Category: Alumni Spotlights

SMU celebrated five outstanding graduates at the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards on October 30 in Armstrong Fieldhouse. Hosted by SMU President R. Gerald Turner and the SMU Alumni Board, the annual ceremony honors alumni whose lives exemplify extraordinary achievement, leadership, and service to their communities.

Among those recognized was Rev. Paul L. Rasmussen (M.Div. ’04), a proud Perkins School of Theology alumnus and senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church.

A fourth-generation United Methodist pastor, Rasmussen has devoted his ministry to transforming lives through faith, service, and community building. Since becoming HPUMC’s 11th senior pastor in 2013, he has led one of the nation’s largest United Methodist congregations while overseeing the launch of several new church campuses—including Munger Place Church, The Grove Church, and Uptown Church.

Rasmussen also championed the creation of the Tolleson Family Activity Center, a 65,000-square-foot addition to HPUMC’s main campus that houses the Belong Disability Ministry and Family Ministry. His leadership continues to reflect the Perkins commitment to theological depth, compassionate service, and faithful innovation.

Perkins celebrates Rev. Rasmussen’s recognition as a shining example of how theological education and faith in action can transform communities for the greater good.

Read the full story on the SMU website: SMU Distinguished Alumni Awards 2025

As the Rev. Seth Michael Botts admits, “a gay, ex-con meth addict” doesn’t fit the typical profile of a United Methodist pastor. But his unlikely personal journey is ultimately what led him to serve.

Botts, sober since April 28, 2018, is a 2025 graduate of Perkins’ Houston-Galveston hybrid M.Div. program. He splits his time between a post at Holy Covenant United Methodist Church in Chicago and launching Free Recovery Community – Chicago, a new ministry and worshipping community for addicts, loved ones of addicts, and what he calls “spiritual refugees.”

Free’s first “pop up” worship took place on August 16 at Broadway United Methodist Church in Chicago. Regular worship will begin September 20.  The format is different from a typical service – no music, but storytelling, celebrations, raw prayers and conversations about God and recovery without shame.

In this conversation with Perkins Perspective, Botts shares his journey from prison to his unconventional pulpit, the vision behind Free, and why he believes his story is exactly the kind of story the Church needs.

Perspective: You didn’t grow up in the United Methodist Church. Tell us about your faith story.

Botts: I grew up in an Assemblies of God church. The God I knew then was very rules-based, and one of those rules was that I couldn’t be gay and be a Christian. But the real sticking point for me was what I call “the little boy in Nepal.” I could never wrap my head around a God who would let a little boy, born in another culture, grow up loving his family and community – and then condemn him to hell just because he didn’t say the right prayer to the “right” God. Also, my parents divorced when I was in middle school.  Our church had no place for divorced families. My mom had led children’s church and done so much for the church, but they turned her out quickly and easily. That was hard to watch.

I accidentally became a United Methodist later, when a visited a church with a friend who wanted to impress a guy by “bumping into” him at church. That church had a Black woman pastor, and one of the most famous trans nightclub performers in town was a member. It completely upended my understanding of what church could be. At the time, I didn’t know Methodist theology – I just knew it felt different.

 

Perspective: How did you connect with the 12-step and recovery movement?

Botts: I actually stumbled into recovery. I’d just gotten out of prison – I had served time for trafficking meth – and I was using again. My cousin had just gotten out of rehab, and her mom wouldn’t let us hang out, so I went to a 12-step meeting just to say hi.

I used again that night, but a few days later, I came back – and that’s when I got sober. Recovery reintroduced me to God. At first, I couldn’t even say the word “God” because of all the baggage I carried. But 12-step programs emphasize having an open mind. They helped me unpack my religious hang-ups, and eventually, I found my way back to church.

Perspective: You’ve been sober for more than seven years, but still call yourself an addict. Why?

Botts: Because the second I forget who I am, I’m closer to using again. I can’t drink like other people. I can’t have a cocktail and just wake up the next day for work. Being an addict is part of who I am – it keeps me honest.

Perspective: What led you to the United Methodist Church?

Botts: After that first surprising visit years earlier, I came back to church just before the pandemic. Even in jail, I’d try to go to Bible studies, but it was hard to read the Sermon on the Mount and then hear someone say, “You’re a sinner, repent.”

During the pandemic, I tuned into online services from a pastor I’d known in Dallas. When restrictions eased, I craved that community again. I found a local United Methodist church in St. Louis with contemporary worship, and about that same time, I began wrestling with my call to ministry.

