Reverend Jennifer Karsner, pastor of Asbury United Methodist in Arnold, Maryland, strives to live out the gospel in community—a community to which everyone is invited. For her, faith is authentic belonging in community: knowing love while being loving, open, and vulnerable with one another and with Christ. At Asbury, Rev. Karsner embraces the church’s mission emphasizing unconditional love, inclusivity, and a commit to justice for all.
Asbury voted in 2022 to become a reconciling church, making a commitment to welcome, support, and validate LGBTQ+ congregants. Asbury is a core member of the Anne Arundel Affirming Alliance, a collective of churches affirming the love of God to all.
Rev. Karsner's unique and diverse background growing up in a military family and extensive travel have instilled in her a passion for service and justice. Her and Asbury’s commitment to learning about and pursuing racial justice encourages Christians to accept the discomfort and live into the grace that comes with Christ's teachings.
Rev. Karsner leads her congregation in modeling the love of Christ as service to others. She is especially proud of Asbury's alternate giving guide, with which congregants raised over $8,000 in dedicated mission funds in December 2023.
Her preaching has twice been featured by Princeton University Chapel, first as part of the Chapel's "Hour of Power" in 2022 and again during their summer sermon series in 2023. She offered invocations for Maryland State Senate sessions in April 2022 and January 2024.
Rev. Karsner is the proud Mom of Peter, Grace, and Mark, as well as the wife of Scott. She finds nature to be a means of grace and enjoys being outdoors, running, baking cakes, and eating tacos.
