Meet an innoFaither: Allyson McKinney Timm
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people.
Meet Ally McKinney Timm, passionate human rights advocate and founder of Justice Revival. As a lawyer and person of faith, Ally saw a need for Christian communities to understand their role in human rights. She started Justice Revival to engage these communities in helping safeguard human rights for all through education, advocacy, and collaboration. This work includes exciting interfaith collaboration to advance human rights goals, such as passing the Equal Rights Amendment.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? Is your faith or practice bringing special inspiration or insight for you in this current moment?
My personal practice is a contemplative form of Christianity, relying on a daily time of "centering prayer," which is similar to some forms of meditation in that it involves quieting the mind, seeking stillness, and listening more so than voicing ideas. I find that my best inspiration and insight comes from these times of quiet early in the morning. These are usually simple insights, or a sense of direction in terms of my next steps. When I pray, this is often simple, too: "Jesus, teach me about forgiveness. Jesus, teach me about service. Jesus, teach me about humility."
Where do you live?
About a year ago my spouse and I moved to Kensington, Maryland, where we are surrounded by the beauty of nature and its many creatures. Deer, fox, rabbits, woodpeckers, cardinals, and a host of other birds keep us company here in the country. Fortunately, it's also a short trip into DC.
What's your favorite pastime?
My favorite pastime at the moment is practicing yoga, which brings a welcome level of deep relaxation that I find unique to that experience. I'm grateful that pandemic restrictions have finally lifted and it's possible to gather in-person for classes once again.
I'm also eager to resume my novice home gardening efforts—but first I need strong safeguards against those lovely deer, rabbits, and other woodland creatures.
What are you working on currently?
One of our focal initiatives at Justice Revival is the #Faith4ERA campaign, advocating for recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This would mean equal citizenship stature for all Americans, regardless of sex. It's a basic human rights reform and most countries around the world have a similar provision, but the ERA still faces political (largely religious) opposition 100 years after being introduced. I am thrilled to be collaborating with interfaith leaders from a diversity of traditions coast to coast who are united in calling for gender equality. We're currently petitioning the Acting U.S. Archivist to publish the ERA as the 28th Amendment, now that it has met the requirements of Article V (approval by 2/3 of Congress and ratification by 3/4 of states). Faith leaders are welcome to sign on in support.
What question are you thinking about these days?
How can advocates and organizers empower and embolden grassroots movements for human rights to overcome the deep partisan polarization of this era? What is the path toward justice if the Supreme Court is not reliably protecting individual rights and liberties? How trustworthy are social movements for justice that neglect to incorporate a gender lens, alongside race, class, and other key dimensions of lived experience?
How can people find you?