Welcome to the Church of the Wild Places. I’m Elena. Or Rev. Elena. Or The Rev. Elena T. Delhagen.
I was born in Canada, lived in West Africa for half a decade, and now reside in New York. I’m a pastor, poet, preacher, and prophet who is terraforming my way to a better world. I believe that Black Lives Matter, no human is illegal and, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, "none of us is free until we all are free."
My work has taken me all around the world, from church pulpits to urban farms to border walls in Israel-Palestine to hospital rooms in a Level 1 Trauma Center. My theology is rooted in the Imago Dei, somatic embodiment, a creation-to-eschaton framework (first introduced to me by my seminary advisor, J. Richard Middleton), and a belief that the life and teachings of Jesus Christ were — and are — deeply political.
I am happiest when I’m writing, near water or mountains, traveling somewhere new, or spending time with my family (which includes my husband, two children, a chocolate lab named Ruby and a fluffy cat named Luna). My favorite color is yellow, my favorite season is autumn, and I’m a firm believer that pineapple does, in fact, belong on pizza.
I’m a graduate of Alvernia University in Reading, PA, and Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, NY, and I’m a Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) My first book, a memoir, is on sale now, and I am also available for preaching, speaking, leading retreats, and spiritual care & counseling.
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