Happy Birthday to Us: AMM Turns 10!

July 4th is most famous for being the day that our founding fathers published the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776. But here at AMM, it’s also important for another reason. Ten years ago, on July 4th 2009,

American Marriage Ministries was incorporated as a non-profit organization here in the state of Washington.

 

That’s right, today is our 10th birthday!

 

It's been a wild, but rewarding ride. We've grown from humble beginnings – a basement apartment in Capitol Hill, Seattle – to an organization that’s made a national impact fighting for marriage equality and changing the way that couples celebrate weddings.

 

We’ve ordained celebrities, attended hundreds of weddings, published books, created websites, attended conferences, made movies, written articles, magazines, newsletters, art and been featured by pretty much every major newspaper, television channel, and radio station that you can think of.

 

Yup, we’ve pretty much tried everything, been everywhere, and we’re just getting started.

 

AMM has even helped shape marriage laws in several states, with lawmakers reaching out to us to make sure that our ministers rights were taken into consideration! Over the last month, we’ve stood with our ministers in Tennessee, on the front lines of the battle for religious freedom.

 

We don’t know what the future holds. As we travel around the country, it’s clear that this nation is at a crossroads. The years ahead will define not only our futures, but those of our children, the planet they inherit, and the legacy we leave behind.

 

The challenges we face are daunting, but we’re all in this together. We are on the right side of history. Every day, our ministers build community, forge bonds of friendship and trust, and demonstrate to the world that every celebration of life and love matters, no matter where or how.

 

As we step forward into our second decade of existence, we invite all of you, our ministers, friends, and family to join us in writing the next chapter. Let’s celebrate our shared values, our diversity of worldviews, and our common conviction that the free practice of spirituality is as central to the American experience as this holiday we observe today.