The Reverend Emily Gage
A life long Unitarian Universalist (UU), Emily grew up at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She also (literally and figuratively) lived in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. When she tells the story of how she became a minister, it looks like she knew where she was going, although she didn't at the time.
After loving church and studying all sorts of beliefs there, she ended up majoring in religion at Swarthmore College. When she graduated, she was ready to leave the ivory tower and save the world, so she joined the Peace Corps and went to Poland. It looked a lot less like saving the world, and a lot more like teaching English as a Foreign Language to high school students, but one never knows. After returning to the States, Emily had no immediate (or far flung plans), and she went to church with her mom In Pittsburgh. "Emily! You're back!" someone exclaimed. "Would you like to be the youth group advisor?" Emily, jet lagged and disoriented, agreed.
It was during that time that she realized that all of her interests and passions led her towards ministry. She applied to Harvard Divinity School, and went off to become a minister. After intensive doses of introspection, Biblical Hebrew, Clinical Pastoral Education, a wonderful internship at First Religious Society of Carlisle, Massachusetts, and a number of other elements, she had the privilege of being ordained. She set off on her first adventure in the midwest to serve the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet, Illinois, in August of 1997, where she has had many more adventures.
In her spare time, she served on the Central Midwest District Board for eight years, and was president of the district from 2002-2007. In her other spare time, she cheers on the Chicago Cubs, rides her bicycle along Lake Michigan, plays guitar, sings, and cooks (not all at the same time). All of the time, she enjoys sharing her life with her partner Karen McMillin.
Last updated on Monday, June 9, 2008.
