The Rev. Delores Berry answered her call to ministry at the age of 19. She is
a former Christian Methodist Episcopal Minister (CME). She began her ministry at
the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1975, and
transferred her credentials from the CME church in 1976. Rev. Berry was ordained
in the UFMCC in 1983. One of her first official positions with UFMCC was as a
member of the Fellowship's Evangelistic Team.
In 1978, Rev. Berry was one of the co-founders of the National Coalition of
Black Lesbians and Gays. She assisted in organizing the first Gay and Lesbian
March on Washington in D.C. and assisted in organizing the first People of Color
Gay and Lesbian White House Conference.
Rev. Berry has served as
District Coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic District and assistant pastor of MCC
Baltimore, Maryland. Berry simultaneously pastored Good Samaritan MCC (Norfolk)
and MCC Peninsula (Newport News). During this time, she facilitated the merger
of these churches to become New Life MCC, Norfolk, Virginia, and continued as
pastor of New Life after the merger. Rev. Berry's last pastorate was with MCC
Portland, Oregon.
Over the years, Rev. Berry has served the Fellowship as a member of the
following committees: The Faith, Fellowship and Order Commission, the Inclusive
Language Task Force, the Elders' Task Force on World Church Extension, The
Commission on Missiology (Chair) and five years of service on the Executive
Committee of the Department of People of Color. Rev. Berry currently serves on
the Elders' Task Force on Evangelism, and on the Board of Ordained Ministries of
the Mid-Atlantic District.
Rev. Berry has been working as a full-time Evangelist in UFMCC since 1987,
and, in May 1988, the Mid-Atlantic District designated the Delores P. Berry
Evangelistic Ministries as a Special Work of the District. She visits an average
of 55 churches each year and began traveling to UFMCC's in Europe in 1992.
In 1992 Rev. Berry was awarded the UFMCC Purple Grass Award for Excellence in
Evangelism.
Rev. Berry is a member of MCC Baltimore in her hometown of Baltimore,
Maryland.
(This biographical statement taken from www.revdeloresberry.com.)