Kari Ahearn is a scholar and ordained Foursquare minister, currently pastoring a congregation in Gig Harbor, Washington. Drawing on more than 15 years of ministry experience in Pentecostal multiethnic churches, she has seen how the church has the potential to become a place of healing, belonging, and growth. Kari is in her second year of PhD in Intercultural Studies, where she is mentored by Dr. Alexia Salvatierra.

Kari’s research explores the growing separation between resident and immigrant churches in the United States, particularly in the context of rising Christian Nationalism. Her work examines the intersection of theology, politics, and Pentecostal spirituality, with a focus on the Foursquare Church as a case study. She is interested in how resident and Latino/an immigrant congregations might form mutually transformative relationships that resist polarization, welcome the stranger, and draw on the unique gifts of Pentecostal worship and community life.