Words of Affirmation and Praise

“I can’t say enough about Emily as a person and a minister. She has all the potential, some of it already being realized, to be among our most grounded, healthy, and inspired leaders. If I was in the pews and not in the pulpit, I would want Emily to be my minister, which says about everything I need to about her maturity, emotional accessibility, and open heart.”

— Rev. Nathan Detering, Internship Supervisor, UU Area Church at First Parish, Sherborn MA

“Emily came to us after a successful career in the theater, but she is not herself a performer. She ran theaters, and through that formation – be it chicken or egg – she developed an instinct toward empowering others to thrive. Emily loves Unitarian Universalism, is deeply called to ministry, and is smart and funny and a joy to work with. She has the potential to be a wonderful minister who makes a difference in the lives of individuals, communities, and your denomination. In fact, she already is and does.”

— Rev. Sarah Drummond, Founding Dean, Andover Newton Seminary at Yale

“Emily truly is the rare candidate with gifts across the areas of administrative leadership, preaching, social justice commitment, and pastoral ministry. I’ve been particularly impressed with the warmth and depth of her personal connections and her ability to put people at ease. Her sermons are thoughtful, beautifully expressed, with messages designed both to connect and to challenge a congregation.”

— Professor Tisa Wenger, Yale Divinity School

“Emily has wonderful life experience that she has brought to our congregation. She is very real, her concerns are all of our concerns, yet she has an eloquent way of putting these concerns into accessible and meaningful language. She has risen to be a true minister in these challenging times - It has been a joy to work with her.”

— Internship Committee Evaluation, UU Area Church at First Parish, Sherborn MA

“She has learned that pastoral authority is not a hierarchical notion, but a deep and abiding personal integrity and authenticity, and vulnerability. This comes through powerfully in her preaching and her worship leadership. As she says, she wants to “open the door” WITH her parishioners, not necessarily FOR them, to look more deeply at difficult issues and conversations. She joins her people. I cannot imagine better modeling than that by a pastoral leader.”

— Rev. Kathleen Musser (retired, UCC), longtime mentor and friend.