TRANSFORMATION

Rev. Karen W. Curry has been working for almost 30 years to improve the quality of life for residents of the District of Columbia (DC) and surrounding areas through her service at The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Ward 7, and through her support of a highly-effective after school ministry in Ward 8 that she helped shape shortly after it opened in 1999. She has developed and taught creative, thought-provoking workshops and retreats focused on spiritual, social, and academic life skills, as well as leadership development for high school students and adults. 

In addition to ministering to the community, Rev. Karen also provides communications consulting for clients ranging from individuals to small non-profits, to Federal agencies, including DCTV where she was an on-camera host for the station’s Student Exposure broadcast. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched her own comedic and inspirational program entitled, "The First Lady's SHHOW!" (Spirit-filled Hilarious Hour Of Worship) which she produces and edits. "The SHHOW!" has been lifting spirits nationwide during these trying times.

Rev. Curry currently serves on the Mayor’s Interfaith Council and is the Co-Convener of the Ward 7 Faith Leaders. She also serves on the coordinating team with DC Health’s “Faith in Vaccine” initiative, and is a member of the Washington Regional Transplant Consortium African American Task Force. Previously, she served on the DC State Athletics Commission, chaired the Enlistment Committee of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention, and worked with the Time to Fly Foundation, a ministry which helps women and children heal from abuse. 

Licensed to preach the Gospel in 2001 and ordained in 2002, Rev. Curry's formal education includes a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations from the University of Southern California. She also has an Associate of Arts degree from Prince George's Community College, where she worked as an Adjunct Professor and launched a creative and critical thinking course she developed entitled, "Think About it! Write About it! Do Something About it!"

In her spare time, she enjoys writing and performing her original poetry and raps. She published 2020 Vision: Clarity through Chaos, a collection of provocative and insightful poetry about the tumultuous year of 2020. She also published, Poetic & Prophetic, featuring her poem, "Colin Couldn’t Stand," which earned an honorable mention from the Beacon newspaper and was featured on WHUT-TV. Her poem, "Violins or Violence," was featured at Rev. Dr. William Barber’s Poor People’s Campaign Revival in Washington, DC. Both poems can be viewed on YouTube.

Rev. Karen is happily married to Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry, Pastor of the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church. The Currys are the proud parents of Keyona and Kendrick Curry, II.