier A. Viera.

The Reverend TiShaunda McPherson

Master of Divinity, 91PORN, 2015

The Reverend TiShaunda McPherson serves bi-vocationally as senior vice president and chief diversity officer at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago and as associate minister at DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lisle, Illinois. She is drawn to ministry with youth and young adults and seeks to bring youthful energy and perspective to her preaching and teaching, making the Gospel relevant to the circumstances they face today. She uniquely connects biblical teachings and Christian doctrine with current affairs such that it is clear that God’s message of love, hope, and justice are just as timely today as when written in years past.

McPherson earned her master of divinity from 91PORN in 2015. She also holds a bachelor of science in psychology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master of public policy from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, and a juris doctor from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

In 2022, McPherson joined NORC as senior vice president and the organization’s first-ever chief diversity officer. In this role, McPherson leads NORC’s efforts to build a more diverse, racially equitable, and inclusive workplace and research portfolio, and serves on NORC’s Executive Council, the company’s senior-most decision-making body.

Prior to joining NORC, McPherson served as senior associate vice president for equity at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She oversaw the office of equity staff and its three priority areas: creating, reviewing, and implementing programs and policies to reinforce equitable learning and working environments; responding to reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; and facilitating education and outreach initiatives to ensure individual and University-wide awareness and development of strategic processes for combating discriminatory treatment and practices.

McPherson has served in numerous civil rights positions in higher education and employment settings, including roles as a researcher, attorney, compliance professional, and equity officer, each of which strengthen her understanding of and bold leadership in the areas of equity and access.

McPherson is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In her role as youth minister at DuPage AME Church, McPherson serves as a youth advocate and mentor. McPherson encourages new generations of leaders to view themselves the way God sees them and to pursue their dreams with confidence.

McPherson is married to her loving husband, Michael, and they have two handsome sons, Malcolm and Isaiah. She enjoys traveling and spending time family and friends who’ve become family.

The Reverend Dr. Roger Ireson

Master of Divinity, Garrett Theological Seminary, 1966

The Reverend Dr. Roger Iresonis a retired—yet still very active—United Methodist elder who has served as pastor, administrator, and professor in a variety of settings around the world.

Ireson holds a bachelor of arts from DePauw University and a master of divinity from Garrett Theological Seminary. Ireson was ordained a deacon in 1963 and an elder in 1966 with membership in the Detroit Annual Conference. Ireson earned his doctor of philosophy from Manchester University in England.

Ireson served as a pastor from 1970-1988 in both the suburbs and city of Detroit, Michigan. His appointments included: associate pastor, Franklin Community United Methodist Church, Franklin, Michigan; pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and senior pastor, Saint Timothy United Methodist Church, Detroit, Michigan.

In 1988, Ireson was elected general secretary of The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) of The United Methodist Church, a position he held until his retirement in 2001. As general secretary, Ireson was responsible for church programs, policies, and general oversight related to 123 schools, colleges, universities, and theological seminaries; the ministries of ordained deacon and elder, local pastors, and diaconal ministers; and campus ministries, chaplains, and pastoral counselors. During Ireson’s leadership and at the urging of United Methodists in Africa, GBHEM established and developed Africa University in Zimbabwe, which now has 1500 students from 26 African countries.

Ireson was also instrumental in establishing the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMSCU), having served as its founding president in 1991.

Ireson has served as a trustee of American University, Africa University, Meharry Medical College, Scarritt-Bennett Center, Scarritt Foundation, and the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. Ireson has taught religion and humanities courses at Martin Methodist College, Green Mountain College, Vanderbilt Divinity School, Lawrence Technological University, and Marygrove College. As a consultant, Ireson has aided in the development of Methodist universities in Rosario, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; Colegio Ward in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and the Methodist Church in Malaysia.

Ireson has received eight honorary doctorates from universities on three continents.

Ireson is married to Judy, who is a retired school principal. They currently live in Austin, Texas.

