Amy Stapleton

The Rev. Amy Stapleton grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina and received her BA from Columbia College. During her summers she worked at Lake Junaluska Assembly and on Johns Island frequently attending prayer meetings with the people of the sea islands of South Carolina. Stapleton, an ordained elder in the Rocky Mountain conference, received a Master of Divinity degree from the Iliff School of Theology in 1999.

Having served as a hospital chaplain, campus minister and on staff of urban churches in Denver Colorado, Amy is passionate about God, people, and justice. A former board member of the Wesley Foundation at Howard University and a nonviolence facilitator with the Creating A Culture of Peace program, for Amy working with General Commission on Religion and Race is an act of faith.

“As a southern woman, race and racism within my family, the church and larger society has been a part of my journey since childhood. God has called me to identify and address it in different ways throughout my life. As a white woman and person of faith it’s not enough to think of myself in solidarity with racial ethnic folks. Racism doesn’t just negatively affect people of color. An injustice of this magnitude is also a threat to white people’s humanity. My faith leads me to understand how my privilege contributes to the oppression of others. My work is to hold myself and others accountable; to actively dismantle the systems of oppression that rob people of their full humanity as children of God. “

A significant part of Amy’s work with GCORR is furthering GCORR’s mission and vision including planning, evaluating, administrating and implementing programs and projects in accordance with the Commission’s strategic plan and four focus areas of the church. In addition, Amy coordinates initiatives of the General Secretary’s office.  

“I see GCORR’s work as not just ending racism and white privilege but also addressing the systemic and cultural barriers of racial/ethnic oppression that exist within the church and society. The church is called to be a catalyst for change. As people of faith we are to model the liberative, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic body of Christ both in leadership and practice. In order to do so, the work of justice must be systemic and relational and not shallow or apologetic. New paradigms are needed that go deeper and stretch broader than a ‘look how far we’ve come’ tokenistic attitude. This is what GCORR is about. This is what I hope we can achieve.”