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Unwavering commitment to God’s call

Pastor with a cake celebrating her ministry

On June 13, Constantine UMC honored Rev. Karen Wheat with a celebration featuring surprise guests from throughout her more than 50 years of ordained ministry.

JAMES DEATON
Content Editor

Some 90 people packed into the United Methodist church in Constantine, just north of the Michigan–Indiana state line, on a Friday evening for a surprise celebration of the ministry of Rev. Karen Wheat, one of the longest-serving clergywomen in the Michigan Conference.

Karen has been in pastoral ministry for over 50 years, having been ordained in 1975. Having retired in 2015, she has been serving the Constantine congregation in a half-time role since 2023.

As Karen’s husband, Vince, led her into the fellowship hall, a beaming crowd greeted her, many of whom she hadn’t seen in years. Gratitude and joy filled the room.

“It was one of the most exciting and wonderful days of my life,” Karen expressed. “It was amazing. I knew we were going to have a dinner and a program, but that was all I knew. I had no idea who was going to be there. It was surprise after surprise after surprise!”

Two of the first people Karen saw were two Roman Catholic nuns she had gotten to know early in her ministry while serving at Gobles and Kendall UMCs, but hadn’t seen in a long time. She served those congregations from 1976 to 1986.

Woman surprised by party
Pastor Karen was caught by surprise as she entered the church fellowship hall and saw so many people she had not seen in many years. ~ photo courtesy Cheryl Haskins

“Sister Janice and Sister Carmen came down from Grand Rapids, and they’re way older than me!” exclaimed Karen. “We had such a good relationship. They did all the work in the Gobles [Catholic] parish, and then we did a lot of stuff together. They participated in our son’s baptism, so they kind of see themselves as our son’s godmothers.”

Another surprise was the presence and testimony of several of the youth group members from Gobles–Kendall. Now adults, these men and women came to give thanks and share memories.

Reflecting on her time with them, Karen noted, “Anytime I’ve worked with youth, I’ve enjoyed it, but that was my first group of kids, and we did lots together. I’m just pleased that all of them have turned out to be good Christians. And one of them has become a leader in her church.”

Pastoral ministry is in Karen’s genes, for two of her great-grandfathers and her maternal grandfather were pastors, and so is being an active part of a Christian faith community.

Karen grew up in Kalamazoo and attended Fourth Reformed Church, but changed to Second Reformed in high school after becoming disillusioned with her home church. She said the new minister there felt the only place for teens and young women was in the pews, not leading or sharing in worship.

An aptitude for teaching and religious vocation led her to Western Michigan University, where she struggled to land on a major. The Wesley Foundation there drew her in, and Bruce Falker, the director at the time, came alongside Karen and aided in her career discernment.

Woman receiving certificate
As a gift, Mary Ann Grile presented Pastor Karen with a certificate honoring her many years of pastoral ministry, with signatures from Bishop David Bard and the entire Cabinet of the Michigan Conference. ~ photo courtesy Cheryl Haskins

“He asked if I had considered ministry,” said Karen. “I laughed in his face and said, ‘Well, haven’t you noticed I’m a ‘girl’? The Reformed Church doesn’t ordain women.’ Then he said to me, ‘In The United Methodist Church, they do.”

Methodism had women preachers from the early days of the movement. The United Brethren Church, one of the predecessor denominations, gave full clergy rights to Ella Niswonger in 1889. And then in 1956, The Methodist Church granted women full clergy rights.

This period of discernment at Western led Karen to a watershed moment: her embracing of Methodism and laying claim to her call to ordained ministry. But she still had to tell her parents.

“I wasn’t sure how they would take it,” confessed Karen, “but my dad, bless his heart, said, ‘If God is calling you, I’m not getting in the way,’ so he embraced my becoming a United Methodist and my ministry.”

People participating in a celebration service
Members of the Constantine UMC choir sang during the celebration. They were joined by Revs. Jim and Marilyn Barney, a former Constantine UMC pastor and family. ~ photo courtesy Cheryl Haskins

Despite the painful realities she faced as a woman in a male-dominated profession, Karen courageously claimed an unwavering commitment to her call to vocational ministry. Karen went on to graduate from Garrett Theological Seminary and, in 1975, became the sixth woman ordained in Michigan.

Reflecting on her own formation, Karen expresses deep gratitude for those in leadership within the conference who buoyed her at key moments. She names several district superintendents, including Rev. George Hartman.

“Things were not all that great for women back in those days, and George was so supportive and encouraged me. During one of the best talks, he said that one thing you have to remember is to love your congregation, no matter what. You’ve got to love them. And that’s been my guiding principle, and he instilled that in me.”

When things got tough, Karen knew she could count on her husband, Vince, and son, Wesley, to remind her of the call God has placed on her. But full-time ministry can be very demanding, and Karen regrets not spending as much time with her family earlier on.

People enjoying food and fellowship
Some members of the Gobles–Kendall youth group, who are now adults, came to the celebration to honor Pastor Karen. ~ photo courtesy Cheryl Haskins

“Now, there’s an emphasis on boundaries and that family time is important, which was not the case when I started out. As a woman, I felt like I had to be better than everybody else, or try to be. So, from my perspective, I feel like I didn’t give them as much time as I would’ve liked.”

Karen’s congregations have also returned the care and love she’s given to them, especially during challenging seasons of life.

“When our daughter, Mary Catherine, died, Vince and I went through a difficult time. She lived 11 days after she was born, and we had been trying to have a baby for so long, and then that happened. If it hadn’t been for the support of the church, Trinity UMC in Jackson, it would’ve been a lot harder to get through. They were so supportive, and we came through with flying colors. And Vince became the best ‘preacher’s wife’ you ever met!”

Along with the congregations she shepherded over five decades, Karen has had the privilege of participating in hundreds of faith and life milestones. To date, she has been part of 246 confirmations, 309 baptisms, 414 funerals, and 660 weddings.

The love in Christ that Karen has shown over the years is evident in these celebrations and in the lives she has touched. She has also spent time mentoring others in their faith journey. She’s currently mentoring a woman at the White Pigeon congregation as she prepares to become a lay speaker.

Two women posing for a photo
Pastor Karen and Margie Dusek, a long-time friend and the pianist at Schoolcraft UMC. ~ photo courtesy Cheryl Haskins

The United Methodist Church has become Karen’s spiritual home, and she is glad to be caught up in the movement forward the denomination is experiencing post-General Conference. Serving this church as it evolves and yet stays true to its gospel principles is part of her identity, something that she’ll never shake.

She explained, “I feel like we are going on to perfection, as John Wesley said, and I’ve never regretted leaving the Reformed Church. I am grateful for the Reformed Church and how I learned the Bible really well, and I see that coming back in our church. But, it’s the rubber-meets-the-road message of the UMC that’s such an important part of my theology. You’ve got to live out your faith. You just can’t have a ‘me and Jesus got a good thing going’ thing. It’s a matter of living your faith, serving your neighbor, and taking care of the poor and the oppressed.”

Thanks be to God for the ministry of Rev. Karen Wheat and her remarkable 50 years of ministry.

Last Updated on July 2, 2025

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The Michigan Conference