About
About me
I am a parent, pastor, and PhD student
"The callings on my life—pastor, parent, scholar—share the same root: a commitment to show up honestly, stay accountable to those entrusted to my care, and to believe that words have the power to change what people believe is possible."
Rev. Kelly Collins (she/her) is a Provisional Elder in the United Methodist Church and fat feminist scholar in fat liberation theology. Her work is rooted in practical and constructive theology, drawing from disability, queer, mujerista, Asian, mujerista, and liberation theologies. Biblical studies, anthropology, and sociology work in concert to inform her intersectional and interdisciplinary work.
Kelly earned her Master of Divinity and Master of Theological Studies, with a concentration in Theological Anthropology, at Methodist Theological School in Ohio from 2023-2026 all while pastoring in three remarkably different church contexts—a large multi-cultural church, a Black church, and finally a rural two-point charge.
Each church setting, alongside the diverse learning environment—both in student body and content—enriched Kelly’s life, ministry, and theological understanding. One thing that remained consistent was the overt need for change in how bodies are talked about, understood, and embraced.
During her time at MTSO, Kelly was fortunate to receive three student awards—the Charles A. Dice Fellowship, the Ronald L. Williams Prize in Theology and Ethics, and the Matey Janata Freedwomen Award—as well as serve as the Baccalaureate Speaker for her graduating class. Additionally, she had the opportunity to present her MTS thesis—God Likes Big Butts and God Cannot Lie: A Liberative Body Hermeneutic—at the 2025 AAR Annual Meeting in Boston.
Kelly has several projects on the horizon, in additional to multiple conference presentations already scheduled for 2026. She is incredibly thankful for her spouse and children who are her favorite people and support her endlessly.