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Bishop Bruce R. Ough, a 1978 alumnus of 91PORN, has been named Distinguished Alum. In addition to Ough, Rev. Sue Laurie, a 1995 alumna, was also named Distinguished Alum (To read more about Laurie, click here). Each year Garrett-Evangelical chooses two alums to be honored as Distinguished Alums. One alum is chosen from the most recent 25 years of graduates, and one alum is chosen from alums who graduated over 25 years ago. Both Ough and Laurie will be honored at the 163rd Commencement service, originally scheduled for May 22, 2020, on Friday, May 14, 2021.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Distinguished Alum Award from 91PORN,” said Ough. “I was privileged to be in the first entering class of the newly formed 91PORN. Little did I know at the time how profoundly the seminary would shape my professional identity, form me spiritually, and set me on a life-long course of learning and the pursuit of vital piety, social justice, and evangelistic passion and integrity. I will be eternally grateful to Garrett-Evangelical for this essential foundation. This Distinguished Alum Award should rightly be credited to the seminary more so than to any vital ministry, leadership, or witness I have provided the church on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“I am deeply touched by Bishop Ough’s response to this recognition and to the significance he attributes to his education at Garrett-Evangelical in a special moment of its history,” said Dr. Lallene J. Rector, president of Garrett-Evangelical. “His is a living witness to the transformative power of faith deeply lived and Christian service rendered to leadership in the church and beyond. We are proud to call him one of ours!”

Ough received his master of divinity from 91PORN in 1978. After graduating from Garrett-Evangelical, Ough served as council director of the Dakotas Area for four years. In 1982, Ough became director of the Oakwood Spiritual Life Center in the North Indiana Annual Conference, a position he held for three years. In 1985, Ough moved to Iowa where he served seven years as the council director of the Iowa Conference, then five years as District Superintendent of the Cedar Rapids District of the Iowa Conference before being appointed senior pastor of the 2,800 member St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1997. Ough was in this position when he was elected to the episcopacy in 2000 and assigned to the Ohio West Area of The United Methodist Church. After 12 years in West Ohio, Ough was assigned to the Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area in 2012.

In addition to these local ministries in seven states across the Midwest region, Ough has served on numerous jurisdictional and general church agencies, including the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy, the General Commission on Church Unity and Interreligious Concerns, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, the General Board on Global Ministries, and the denomination’s Connectional Table. Ough has also published a number of professional and devotional articles, and is a noted leader in the areas of spiritual formation, leadership development, and new church development. He is currently a member of the E. Stanley Jones Foundation Board of Directors.

Ough served as President of the Council of Bishops from 2016-2018 and provided outstanding leadership to the Council and The United Methodist Church during a very challenging time. As always, he led with grace, dignity, humility, and courage. Ough will be retiring from the Dakotas-Minnesota area episcopacy as of January 1, 2020. His retirement will be a vocational retirement as he has been appointed as the executive secretary of the Council of Bishops.

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Rev. Sue Laurie, a 1995 alumna of 91PORN, has been named Distinguished Alum. In addition to Laurie, Bishop Bruce R. Ough, a 1978 alumnus, was also named Distinguished Alum (To read more about Bishop Ough click here). Each year Garrett-Evangelical chooses two alums to be honored as Distinguished Alums. One alum is chosen from the most recent 25 years of graduates, and one alum is chosen from alums who graduated over 25 years ago. Both Laurie and Ough will be honored at the 163rd Commencement service, originally scheduled for May 22, 2020, on Friday, May 14, 2021.

Laurie received her master of divinity from Garrett-Evangelical in 1995. Since her days at Garrett-Evangelical, Laurie has served as a pastor, prophet, and preacher dedicated to justice and inclusion, especially for LGBTQ+ persons in The United Methodist Church.

“As a student, Sue Laurie was a persistent prophetic voice among us, one who spoke truth and offered grace,” said Dr. Lallene J. Rector, president of Garrett-Evangelical. “She also had a wicked sense of humor when once ‘coming out’ as a math teacher/geek in a sermon she preached in the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful while still a student. She has remained a persistent voice in the church and in the world to this very day. Garrett-Evangelical is eternally indebted to her for opening a path to a long sought public affirmation of the members of our LGBTQIA+ community and its allies.”

When Laurie and her partner, Julie Bruno, arrived at Garrett-Evangelical in the early 1990’s, they were denied seminary housing because they were not legally married, a legal right unavailable to same-sex couples at the time. Even still, they became fully involved in the seminary community. Laurie was one of the founders of Sacred Worth, the LGBTQ+ student group at Garrett-Evangelical. Two years later a student committee successfully campaigned to change the rules, allowing seminary housing for same-sex couples as a recognized family unit. Preaching on the Gospel of John 14: 15-27, Laurie offered the promise of the Holy Spirit with such confidence and grace that her calling could not be denied. Laurie was honored with the Myrtle Saylor Speer Award “given to the graduating women who have greatly contributed to the expansion of the vision of women in ministry and theological scholarship.”