I thought everyone would think I was crazy: a gay, ex-con, recovering drug addict who wanted to become a pastor. But I realized – if there wasn’t space for me in the Church, there wasn’t space for others like me. And the kingdom of God has space for everyone.

Perspective: Tell us about the Free Recovery, a New Faith Community in the northern Illinois Conference. Who does it aim to serve, and what will the programming look like?

Botts: Free is a faith community that translates the gospel for addicts, their loved ones and spiritual refugees – people who’ve been hurt or excluded by church. We meet inside an existing UMC, but we don’t use “churchy” language. There’s no sanctuary – it’s the Main Room. No music – instead, we tell stories.

Our gatherings begin with prayers of celebration. People share things like, “I just got my kids back,” “I have four days sober,” “I got visitation rights.” Then there’s a message that weaves scripture and recovery literature in a practical, relatable way.

After that, we have a contemplative song over the speakers, then a guest storyteller sharing their recovery journey in an interview format. Finally, we close with prayers of concern. These are raw, vulnerable moments. I’ve been there when someone came the day after their child’s suicide, or when someone shared about a relapse. The community rallies around them. It’s heavy, but it’s real.

Perspective: You describe Free as “12-step adjacent.” What’s the difference?

Botts: In Free, we “don’t do shame.” That’s one of our mantras. In 12-step, anonymity is important – it creates space to heal privately. But in Free, we can own our addiction publicly as a testimony to God’s work. We even had a photographer documenting our first gathering. Addiction is part of our story, not something we hide.

Perspective: How did Perkins help lead you here?

Botts: I was connected to a The Gathering, the largest United Methodist Church in Missouri, at the time I came to Perkins. I was thinking I’d just get my credentials to launch another site for that church. In my first semester, I met Amber Jamison, who worked at Mercy Street in Houston – a church for people on the margins. Amber told me about Free Recovery in Denver. That connection changed everything. Without Perkins, I wouldn’t have discovered this model of ministry.

Perspective: You’ve recommended Perkins to a number of potential students. Why?

Botts: Perkins was good to me – and to everyone I know. I got a full-ride scholarship, so I didn’t have to take out loans. The professors genuinely care. They’re academically rigorous, but they see you as a person. I’m still in daily contact with classmates I met there. And I especially appreciate that Perkins is grounded in scripture first. Our progressive stance grows from our respect for the Bible, not the other way around.

Perspective: Given the political environment, this isn’t an easy time for LGBTQ+ people. How do you avoid despair?

Botts: There are days when I ask, “Why are we building anything in this climate?” But both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures are manifestos against oppressive empires. They show us transformation is possible – for individuals and for whole communities.

Look at Moses, Paul, Rahab, Esther – all faced impossible odds, and God worked through them. At Free, we expect transformation.

We can create alternative narratives for people denied God’s grace. We can be the place where someone who’s been shamed, abused or rejected can finally heal. That keeps me hopeful.

Perspective: Any last words for those discerning a call?

Botts: Seminary is part of the discernment process – your call will probably evolve. I never thought I’d be in Chicago starting a church for people who can’t pay for it. But here I am.

Lily White

When she first felt God’s call to ministry as a teenager, Lily White imagined herself as a music minister. She loved music, and as a young woman in a Southern Baptist congregation, that seemed like one of the only options.

“I felt that was the only place I could be a minister,” she said. “There would be more acceptance for a woman in music rather than behind the pulpit.”

White pursued a degree in church music at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. But during college, her life took an unexpected turn. She met a fellow student who would later become her wife.

“That rocked my world in so many ways,” White recalled. “I found love, and I was afraid I was going to have to choose her over God.”

In the Baptist circles she knew, women faced barriers to ministry. As a lesbian, she thought, there was no place for her as a minister. After graduation, she set aside her ministry dreams and eventually built a career in the hospitality industry.

Years later, White found a church home in Austin. She began to deconstruct her faith, eventually discovering what she calls “a loving relationship with God.” That long-buried call to ministry was rekindled.

“It took me a little while to realize that it was God calling me, and not just my imagination,” she said. “So I said, ‘Okay, God, wherever you want me to go, I’ll go — but you’re going to have to handle this.’”

Within just a week, a friend asked if she’d ever heard of Perkins School of Theology. That led to White to the Rev. Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles, then director of Perkins’ Baptist House of Studies. The introduction became a turning point.

White needed to stay in Austin to work and support herself, so Perkins’ hybrid Houston-Galveston program proved a perfect fit. She enrolled in 2021, becoming a Baugh Scholar — a scholarship for Baptist students that covered her tuition for all four years.

