Husband and wife 'clergy couple' come to Skaneateles, Binghamton churches

St. James' Episcopal Church in Skaneateles recently welcomed a new rector, the Rev. Pilar F. Padrón Parnell.

Her husband, the Rev. Scott Parnell, has joined Christ Episcopal Church in Binghamton as rector as well. A news release from St. James' said the "clergy couple" is now living in Skaneateles with their two children and, as millennials, are bringing "a fresh approach to practicing faith and look to be active in schools and local communities."

Padrón Parnell is a native of Rome, New York, and graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2017. She met St. James' Deacon the Rev. Dr. Chuck Stewart on a mission trip to El Salvador years ago.

"As we navigate a time in our world when things can feel so polarized and unstable I know pressures feel especially enormous for young families," she said in the news release. "As a leader in the community, I truly believe that faith communities will be the way that we find ways to love each other and create a more compassionate world."

Parnell is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, who has previously served as a minister in Texas and a chaplain in Virginia.