Emily Syal is on board at United Church of Santa Fe – welcome! Her letter appears in their August newsletter:
Dear United Church Community,
I am thrilled to join you all as your Youth and Environmental Ministries Resident. Both these ministries make my heart sing. Because our young people today are so awesome with climate strikes, leading the way in addressing gun violence, and not being afraid to teach us adults how we can make the world a better place for all... can we take a moment and rejoice about our young people? WOW! I look forward to getting to know how truly amazing each one of YOU United Youth are!
I recently graduated from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA with a Master of Divinity focused on interreligious approaches to our current climate breakdown. I am a lifelong United Church of Christ member, and intend to pursue ordination in the UCC.
I grew up in Madison, WI and yes, I do love cheese. My husband, Puneet Syal, is an immigrant from India, who moved to the U.S. in 2014. My cat, Mara, is from Kenya and my dog, Marci, is from Ohio. I love to be outdoors and barefoot as much as possible. If there is a labyrinth or a plant store nearby, you’ll probably find me wandering in it. I would like to be able to say I enjoy cooking, but Puneet is the cook. If you want good Indian food, he’s your guy!
I feel very blessed that my journey has led me to a place as breathtaking as Santa Fe to learn from and grow with your vibrant community that glows with radical welcoming love for all creation and cares deeply about your young people.
Peace and blessings,
Emily