White thrived as a seminary student. Even living in another city, she immersed herself in campus life, becoming a student ambassador for the Baptist House of Studies Board of Visitors, joining the ecumenical Latine student group L@s Seminaristas, and serving in the Perkins Student Association. Sometimes that took some doing.

“I tried to advocate for other students who weren’t in Dallas,” she said. “If there was worship onsite, I’d ask if there could be a remote option so everyone could stay connected.”

Her engagement and leadership earned her four awards during her time at Perkins, including the Dr. & Mrs. Glenn Flinn Senior Award (selected by Perkins faculty for the student who best exemplifies the aims and aspirations of the school and the church for its ministry;) the Karis Stahl Fadely Scholarship Award (for the student who exhibits a commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission of her church, ability in a wide range of ministerial functions, a high sense of responsibility and good management of time;) the  W.B.J. Martin Award in Homiletics (presented to the outstanding student in preaching class;) and the Bishop John Wesley Hardt Award (the Perkins Student Association’s award to a student well-rounded in community life, worship, and student government, their local church, and in their community.)

In May 2025, White graduated from Perkins with a Master of Divinity. Two months later, she was ordained at University Baptist Church (UBC) in Austin — her home congregation. UBC is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the Alliance of Baptists, all moderate to progressive groups that affirm women and LGBTQ+ people in ministry. White now serves as UBC’s director of hospitality. She manages communications within the church and with the wider community, coordinates events, oversees the office and connects with students and faculty who use the church’s facilities.

Her years in the hospitality industry — including 14 years with an event planning company — inform her approach to ministry.

“If you walk into a five-star hotel or restaurant, people immediately make you feel welcome,” she said. “I want to bring that spirit into the church — genuine hospitality, not just putting out a rainbow flag. It’s about making changes to spaces and traditions so people, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, know they truly belong.”

Looking ahead, White hopes to help other churches live into their commitments to be open and affirming. She hopes that one day she’ll be able to bring some of the insights from hospitality into churches.

“There are churches that say, ‘All are welcome,’ but then expect people to change once they’re there,” she said. “I want to walk alongside congregations as they create spaces where all people can experience God’s love — just as they are.”

White and her wife recently celebrated 30 years together. Reflecting on her journey — from a young woman who felt her path to ministry was closed, to an ordained pastor in a welcoming church — she sees God’s hand throughout.

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized there are churches that will affirm someone’s call to ministry, no matter who they are,” she said. “Ministry can look like so many different things, because God calls us all to serve.”

Kay Ash

When Pastor Virginia “Kay” Ash (M.T.S. ’15) arrived at Kessler Park United Methodist Church (KPUMC) in 2018, she knew Sunday mornings alone wouldn’t work for the children in the church’s Oak Cliff neighborhood.

“Most of the kids I serve are unchurched,” she said. “Parents here want their kids to have a faith formation experience, but expecting them to rush in to be here on a Sunday morning was not going to be their thing.”

To offer an alternative, Ash launched Wednesday Night Live with just five children. The program offered dinner, free play, Bible stories, prayers and blessings. After a two-year pandemic pause, it roared back and has been “growing exponentially ever since,” Ash said.

That innovative, community-rooted approach recently earned her the 2025 Denman Evangelism Award from the Horizon Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. The award honors clergy and laity who excel in sharing the gospel in ways that invite others into a relationship with Christ.

A Midweek Break

On Wednesday evenings, KPUMC’s wooded campus, known as Roberts Forest, becomes a sanctuary for children ages preschool through high school – a break from the usual pressures at school.

“I can see it when they get out of the car,” Ash said. “They run into the forest to meet their friends, their shoulders drop by inches, and they finally relax. By midweek, they’re worn out. Here, they don’t have to be number one all the time. They just play, love each other, and pray together.”

What began as an outreach to neighborhood kids has become, for many families, an essential midweek ritual. “They get mad at me now if we don’t pray or bless each other,” she said. “It’s come full circle—these unchurched kids expect it, want it, need it, and relax into it. It’s so healthy.”

Ash’s approach reflects a shift in children’s ministry leadership in North Texas over the past decade, guided by former Bishop Mike McKee, with input from children’s ministry expert Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley. The focus moved away from counting Sunday attendance to measuring faith engagement—looking to help children develop “faith language” and to share spontaneous stories of God’s presence in their lives.

“The first thing we tried was reminding kids of the truth of who they are: a blessing and a gift from God,” Ash said. “We tell them that over and over again until they believe it—because nobody else tells them that.”