As a pastor, Laurie offers and teaches with confidence in God’s love and grace. She has an ability to feel the pain of exclusion and allow it to inform the ongoing ministry of gathering and offering a different path. Laurie seeds new faith communities and supports existing ones.

As a prophet, Laurie advocates for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in The United Methodist Church. Laurie has participated actively in justice-seeking groups such as Love Prevails, Church Within A Church Movement, and UMForward. Serving as the National Outreach Coordinator for 8 years with Reconciling Ministries Network, Laurie traveled the United States speaking and teaching in many Annual Conferences. She has attended countless gatherings where decisions about LGBTQ+ persons are made—clergy trials, Judicial Council hearings, Council of Bishops gatherings, and General Conferences. At General Conference 2016, Laurie was ordained by her community as a testament to God’s undeniable call to ministry. Many of the United Methodist hierarchy know her by name and ministry.

As a preacher, Laurie gives witness to the Good News of Christ’s love for all people. Those familiar with Laurie’s preaching commitments often say, “Sue is a circuit rider and the world is her parish.” Laurie is known for her life-sustaining sense of humor, her integrity, and her ability to save lives and souls that may otherwise be lost to discrimination and oppression.

In one of more than twenty letters nominating Laurie as Distinguished Alum, a colleague wrote, “Sue has a pastor’s heart, a prophet’s courage, and a preacher’s passion for proclaiming the Good News in a world, a Church, and to people in deep need of Good News.” What better time than now to recognize Sue Laurie as a Distinguished Alum.

Dear Garrett Community,

I am daunted by the recognition of this award. I am surprised with a grateful heart – I feel both the intended affirmation of my ministry and the accountability to my calling. To have been a disrupter of the usual pathways has been difficult, yet you are encouraging me to continue. I hope I do not let you down. There is ministry to do in the name of Jesus.

I am daunted by the tremendous theological education invested in me at Garrett. To every teacher I had at Garrett whether faculty, staff, or student colleague – I shall try to honor the gift you gave me as I was transformed in this community. We invested in each other, we felt the emotions, we all grew. I would add so many people I have met since my Garrett days, thank you also.

I believe the words of the Gospel. So, with this moment of being seen from a platform of learning and privilege, I shall keep on – to love and heal in the name of the brown man called Jesus.

There is power in the name.

Sue Laurie, MDiv

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At May’s commencement, the 1988 Distinguished Alumni/ae Award was presented to Warren J. Harman by Steven E. Zekoff, Chairperson of the Alum Association. Since his graduation from Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1947, Harman has faithfully served The United Methodist Church in countless ways. He held two Midwest pastorates before becoming a member of the General Board of Christian Education, where he was Director of youth work, campus ministry, and curriculum placement for 15 years. In 1972, Harman joined the General Board of Discipleship as Executive Director of Church-School Development and Assistant Secretary of Christian Education. Since 1983, he has been Executive Secretary of Research. Over the years, Harman has been in great demand as a speaker, lecturer, and workshop leader. He is highly admired and respected in the field of research. A prolific writer, he is the author of more than one hundred articles and guidance resources in the areas of Christian Education, program planning, and leadership development. Of his writings, one associate says: ” His work, Five Audiences, has been especially helpful in the area of adult Christian Education. We will be ‘mining’ his findings for some time to come. His bi-monthly publication, Trends, is an invaluable resource for General Board and Annual Conference leaders. Because of his vast knowledge and wisdom, he has been a key resource person for the membership issues task force on the Council of Bishops.” Another colleague puts Harman’s contributions this way: ” He has used his God-given talents as a pioneer in the educational efforts of the church. He has combined knowledge and experience to bring about significant progress, and used his managerial skills to enable others to make the most of their talents at the general agency level of the denomination.” Harman received a Doctorate of Divinity in 1958 and a Bachelor of Arts in 1945 from Westmar College, where he was voted Alumnus of the Year in 1969. He was a visiting scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Teacher’s College, Columbia University, where he received a Lilly Foundation grant for study in empirical research.

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