Rev. Karen Wolcott was appointed to Ridgewood United Methodist Church as Senior Pastor on July 1, 2014. She came to Ridgewood after serving as the chaplain for OhioGuidestone (formerly Berea Children’s Home & Family Services) for 16 years. Rev. Karen is married to Rick, who is the Director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference. They have two children: Brady and Bethany.
Appointments Served
- OhioGuidestone, Chaplain, 1998-2014
(Administrator of Chaplaincy Services for a large agency) - Willoughby UMC, Associate Pastor, 1995-1998
- North Royalton UMC, Student Pastor, 1993-1995
Ministry Gifts
Listening, Guiding, Pastoral Care, “Planting Seeds of Hope”, Children & Youth Ministries, Leading contemporary worship & spirituality groups
Connectional Responsibilities:
East Ohio Conference Program Committee
Personal Disciplines:
Reading books, singing, spending time by the water, enjoying time with friends and neighbors, taking her weekly day off to rest and relax.
Education
- Master of Divinity (M. Div.), Methodist Theological School of Ohio, 1995
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, Cleveland State University, 1990
- James Ford Rhodes High School, Cleveland, OH
Continuing Education:
- MTSO: John and Ruth Mount Alumni Award for Specialized Ministry, 2010
- United Methodist Association: Chaplain of the Year, 2005
“The role of Clergy, as Spiritual Leader, means that I am to empower laity to serve. It is important to me that whatever I do in worship, that it be grace-centered.”