Rev. Amy E. DeLong is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and served in local parish ministry for eight years. She currently serves as executive director of Kairos CoMotion, a non-profit organization she co-founded in 2000 that is dedicated to progressive theological education and advocacy. Amy has an M.A. in theology from United Theological Seminary in the Twin Cities and an M.Div. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Read Amy’s powerful speech to the 2012 MIND lunch here.
Amy is an eloquent speaker and writer who witnesses passionately for the full inclusion of LGBT people in the life of the church. In 2011, she underwent a church trial that resulted from her inclusive ministry. Although Amy was forthcoming about her partnered relationship, the prosecution could not prove its case against her on the charge of being “a self-avowed practicing homosexual.” On the charge of having celebrated a holy union of a same-sex couple, the trial court accepted Amy’s declaration that she had indeed done so and called upon Amy to undertake a 20-day period of discernment and then, in collaboration with other leaders from the Wisconsin Annual Conference, to initiate a written document aimed at helping resolve issues that harm the clergy covenant, create an adversarial spirit or lead to future clergy trials. The creative, challenging and compassionate restorative justice opportunity given by the trial court has helped make it possible to address issues of conscience in ways which are not punitive and legalistic.
Amy is the co-author and co-editor of “The Loyal Opposition: Struggling with the Church on Homosexuality,” and has served in leadership on numerous boards, committees and elected delegations. She is a recipient of the Wisconsin Methodist Federation for Social Action’s Perry Saito Award.