CHESTERTOWN — July marked the merging of the two United Methodist Churches on High Street. Simultaneously, the newly named Christ First UMC welcomed Reverend Amy D. Yarnall to Chestertown.
Yarnall grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and then graduated from the University of Delaware with her bachelor’s degree in international relations. She earned her Master of Divinity at Wesley Seminary in Washington, DC. She is a fellow of the Lewis Fellowship for Church Leadership.
Yarnall was not raised in the church, and so she has a heart for people who do not experience church as a part of their being. She knows what it is like to seek and search for God, while being unsure of whether one believes or belongs.
She believes a community of faith is a space where people can be themselves and authentic, discerning what a life of faithfulness means. The greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbors. This means all of our neighbors, ignoring all of the ways we categorize ourselves and others.