2021 Hal Brook Perry Award
The Rev. Isaias Ginson, ’10
Episcopal priest, third order Franciscan, missioner, servant leader. Yours has been a spirit-led journey, which has taken you from your native Philippines to Texas, and from Texas to the islands of Micronesia, to New York and back to Texas, based on building relationships and trusting that the Holy Spirit is already at work wherever you go.
After earning your bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in the Philippines, you served as professor there for ten years before immigrating with your wife, Christie, to the United States. You studied at the Seminary of the Southwest, where you earned a Master of Divinity in 2010.
While in seminary, you modeled a holy grounded-ness to your fellow seminarians, inviting us to learn Tai Chi, or spend time with you in contemplative prayer. You lived out your beliefs, sometimes in thought-pro voking ways. When you preached barefooted in chapel, it sparked thoughtful conversations concerning the needs of those who might not have the resources to buy shoes, and what it means to stand on holy ground. Your deep respect and compassion for those who live on the margins of our societies em bodies loving God with your whole being, as you love your neighbors wholeheartedly.
Your missioner’s heart has been evident throughout your ministry. Whether in the islands of Micronesia or in the city or suburbs of New York, you have based your ministry on a Holy Spirit- led paradigm, trusting that the spirit is already at work in the community. You seek mutuality in ministry, and find ways to build relationships of trust, understanding and respect. Your desire to more deeply connect with indigenous people in the islands led to your receiving tribal tattoos.
Your faithful willingness to go where you are led by the Holy Spirit has brought you back to Texas, where you have been called to plant a new congregation to serve the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the Gulf Coast region. Your innate curiosity, and your love and respect for people of varying cultures have equipped you for this call. Your belief that ministry is less about the Church attracting people by offering great programs or having just the right leader, and more about building relationships and providing places of welcome and spiritual nourishment will hold you in good stead. Your trust that God is drawing you into a holy dance with those to whom you are called to serve exemplifies your missioner’s heart.
Having faithfully followed Jesus across the world, you inspire your friends and colleagues by your courage, and your deep respect for those with whom you share Christ’s love. Your humble spirit and confidence in God’s work in the world model an ability to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit, preaching the Gospel through your life, “using words when necessary” as St. Francis is purported as saying.
In gratitude for your diligent service and commitment to the communities you serve, Seminary of the Southwest and the Southwest Alumni Association are honored to present to you the 2021 Hal Brook Perry Distinguished Alumni Award.
The Very Rev. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge
Dean and President
The Rev. Mary Ann M. Huston, class of 2010
The Rev. Josephine Robertson, class of 2011
Southwest Alumni Committee Co-chairs
