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About Us |
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Emmanuel's Mission
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Boston, serves the urban community of greater Boston as a dynamic center for spiritual discovery and renewal. We explore Christian tradition and foster inquiry through the celebration of liturgy, music, and the arts. We strive for justice and peace. Emmanuel Church welcomes all people without exception to our Eucharistic table. We honor individuals of every age, gender, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, and religious background, and we respect the dignity of every living being.
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Coffee hour after church |
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Priest
in Charge |
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The Reverend Pamela L. Werntz comes to Emmanuel Church as Priest-in-Charge, after spending more than five years at St. Paul’s Church in Brookline MA, where she was the Associate Rector.
After leaving behind her home in Northern Virginia, her extended family, many of her belongings, and a prestigious career as a Vice President of Human Resources in 1996, Pam attended the Episcopal Divinity School, received an M.Div. degree in 2000, and was ordained in 2002. She made her church home at Christ Church in Cambridge MA. While there, she co-chaired the adult education commission and, after finishing seminary, worked as the full-time financial administrator for two years.
Many Episcopalians are familiar with the term “cradle Episcopalian.” As the daughter of two ordained UCC ministers, Pam is a “cradle clergy person.” She has been doing liturgical, exegetical, and hermeneutical push-ups since she was three, which includes knowing what the word “hermeneutical” means. She is also a “cradle community organizer and social justice activist.” Her volunteer work for the past ten years has been with and on behalf of incarcerated women. | |
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Pam’s ministry
is guided by a charge that Bishop Chilton Knudson once gave to her priests in the Diocese of Maine: “love your
people, say
your prayers,
have fun.” |
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As Priest-in-Charge, Pam has a two year contract with the people of Emmanuel Church and the Bishop of Massachusetts’ office, during which she is called to work with the vestry to prepare for healthy transition into the next phase of the parish’s mission. Specific tasks to be addressed include:
- Congregational discernment of the role, and attendant goals,
of Emmanuel Church in serving the people of
downtown Boston. This discernment is grounded
in our mindfulness of the mission and activities
of our sister neighborhood congregations, as
well as the goals of the Emmanuel Center and
our relationship with Emmanuel Music, Boston
Jewish Spirit, and our other tenants.
- Developing and implementing a strategic plan to revitalize Emmanuel Church.
- Self-study as preparation for search of settled Priest.
- Nurturing the spiritual health of the congregation in this period of loss, change and challenge.
Pam, her wife Joy Howard (who occasionally moonlights as a ghost writer of clergy biographies), and their three children--Sarah Simons, Laura Simons, and Grace McElroy-Howard, live in Watertown MA, in a cozy perpetual renovation project that they have been known to call “The Hen House,” or, on more trying days, “the girls’ dorm.” Their two cats and golden retriever are responsible for any pet hair that is found on Pam’s clergy shirts or vestments.
The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz can be reached at werntz.emmanuel@gmail.com
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Rabbi in Residence |
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In 2005 Rabbi Howard A. Berman joined us in a groundbreaking experiment. With a charge to enrich the spiritual life of our church by offering a Jewish perspective in preaching and teaching, he forged a special relationship between our parish and his congregation, Boston Jewish Spirit. Our congregations are now in the process of creating the Emmanuel Center, a non-profit organization which will facilitate the cooperation of our congregations. Please see also his biography and selected sermons.
Rabbi Howard A. Berman can be reached at info@bostonjewishspirit.org | |
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Staff |
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| Music Director (Acting) |
John Harbison |
617-536-3356 |
| Organist |
Nancy Granert |
617-496-1203 |
| Parish Administrator |
Barbara Kroft |
parishadmin.emmanuel@gmail.com |
| 617-536-3355 |
fax: 617-536-3315 |
| Maintenance Sexton |
Bob Bruno |
617-536-3355 x14 |
parishadmin.emmanuel@gmail.com
re: building |
| Wedding Coordinator |
Janice Randall |
weddings.emmanuel@gmail.com |
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Emmanuel's History |
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Emmanuel Church was founded in 1860 as part of the Diocese
of Massachusetts, and its cornerstone was
laid on June 17th, 1861. Emmanuel's Main Sanctuary
was the first building on Newbury Street in Boston's
newly filled Back Bay. In 1898-9, the Main Sanctuary
was expanded from 800 to 1200 seats and reoriented
to its present east-west axis. Please see Timeline
of Emmanuel History and History
& Archives Commission for further details
of our history.
The Leslie Lindsey Memorial Chapel, consecrated in 1924, is considered one of the architectural gems of Boston. Lindsey Chapel: Its History & Architecture, written by a former member of Emmanuel's vestry, is also available in print. Emmanuel's major stained-glass window portrays a scene from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, which has given the window its name, "Emmanuel's Land". Located on the north wall of Emmanuel's sanctuary, opposite the doors leading to Newbury Street, it was rededicated in January 2008, thanks to many donors. We hope you'll have an opportunity to stop by and see this magnificent window. Restoration of Emmanuel's Land Window tells the story of its creation, composition, and restoration. | |
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website.emmanuel@gmail.com |
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3/20/09 |
