Rev. Emily Harden started at The Church of the Covenant in April of 2021. She is a native West Virginian, originally from the Wheeling area. Emily was previously the chaplain for critical cardiac care at WVU Medicine Ruby Memorial, and in several hospital roles in Milwaukee, WI prior to that.
Rev. Emily has two children (Jesse, 8 and Madison, 2) and lives with her family and animals in the parsonage here in Grafton. Together, they enjoy getting out into the WV wilderness and woods, as well as playing in the backyard. Emily is an novice seamstress and spends some of her free time in advocacy work around the state.
Rev. Emily grew up in the PCUSA and while in graduate school with the hopes of becoming a professor, she experienced a call to pastoral ministry during liturgy and worship instruction. She realized, she'd already been called to ministry, having worked with summer camps and high school youth.
Ordained in 2017, she first lived this out this new call as a hospital chaplain, accompanying people during some of the hardest days of their lives, while continuing to work every Sunday in pulpits around Milwaukee and Morgantown.
Rev. Emily believes that the church should be a place where every person feels loved, safe, and free to be themselves in the presence of the one in whose image they are made. She is encouraged by the love shared within our congregation and excited to work with The Church of the Covenant going forward.