At a Congregational Meeting on November 9, 2025, the congregation of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church approved the terms of call and voted to call the Rev. Natalie Owens-Pike and the Rev. Chris Palmer as Associate Pastors. These unanimous votes mark a joyful milestone in the life of our faith community.

The Rev. Natalie Owens-Pike

A 2023 graduate of Yale Divinity School, the Rev. Natalie Owens-Pike has served at Fifth Avenue since the summer of 2023. A Minneapolis native, Owens-Pike is an avid outdoorsperson and a second-generation clergywoman. Before discerning a call to ordained ministry, she taught high school Spanish in rural Mississippi and served as the executive director of a nonprofit in Minneapolis.

Owens-Pike began her tenure at Fifth Avenue as the Director of Ministry to the Online Community. After being ordained in the United Church of Christ, she stepped into the role of Designated Associate Pastor for the Ministry to the Online Campus in the spring of 2024. Her leadership has shaped a vibrant, growing online community that spans the country and the world.

“Natalie Owens-Pike is a superb pastor,” said the Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston, Senior Pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. “She has taken a position that is new—not simply to this church but to churches all over the country—and has made it sing with joy and relevance.”

The Rev. Chris Palmer

Since the fall of 2024, the Rev. Chris Palmer has served as the Transitional Associate Pastor for Young Adults and Members.

Hailing from eastern Pennsylvania, Chris is a husband to Katherine Ellis and a new father to Alasdair. A 2019 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, he previously served as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Waco, Texas, and as a Lake Fellow Resident at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Deeply steeped in Reformed theology, Palmer has excelled in forging connections among young adults and welcoming newcomers to Fifth Avenue.

“Chris Palmer is a gifted pastor,” Black Johnston remarked. “He is a grounded, trustworthy soul with a heart for young adults and a deep commitment to good ministry in and with this community.”

Congregational Vote

As a Designated Associate Pastor and a Transitional Associate Pastor, the Rev. Owens-Pike and the Rev. Palmer, respectively, have served in provisional roles at Fifth Avenue. Sunday’s emphatic votes were cast in person and online. These unanimous votes affirm the congregation’s desire for both pastors to enter into a permanent pastoral relationship with Fifth Avenue.

Following Sunday’s Congregational Meeting, the Presbytery of New York City will vote in December to install Owens-Pike and Palmer as Associate Pastors of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.

Fifth Avenue gives thanks for the impactful and creative leadership of Owens-Pike and Palmer and looks forward to the continuation of their faithful ministry.

“Natalie and Chris are remarkable ministers and invaluable to our pastoral team,” Black Johnston said. “I join the congregation in rejoicing over Sunday’s votes.”