Laurie and Ough Receive Distinguished Alum Awards

LAURIE AND OUGH RECEIVE DISTINGUISHED ALUM AWARD

Each year, the seminary presents distinguished alum awards at commencement to two alums who have rendered extraordinary service. The 2020 recipients were recognized at the 163rd Commencement service, held virtually on May 14, 2021. They are Rev. Sue Laurie and Bishop Bruce Ough.

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

“To be recognized as a distinguished alum for tasks not finished, wow, my heart,” said Laurie upon receiving the award.

As a pastor, Laurie seeds new faith communities and supports existing ones. Laurie 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.

As a prophet, Laurie advocates for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in and beyond 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 eight years with Reconciling Ministries Network, Laurie has traveled the United States speaking and teaching in many Annual Conferences. She has attended countless gatherings where decisions about LGBTQ+ persons were made. At General Conference 2016, Laurie was ordained by her community as a testament to God’s undeniable call to 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. Bishop Bruce Ough received his master of divinity from GarrettEvangelical in 1978. Ough was ordained deacon in 1975 and elder in 1979 in the former North Dakota Conference. Ough has served as council director and camp program director in the Dakotas, as Director of Oakwood Spiritual Life Center in Indiana, and as senior pastor, district superintendent and director of the Council of Ministries in the Iowa Conference.

“I am honored and humbled by receiving GarrettEvangelical’s distinguished alum award,” said Ough.

Ough served as resident bishop of the West Ohio Area of The United Methodist Church for 12 years. He then served as resident bishop of the DakotasMinnesota Area from 2012 until his retirement in 2020.

Ough is the current executive secretary of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, a position he has held since September 1, 2020. The executive secretary is charged with the dayto-day running of the Council of Bishops’ office in Washington, D.C. He is also a member of the Council of Bishop’s Executive Committee.

Ough has served the broader United Methodist connection in many ways. He was elected as a delegate to numerous General and North Central Jurisdiction Conferences and has served as a member of several jurisdictional and general church agencies. He was appointed bishop of the Southeast Asia Mission (Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand) from 2010–2015, served as the president of the North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops, and chaired the Council of Bishops’ Plan Team on Missional Focus. He chaired the United Methodist Connectional Table for the 2012–2016 quadrennium and served as president of the Council of Bishops from 2016–2018.