Pastoral Counselor

Chelsea Community Church (CCC) is lay-led, but we do have a pastoral counselor — a clergyperson or seminarian — to work with us. Our pastoral counselor attends Sunday worship services and the hospitality hour which follows, is available for pastoral counseling and visiting the sick or shut-ins as needed, performs sacramental services — baptisms, weddings, funerals and memorial services, home blessings, etc. — as needed, preaches for us every six to eight weeks, and attends our Board of Trustees meetings upon request. Previous pastoral counselors include Rev. Jerry Fargo (twice), Minister Valerie Eley, Rev. Fran Sherwood, Rev. Dr. Karen Ziegler , Rev. John Magisano, and Rev Elizabeth Perry.

Rev. Joseph J. Nicholson, Pastoral Counselor

Reverend Joseph J Nicholson (Non-denominational Protestant) spent the first 30 years of his career as an entrepreneur.  He founded a dozen companies, mostly related to software and the financial services industry.

Following the sale of his operating businesses and a brief retirement, he was called to seminary.  He received a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in 2016 and a Masters degree of Sacred Theology from Union Theological Seminary in 2020.  He was ordained in 2017 by the Non-Denominational Protestant American Fellowship Church.

From September 2014 to January 2021, he served as chaplain to the uniformed personnel of the EMS division of the New York City Fire Department.  Since April 2019, he has served as pastoral counselor at Chelsea Community Church.