To the members & friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glen Cove:
Hi everybody! My name is Emmie Arnold and I am so honored to be joining the staff here. Pastor Lance and I went to seminary together and met at our campus’ LGBTQIA+ group. Besides God, who knew that I would end up working alongside them? Here, I’ll share a few words about me as a minister and as a person outside of my jobs.
In terms of my work life, when I’m not creating bulletins and social media posts for the church, I work part-time as a pediatric hospital chaplain at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Like I am here, I am just transitioning there now – immediately upon moving back to the East Coast this past summer once I was done with my year-long residency at Mayo Clinic, I was blessed with an unexpected interim chaplain role at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills. I worked with countless COVID-positive patients and did many phone and video calls with family members who could not be at their loved ones’ sides. I also spent a significant portion of my days making sure the staff members were holding up emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The challenges they – and everyone – are facing are indescribable, and it was an absolute honor to earn their trust and work there until the staff chaplain returned. The lessons I learned by serving as a palliative care chaplain for adults during an Earth-shaking pandemic are ones that I will carry with me forever, both as a minister and as a person. They are already coming into play in huge ways as I transition to serving as a palliative care and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) chaplain.
In terms of my personal life, I was born and raised in New Jersey. I’ve spent four years of my life in Tennessee and one in Minnesota, but otherwise have been a New Jerseyan through and through. My home church is Bound Brook Presbyterian Church, which is in Central Jersey near my family. My family is very close-knit, and I’m impatiently waiting for the day that all of them get their second vaccine doses. My partner, Lucas (a different Lucas from Lance’s partner!) and I live in Jersey City, which is a good triangle among our families and my workplace, as well as a great place to live. I look forward to getting to know it more once it’s safe to do so. Lucas and I spend time hosting virtual game nights with friends, cooking and baking, going for walks, watching too much television, reading, dreaming about future travels, and resting. I live a pretty good life, all things considered these days, and I never, ever take that blessing for granted.
I so look forward to getting to know you. I will be working for the church remotely on Mondays and Wednesdays; don’t hesitate to email emmie@fpcglencove.org to set up a time for us to get to know each other over phone or video chat!
With gratitude and God’s grace,
Emmie (she/her/hers)
