Karen and her husband Troy, grew up in Pennsylvania. They have two children, Karlyn and Trevor and one grandson, Riley. The Pearsons have been a military family for more than 19 years. They moved to Virginia in 2000 and made Olivet their church home shortly thereafter.

Karen began teaching at the age of 12 in Conneautville, PA, and has been involved in children's ministry since. Before moving to Newport News, Karen was Christian Education Coordinator at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.

In 2002, Karen became the Director of Children's Ministry at Olivet. Her passion for sharing Jesus with children has been a vital part of her life, whether children or teens. Accepting the Children's Director position at Olivet was a long awaited blessing. Under Karen's direction, the Children's Ministry has more than doubled.