Ash has also led Kessler Quest Summer Camps, a series of themed day camps hosted on the KPUMC campus. Two camps this past summer focused on service, giving children hands-on volunteer, and another focused on animals, including a visit to a lion and tiger rescue in Wylie.

One service camp included a powerful history lesson: a visit to the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House, followed by the Freedman’s Cemetery in Dallas. There, the children learned that more than 10,000 people were buried on the site—without headstones.

“That realization—that Black people and white people have not always been treated the same—was really eye-opening for them,” Ash said. “They couldn’t imagine that kind of thing would happen, and yet they were standing there on top of those graves.”

Ash sees her ministry at KPUMC as more than programming. It’s about creating spaces where children can breathe, belong, and discover God’s love—sometimes without realizing it’s happening.

“I don’t manipulate or craft those moments,” she said. “I just pay attention. When they come to me with their stories of faith, that’s when their hearts are changed. That’s when they’re really moved.”

Rooted in Perkins

A nationally recognized trainer in the A Time for Children ministry method, Ash had been serving in children’s ministry for decades before enrolling at Perkins. She came seeking a deeper biblical foundation.

“I needed a stronger understanding of the Bible so I could tell those stories with integrity,” she said. “My favorite classes were with Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles, who taught me to find what’s in the in-between spaces of the text—the juiciness of those stories—so even kids who don’t care about the Bible might find a connection.”

Her time at Perkins was transformative. “It was a dream I never thought would come true,” Ash said. “It changed my life. I love what I get to do every day, and I hope I get to do it forever and ever.”

The Denman Award is a recognition of that quiet, persistent work — week after week, camp after camp, blessing after blessing—planting seeds that, in God’s time, will grow.

When Ronnie Chace Wilson (M.S.M. ’17) first began singing in his church choir as a child, he was immediately impacted by his choir director’s influence and powerful worship through music. Today, as Assistant Professor of Music (Voice) and Director of Choral Activities at Huston-Tillotson University, he embodies the spirit of Perkins School of Theology as he serves a greater purpose in fostering connections through divine art worship.  

A Calling Born in Worship 

Wilson’s love for music began in the church, where he witnessed how deeply worship through song could move people. 

“I recognized that my interest in music ministry extended beyond mere personal enjoyment; it represented a calling,” Wilson recalls.  

He saw music as a way to serve, connect, and uplift. That sense of purpose ultimately led him to Perkins, where faith and music would intertwine in life-changing ways. 

Finding Formation at Perkins 

Encouraged by a mentor who was a Perkins alum, Wilson joined the Master of Sacred Music program with a concentration in choral conducting. While attending, he answered his calling by integrating his musical education with spiritual growth.  

“The program shaped my understanding of music and vocation by improving my musical skills, engaging with different theological perspectives, and reflecting on how my gifts could serve ministry and community,” he said. 

He was most surprised by the enthusiasm for theological learning among both students and faculty, prompting him to explore theological ideas and perspectives he hadn’t considered. 

“The scholarly environment was inspiring, and the extensive knowledge shared in every class, discussion, and interaction motivated me to expand my understanding of ministry, church life, and leadership,” Wilson reflects.  

Mentorship that Transformed a Calling 

Coming from the coastline of Virginia and Baptist tradition, Wilson describes his “bapticostal” background as a blend of Baptist and Pentecostal traditions. At Perkins, he found himself challenged to explore new dimensions of worship and faith. Two professors, Dr. C. Michael Hawn and Dr. Christopher Anderson, became defining influences in Wilson’s development. 

“Their insights and teachings enhanced my knowledge and appreciation of the various traditions within Christian worship,” he said. “Their mentorship challenged me to grow both spiritually and musically, and that continues to shape my approach to ministry and performance.” 

That spirit of mentorship became the bridge between Wilson’s experience at Perkins and his own classroom today. 

A New Chapter at Huston-Tillotson University 

In August 2025, Wilson joined Huston-Tillotson University, a proud HBCU with deep ties to the United Methodist Church. For him, it was a natural continuation of his calling. 

“As an HBCU alum, I felt called to be here,” Wilson says. “The sense of community, faith, and artistry reminds me of what I found at Perkins.” 

Continuing his first semester at the university, he is already leading his students through ambitious projects. The Huston-Tillotson Concert Choir (HT Concert Choir) will embark on a multicity recruitment and performance tour, leading up to the Annual HT Christmas Concert. Several members of the HT Concert Choir also performed at Austin City Limits as part of the Huston-Tillotson Jazz Collective.