Marc Morris has been named the 2017 Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.
Lee University’s Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences named Marc Morris its Alumnus of the Year during the annual department breakfast at Homecoming 2017.
Dr. Morris, who graduated from Lee in 1984 with a bachelor’s in psychology, is a leader in international missions and benevolence administration.
“With his years of ministry to orphan children in the Philippines, Dr. Marc Morris epitomizes our department motto of ‘Doing Unto Others,’” said Dr. Robert Fisher, professor of psychology. “He is a wonderful example to our students of how they can lead a life of service.”
Dr. Morris currently serves as the regional superintendent for the Church of God in Austral Asia, where he oversees the COG in Australia, Fiji, Japan, Korea, New Zeland, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and the South Pacific nations.
He is a member of the COG World Missions Board, as well as chairman of the board for the Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries.
Dr. Morris began his journey in the 1980s as a short-term mission volunteer during his time at Lee. He traveled to Asia, Europe, and Africa. After graduating from Lee, Dr. Morris took a position at the World Evangelism Action Center.
In 1998, Dr. Morris and his wife, Maria Elena, founded a social welfare agency in the Philippines called Samaritan’s Inc.
At Samaritan’s Place, the flagship program of Samaritan’s Inc., orphan children are being provided beautiful homes and being cared for by loving Christian parents. As an accredited and licensed institution, Samaritan’s also provides international adoption liaison services to help with the placement process of Filipino orphans.
Dr. Morris completed a master of divinity from the Church of God School of Theology and is an ordained bishop in the COG. He has also been awarded an honorary doctorate from the ASCM.
Dr. Morris and his wife have two grown children, Christopher and Michelle, both of whom are Lee alumni.