Karen Grant

Dr. Karen Grant is a professor in the Youth Ministry, Family, and Culture program at Columbia International University, where her top spiritual gift of administration shines through in the courses she loves to teach most, including Ministry Management. She also teaches Cross-Cultural Ministry, Strategies for Youth and Family Ministry, and Encountering Spiritual Formation, equipping students with both the theological foundation and practical tools they need for effective ministry.

Training and equipping students anywhere in the world to reach this generation for Jesus Christ is Dr. Grant’s passion. To help make that possible for students outside the Columbia area, she was instrumental in creating CIU’s fully online Ministry Leadership program, giving students the flexibility to pursue their calling from wherever God has placed them. She is intentional about building relationships with her students, making it a priority to have lunch with them each semester so she can mentor them personally, not just academically.

Dr. Grant’s call to ministry began while she was volunteering in youth ministry at her home church, where God made clear that He was calling her to full-time service. She went on to serve in full-time youth ministry in Illinois before joining CIU’s faculty in 2001. That firsthand experience in youth and family ministry continues to shape how she prepares students for the real challenges and joys of ministry today. She has also ministered cross-culturally in South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kenya, and the Philippines, experience she brings into the classroom as she trains students for cross-cultural service.

Northern California is where Dr. Grant grew up, though she now calls South Carolina home. A self-described animal lover and former dog trainer, she enjoys gardening and kayaking on the pond in her backyard. Whether in the classroom or over lunch, her heart is to see students grow in their faith and step confidently into the ministry God has called them to.