Dallas, Texas – With great joy and thanksgiving, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas is pleased to announce Emma Rooney as the new Director of Youth for FPC Dallas and the inaugural Mission Immersion Director for Dallas Youth Mission. Her appointment begins May 2.
FPC Dallas and DYM have a covenantal partnership with expansive initiatives that include mission immersion experiences, Presbyterian Youth Connection (PYC), and summer retreats, as well as ministry-funded ventures and scholarship opportunities. Dallas Youth Mission (DYM) is a ministry that coordinates mission experiences for youth, collaborates with dozens of partner agencies, and connects youth from a variety of churches and denominations around the country. DYM is a chapter of Youth Mission Co. (YMCo), a nonprofit with PCUSA roots headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, and has other mission immersion programs in Raleigh, NC; Memphis, TN; and Charleston, SC. As director, Rooney will oversee local and nationwide partnerships for FPC Dallas and its programming in areas ranging from justice-seeking mission to formative faithful exploration. FPC Dallas youth will be among the first to experience DYM under Rooney’s leadership starting with the Mission Immersion Conference, June 11-16.
"I'm eager to see our youth program and our budding partnership with Dallas Youth Mission take off under Emma's leadership," Rev. Amos Disasa said. "Her energy for youth ministry and building formative relationships with young people is contagious. Get ready to have some fun at church."
Rooney comes to FPC Dallas from Austin College where she majored in Public Health and minored in Religious Studies and Spanish. She currently serves as an intern at the Alzheimer’s Association, Dallas Chapter.
“I am thrilled and honored to be joining FPC Dallas as the next Director of Youth,” Rooney said. “I was inspired to apply for this position because I've always felt drawn to being a youth director and giving back to people. Growing up from middle school to high school and then adulthood is challenging, but I had a lot of help and guidance along the way and that's exactly what I want to do. I want to give back to my community and help guide these youth as much as I can.”
Rooney succeeds Sarah Leer, who served as the director of youth since 2020.
About Emma Rooney
Emma is a child of Grace Presbytery. She graduated from Dallas ISD’s Woodrow Wilson High School in 2017 and is a 2021 alumna of Austin College where she was a member of the ACtivators while working as a student athletic trainer and restaurant server. She has participated in Grace Presbytery PULSE training and is the Recreation Coordinator for the Synod of the Sun’s Synod Youth Workshop. After college, Emma was the first Faith Formation intern at Northridge Presbyterian Church, where her mother retired a few years ago from children’s music ministry. Emma is currently finishing an internship at the Alzheimer’s Association and earning a Master of Public Health from Texas Woman’s University with an anticipated graduation date of December 2023.