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:
Serves on North Coast District Committee on Ministry
Serves on East Ohio Conference Board of Ministry
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.”
