Karen Carter has been a St. Paul’s member for about 18 years. She was raised in the Lutheran church until her family followed Pastor Israel to St. Paul’s. In 2006, she and her husband Carl were married at St. Paul’s. They have attended ever since, and all three of their children, Alice, Hannah, and Joel, were baptized at St. Paul’s. She helped found Reading Camp Cleveland, actively participated in Global Missions Action Group (GMAG) for many years, and has helped in the church school and youth programs. She represented St. Paul’s on volunteer trips to the Rift Valley Children’s Village in Tanzania and Reading Camps in Kentucky and South Africa.

Karen is a Licensed Independent Social Worker. Her social work career primarily focused on addressing the challenges youth in Cleveland face as a result of systemic racism and oppression. She is Executive Director of Fostering Hope, a nonprofit that serves children and youth in our foster care system. In addition, she teaches courses on social justice, social change, and community organizing in the graduate school of social work at Case Western Reserve University.

Karen enjoys reading, hiking, skiing, rock climbing, and spending time with her kids and a growing number of pets.