Rev. Seth LaBounty. Photos by jlynnstudios.

Seth LaBounty, a recently ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, said he took the more traditional route into ministry, starting with college then seminary. He began his journey attending Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, where he started to learn more about The United Methodist Church through different pastors and peers and decided this was the denomination for him. The rich culture and history pulled LaBounty into the United Methodist denomination.

LaBounty felt a calling to ministry when he was a sophomore in high school. He was on his very first mission trip, to Mexico. There was an open mic night in the neighborhood he was in, and he wanted nothing to do with that.

“I was in my usual place, which was as far away from the microphone as I could get,” LaBounty recalled.  This night was the night he felt his calling to do something more. “I was in the back watching the stars and listening to the stories, and I felt a pressure in my chest.” This was a calling from God for LaBounty to go up to the microphone to say something and the longer he put it off, the deeper the pressure got, so he finally went up and spoke. “I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I do remember apologizing to everyone.” He felt that he had been living like a Pharisee, having the knowledge about the Bible and knowledge about God, but not demonstrating the love of Christ. “That night I felt that I was called to do more.” It was then that LaBounty took his first steps toward becoming a pastor.

The change in faith LaBounty felt in his journey into ministry was in more ways than one. When he felt his calling to ministry as a sophomore in high school, that was the point that his faith journey was changed as well.

“When I felt that calling as a sophomore in high school, that was a really big shift in my own understanding of who I am and as a Christian.” When he began college at Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU), he started learning more about the United Methodist denomination.  LaBounty did not grow up in The United Methodist Church. While attending DWU he did however fall in love with the idea of Methodism and threw himself into the theology and studies of being a Methodist.

The 2021 class of ordinands enjoyed a light moment with Bishop Haller as she ordains them into the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church during the Celebration of Life in Ministry on June 11, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Pictured are, left to right, Revs. Valerie Hummel LaBounty, Seth LaBounty, and Autumn Krueger.

He later attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky and found himself on the more conservative side of being a Methodist. He found an appreciation for the richness of the traditions of United Methodism. Later, going to Chicago and experiencing a completely different side of the culture, it was very eye opening for LaBounty to see just how diverse humanity is and how diverse theology is. This has helped LaBounty approach his ministry with a more moderate mindset.

“It’s not as black-and-white as I once might’ve thought it was. We are better off having those additional bodies and voices at the table to see the vastness of who God is in our lives.”

As a result of experiencing both sides, LaBounty continues to say that he recognizes a need to be somewhere in the middle. “There is value in the structure of the more traditional side, there’s something about the holiness of the mindset we can’t lose sight of. On the other hand, we cannot be so focused on the rules that we become our own Pharisees.” This is LaBounty’s approach to staying in the middle. He appreciates John Wesley’s approach of having that balance.

There are always people in our lives to influence and inspire us to do the things we dream of. The people in Seth LaBounty’s life are no different. His mentor and influence of going into the United Methodist church was Rev. Brandon Vetter, now the lead pastor at Legacy UMC in Bismarck, North Dakota. He was the campus pastor at the time LaBounty was at DWU. He helped LaBounty find his passion in ministry and helped him with a lot of firsts. He also credits his wife, Rev. Valerie Hummel LaBounty, with being a support in his ministry. He says that being a clergy couple can have its moments. Sometimes it is hard not to bring work home. It can be strange, awkward, and frustrating, but at the same time, he can tap her on the shoulder for more insight into ministry and get different ideas and learn different ways of seeing.

Seth LaBounty, far right, is pictured at ordination with, left to right, Rev. Autumn Krueger, Bishop Laurie Haller, and Rev. Valerie Hummel LaBounty.

One piece of wisdom that LaBounty shares with us is to not assume you know it all. We are always in a cycle of learning. There is always something to learn, whether you are in confirmation learning about the bible, or 90 years old and sitting in the pew. There is always something to learn about God’s grace. LaBounty continues to say that if you think that you know it all, that is when you start to lose it.

Pastor Seth's hopes and prayers for the future go in many different directions. One of his hopes is that our church will make it through the tail end of the pandemic and get back to some practices we had before the pandemic started. However, he would like to see us incorporate and keep some of the things we learned during the pandemic.

He even has hopes for the United Methodist denomination during this painful time. With all the uncertainty and tendency to make quick decisions before there are any to be made, he hopes the church will still be in a unified position, at the very least in wishing each other well. Even if there is a split, there is a hope that we can come away from it still able to do ministry together. On a personal note, he is praying for a healthy baby as he and Valerie are expecting their first child in November. There is a lot to hope for in the future, when it comes down to it. People who are called to Christ like Seth LaBounty share one thing– their hope and love of Christ to flourish throughout the world.