About
The Bishop Bruce Ough Innovation Center
honors the legacy of Bishop Bruce Ough, whose leadership in The United Methodist Church championed creative renewal and transformative ministry.
As an outward-focused initiative of United Theological Seminary, the Innovation Center complements United’s outstanding academic degrees and certificate programs by equipping churches of all sizes, settings, and backgrounds with practical, creative tools to unleash God’s Church as a dynamic, Spirit-led movement.
At the heart of the Innovation Center’s mission is helping congregations launch and sustain a Breakthrough Prayer Initiative across all ages—an intentional practice of inviting God’s breakthroughs, guidance, and new possibilities into the life of a church. When this type of prayer becomes foundational, everything changes. To support this movement, the Innovation Center offers live, online Breakthrough Prayer trainings at least quarterly (or more).
Clergy and church leaders can also integrate this prayer-saturated work into their academic journey by pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at United. Through the “Open the Floodgates” DMin focus group, participants develop projects that deepen their church’s engagement with breakthrough prayer. Learn more here.
Beyond prayer initiatives, the Innovation Center creates webinars, events, trainings, and online learning opportunities throughout the year—going beyond trends to explore what creative church leaders are actually doing to spark transformation.
Rev. Dr. Sue Nilson Kibbey, Director
After seminary and clergy ordination, Sue’s local church ministry appointments have included a variety of roles: associate pastor, director of ministries, executive pastor and senior pastor.
Sue is also the creator and director of the Missional Church Consultation Initiative (MCCI), involving more than 300 churches of all sizes and settings across the country in creative revitalization for a fresh season of impact. Sue now leads the Innovation Center’s prayer-fueled “Floodgates Collective,” which offers customized master course training and practical implementation guidance for congregations longing to shift from plateau or decline into vibrant, prayer-saturated, Spirit-guided discernment of steps forward.
Sue is a nationally-recognized trainer, consultant and author, all with intent to fuel the spiritual and missional renewal of pastors, leaders and congregations. Sue’s greatest passion is igniting church-wide congregational momentum with what she terms a “Breakthrough Prayer Initiative,” for which she’s provided training and equipping for thousands of church pastors, church planters, leaders and members. Sue is an adjunct faculty instructor at United, teaching the master of divinity “Leadership for Ministry” course each year. She is a co-mentor for United’s “Open the Floodgates” doctoral focus group, having completed her own doctor of ministry degree at United in December 2024.
Sue has authored eight books. Her most recent feature the impact and outplay of a congregational breakthrough prayer strategy, and includes:
Dynamite Prayer: A 28-Day Experiment (coauthored with Rosario Picardo), Invite Resources, 2022
Open Road: The Adventure of a Breakthrough Prayer Initiative, MarketSquare Books, 2021
Ultimate Reliance: Breakthrough Prayer Practices for Leaders, Abingdon Press, 2019
Floodgates: Holy Momentum for a Fearless Church, Abingdon Press, 2016