‘I’m excited to get us out of our walls’

“I think the message that I want people to hear is: we can’t begin to understand how much God loves us,” said Rev. Kally Elliott, the new pastor at Oceanside Presbyterian Church. She started preaching at the church last month.

Elliott, 39, also wants to get the church more involved in the community. She does not know what that will look like, since she’s brand new to Oceanside. She comes to Long Island from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she worked at the campus ministry for 11 years. “I loved being around all the young people because they’re happy,” she said. “And they have good ideas and they’re not afraid to try new things.” For college students, she said, something done one year becomes tradition the next.

Elliott was hired by the Presbytery of Long Island to split her time between Oceanside Presbyterian, and the Long Beach Project, which aims to create a religious community in Long Beach. “I don’t know what it’s going to look like yet,” she said. “Because really the community defines what it looks like.”

As for Oceanside, Elliott said that the church is looking for families, children and young adults. “I have four children, so I come with a lot of children to begin with,” she joked. “So as a mom, I want to see children in church as well, I want to see the vitality of kids here. I want to see them involved in the worship service.”

She also said that she wants to get the church more involved in community activities — not as a way to get people to come to the church. “But in a way of getting involved in the community because that’s what we’re supposed to be doing,” she said. “Because as disciples of Jesus, we are supposed to be loving and serving the people in our path. I’m excited to get us out of our walls, out of our building and into the community more.”

In the meantime, Elliott said her and her family — husband Bryce and children Rylan, 12, Spencer, 10, Kellen, 7 and Eve, 3 — are adjusting to their big move. “It’s been crazy having the four kids home,” she said. “They got out of school on May 20 in Knoxville, so they’re like on extended summer break on this point.” While they’re still figuring out the area, she said, it’s been fun to explore and try new things.