Ann Kansfield: first female and the first openly gay chaplain of FDNY, author of "Be the Brave One"

6-7pm Happy Hour, 7-8:30pm Interview

Ann Kansfield has been an FDNY Chaplain since 2015. She was the first female and the first openly gay chaplain to be sworn into the role. During her tenure, she has played a critical role in FDNY ceremonies – including line of duty funerals and plaque dedication ceremonies – and assisted in arranging services for deceased members of the Department. She has provided solace and comfort to Fire, EMS, and civilian families, maintained contact with the kin of deceased members, responded to major fires and other emergencies when members have been seriously injured, and visited firehouses regularly to provide spiritual guidance and direction. “I grew up with a certain kind of rigid understanding about how I should live as a Christian in the world. The rest of my life has been figuring out what I’m called to keep from that early formation and what I’m called to leave behind in order to live a more Christ-like life in the real world of life today.”

Ann is also the author of "Be the Brave One." Part memoir and part spiritual formation guide, Kansfield's Be the Brave One relays her stunning transformation from a "run-of-the-mill capitalist jerk" into a wife, mother, and pastor committed to feeding the poor at her church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

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