Open House Retirement Party Celebrating Rev. Karen Graham

The Rev. Karen Burtner Graham is retiring after 40 years of pastoral ministry. To celebrate, an open house will be held at Wesley Lodge from 3-6 p.m. Sunday, June 23. To RSVP, call (419) 798-5119.

Graham is an ordained elder in the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC). She has served as pastor of the Lakeside UMC since July 2018.

Prior to her time at Lakeside, Graham served UMCs in Tiro, Mogadore, Streetsboro, Cleveland Heights and New Concord, Ohio.

Although she was born in Arkansas, Graham has long considered Ohio home. In 1975, she graduated from Berea High School and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and her Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee.

She has held leadership positions on numerous District and Conference committees throughout her ministry, as well as local clergy associations and community organizations.

Graham is an active member of the Lakeside Association’s Board of Directors, as well as the Religious Life Advisory Committee.

Graham served as Preacher of the Day for Lakeside’s Community Worship Service in late August 2017 and has led Lakeside’s Thursday Vespers for three summers, 2019-2021.

She is the mother of three adult children and four elementary age grandchildren. Upon retirement, she will live in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.