Fostering a Community That Makes Others Feel Right at Home

Emily Harris, MDiv ‘25 and MACEF ‘25, knew early on that she had a deep love for religion. In eighth grade, she had the opportunity to deliver her first sermon thanks to a religion teacher who recognized her passion. This act of kindness planted the seed for Harris’ ministry in pastoral leadership.

“I've never felt more comfortable in a space,” says Harris. “That was something I carried with me in high school. I went to a Catholic, all girls high school, and got really involved with their spiritual life and served as the spiritual director of retreats.”

Those experiences were with Harris as she attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. While she was interested in religion, she also loved psychology. A professor recognized how intrigued Harris was during a Christian formation class and after learning more about her love for religion, counseling, and therapy, encouraged her to merge her passions. “I was praying about and discerning with people and mentors in my life, and came to that decision to switch degrees,” she says. “It was actually in that conversation that he pointed out Princeton Seminary as a potential for my future… that kind of sat with me and throughout undergrad and reinforced that calling towards pastoral leadership.”

Princeton Theological Seminary’s emphasis on community was a huge draw. “I just fell in love with the town and the people,” she says. “When I decide to go to an institution, the community is a huge part of why I decided to go there and whether or not I feel safe at home, and the emphasis on residential life, people living there and really doing life with one another, was incredibly attractive to me.”

Harris’ decision to enroll in the dual program stems from her calling toward Christian education. Her time as a student pastor at Dayton Presbyterian Church in Dayton, New Jersey was also confirmation, illuminating the possibility of pastoring and teaching. “Preaching is super important to me,” she says. “They really helped develop that set of gifts. It also affirms that whatever context I'm in, preaching and working with people is a huge part of me.”

For Harris, there wasn’t a defining moment that led to her current path. Instead, it was an evolutionary call that she has been exposed to daily and throughout many ministries, she says. In the past, she led high school retreats, worked in homeless ministries, and even served as the program’s student director. “Being exposed to different aspects of church and doing church internships, I understood that this is a huge part of my life,” says Harris. “Through conversations with mentors and teachers that planted those seeds, I knew there's nothing else that I would want to do because my life is dedicated to the church.”

"The long-term legacy will be friendships that I've forged with people around the world"

This passion extends to both Harris’ pastoral ministry and her love for teaching Christianity to young people. Inspired by her own experience as a youth in the church, she paid it forward as she got older by teaching vacation bible school and serving as a camp counselor. Affirmation came this past summer while working as a camp chaplain at Camp Whitman in upstate New York where she worked with school-aged youth and served as a counselor to the camp counselors. Their inquisitiveness about faith was a highlight. “It is an absolute honor and pleasure to be able to walk alongside them and share a little bit about my story and my knowledge with them,” she says. “It's something that brings me unbelievable joy.”

While at Princeton Seminary, Harris has participated in the Carols of Many Nations and last year, she was a part of the deacon program. As an extrovert, she enjoys helping people feel a sense of belonging in new spaces, especially because transitioning to campus can be difficult. “It is a wonderful ministry to be able to minister to my local community, to the people who I'm doing life with, being able to facilitate community events, and love working with the orientation at the beginning of the year,” she says. “I can be a warm, welcoming presence to them, that helps them make Princeton feel a little bit like home. That's what I love about that position.”

Future plans for Harris include completing the ordination process in her home church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and "working pastoral ministry and Christian education. Serving a diverse congregation and developing educational curriculum."

While Harris’ post-graduation plans are still in the works, she’s keeping busy on campus and in recent months has felt another calling connected to the international presence at Princeton Seminary, she says. There have been many highlights: having diversity on campus, being able to meet people from all walks of life, from many different cultures, and having discussions and forging friendships with them within the Seminary community.

“The long-term legacy will be friendships that I've forged with people around the world,” says Harris. “They've really taught me so much about my faith and about what the church looks like in different contexts. That is a renewed call that I have into global missions. I just have a heart for the international community. It's what I want to be doing.”

As with her work with the deacon program, Harris has a passion for making people feel at home. Ministering to others, especially those who are new to the United States or living outside of their home country for the first time, in this way is life-giving. “I love really being able to foster that sense of community,” she says. “It's a huge part of my experience. When I’m with them, I know this is the kingdom of God. If you just look at all these cultures and languages, it’s just a gift.”