Faithful Representation: From Journalism to the Ministry

Emerson students aren’t necessarily known for being religious, but the College works to support students of all faiths, and has even produced a number of alums who go on to become faith leaders.  

For Faithful Representation, an occasional series, Emerson Today spoke with alums and staff members who lead congregations or minister to faith groups to learn about their spirituality, religion, and how Emerson influences them while doing God’s work.

Martha Schick ’16

Martha Schick began a full-time career in journalism after graduating from Emerson in 2016. She was a reporter and web producer for the Boston Globe, a very coveted position for most recent Journalism grads.  

Like many faith leaders, Schick didn’t necessarily want to become a minister – she felt a calling.

“I realized where I was really feeling alive, and where I was supposed to be, was at my church,” said Schick.  

This past May, she finished a three-year Masters of Divinity program at Boston University, and is currently in the ordination process for the United Church of Christ (UCC). That process is done to ensure she is theologically and academically prepared to be a pastor. She also needed to do an extensive psychological evaluation.  

“For the most part, it’s a progressive part of Protestantism. Hence why they’re letting a queer woman be ordained,” said Schick. “It’s really important to say that I had some great ministers in my life, but until I got to Boston, none of them were women, and none of them were queer. I am really glad I get to be that for people in both of those communities.”

She became a youth and youth-adult ministries leader in 2018, and in August 2022, she started a pastoral residency in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

“By the time I got to Emerson, I was fully understanding that my religion wasn’t hateful of gay people,” Schick said. “But being really aware of that fact, no matter how I felt about Christianity, it had harmed a lot of my friends and people I was in school with.

“I was going to a church with multiple gay clergy who were out, and there were a ton of families in the queer community, and I still knew that in most instances it would be far better to just show people that I loved them instead of telling them it was based out of a religion that hurt them.”