Carol Yvonne Hively Karl – “Yvonne” (cyk)
BIOGRAPHICAL INFO
…dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Phil. 3:13-14, NLT).
EARLY YEARS
Yvonne was born in Nitro WV on June 9, 1940. She went through Grades 1-12 at Nitro public schools graduating in 1958. During those years, when her dad was not preaching elsewhere, her family attended the Nitro Church of God and Yvonne was active in Sunday School and Youth Fellowship groups. She made a commitment to be a follower of Jesus Christ when she was eight years old. However, it was the summer after her senior year that she sealed that commitment. https://yvonnekarl.com/tag/testimony/
EDUCATION
Upon graduating from Nitro High School, Yvonne was awarded a Board of Legislature Teacher Training Scholarship and enrolled in West Virginia State University. She graduated in three years with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education (1961). She was among the first white students to attend this top ten Historical Black College after it was integrated by Supreme Court legislation in 1954. After graduation, she went back to Nitro High and taught Spanish for three years before leaving to do graduate studies at Michigan State University (1964). In the years that followed she also attended Anderson University-School of Theology (1966-1968) part-time, did doctoral programs at Indiana University (1968-1973) and Lake Charles Bible College (1997), and post doc studies at The University of Michigan (1998). In 2006, she moved to Las Vegas where she completed courses and became a certified Chaplain with the Greater Western Division of MChapUSA.
Yvonne was awarded multiple listings in Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World.
EDUCATOR
During her professional years, Yvonne taught at Michigan State University (1964-65), Anderson University-Indiana (1966-1968), Agape Bible College-Ghana, W. Africa (2002), and in secondary school teaching assignments in five states: (WV-1961-1964), (MI-1965-1966; 1993-2000), IN (1968-1973), KY-1974-1976). She also served as school counselor for four years in Indiana and K-12 Christian School principal for ten years in Michigan (1983-1993). At age 70, she acquired a secondary teaching certificate in Las Vegas NV and taught there for three years (2010-2013). At age 75, she accepted an invitation and served a two-year term as Administrator/teacher at Wright Way Bible Institute (formerly Maranatha Bible Institute) in Culloden WV (2015-2017).
MARRIAGE
Julius Ewald Karl and Yvonne met (1966) and married (1967) while both were teaching at Anderson (College) University in Anderson, Indiana. Julius immigrated from Germany to Canada at age 22. He attended German Bibelschule in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and was the founding pastor of the Gemeinde Gottes (German Church of God) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in c1955. After seven years working in the Steel Mill and pastoring in Canada, he decided to pursue college degrees. In 1961, Julius went to the United States where he first attended Warner Pacific (College) University-Portland OR, then received a B.S. degree from Anderson University-IN (1965) and a Master’s of Divinity from Anderson School of Theology (1968). From there, he and Yvonne went to Indiana University-Bloomington, where he completed M.A. (1970) and Ph.D.(1974) degrees.
In spite of all of these degrees, Julius left the academic world and went back to his calling, his first-love. In the summer of 1975, he accepted the call Dr. Adolf Semrau, Western Canada CHOG Coordinator, to reopen the North Edmonton Church of God in Alberta, Canada. He and Yvonne spent the summer months completing that pastoral assignment. In August 1976, Julius accepted the pastorate at Riverside Park Church of God in Livonia MI. In January 1981, he became pastor of a new church plant, New Life Community Church, in Westland MI. In December 1985, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma but remained as pastor of NLCC until he died in January 1999 after 31 years of marriage.
CHILDREN
Julius and Yvonne have two children: Caroline Julia (1973) and Robert Julius (1978). She teaches orchestra in Reno, Nevada. He is married, has three children, and is a Family Practice Physician in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
MINISTRY
Yvonne is intimately acquainted with the church community having grown up in a committed Christian family. Her father was a factory worker and an itinerant evangelist. Since college graduation, she has been active in various aspects of church work including serving as ecumenical minister to summer farm workers in Michigan (1966) and Indiana (1967) sponsored by The Gideons and Pennway Church of God in Lansing. In the 1980’s, Yvonne taught a Tuesday noon bible study at her church. It was attended by people from different denominations, and during those years she was often invited to be guest speaker in a variety of churches and conferences. Out of these meetings, The Alabaster Box publication was born.
Ordained by her church in 1984, Yvonne then served as co-pastor with her husband at New Life Community Church in Michigan until his death in 1999. She continued there as pastor for 2 1/2 years until retiring in summer 2001. At the same time, she was also teaching at Inkster High School, Michigan, (1993-2000) from which she retired in June 2000.
In the summer of 1999, Yvonne was invited to speak in Cape Town, South Africa, to a gathering of Christian professionals. After retiring in the summer of 2001, she spent the next few years traveling to speak in churches and at conferences in various states. In 2002, she spent a term teaching at Agape Bible College in Accra, Ghana. Then in 2004, she was invited to return as featured speaker for the Agape Association of Bible Schools Convention in Ghana. For several years, she served with Rev. Richard Whitcomb, Founder and President, on the Board of Agape Gospel Mission (Ghana) and has traveled to numerous other countries around the world.
Passionate about the Lord Jesus Christ, she communicates His Word in a down-to-earth, unpretentious style knowing that all who so desire will experience His life-changing power in their lives.
TRAVEL
Traveled to: Most of the 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii, Amsterdam, Austria, Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Holland, Israel, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Palestine, Panama, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Africa, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Sweden.
PUBLICATIONS
In addition to her roles as minister and educator, in 1986 Yvonne began publishing The Alabaster Box which was circulated around the world monthly for more than 20 years. Also, she has authored six inspirational books and published hundreds of articles. Some of her articles can be read on her website: yvonnekarl.com. Most of her books are out of stock and out of print, but occasionally they show up as used books on Amazon, Ebay, Alibris, Thrift Books, and Abe Books under author name: C. Yvonne Karl. (Handmaids in the Reign of Almighty God; Scarecrows in my Cerebellum; Silk, Shoes and Salt; Brussels Sprouts in the Snow; Treasures in the Fire; East of Bethlehem). After the death of her sister in 2019, Yvonne published Virginia Ruth’s biography in 2020: (Virginia Ruth: Thrills, Romance, and Adventure). Available at Amazon.com. CREDITS
For the many varied and exciting opportunities in her life, Yvonne gives credit first and foremost to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She honors numerous others who impacted her life positively in ways only fully seen in retrospect:
*School Principals she worked for: John Santrock (to whom she gives credit for her start on the educational journey), Raymond Arbogast, Jayne Jones, Philip Rambo, William Houghton, Multiples at Inkster High School.
*Pastors: Mark Haynie, Robert Hazen; Evangelist, Dr. E. E. Wolfram.
*Professors: WVSU: Dr. Sarah Crosby and Dr. Lawrence Jordan. AU: Nilah Meier and Dr. Nancy Osborne. AU-SOT: Professor Dr. Irene Caldwell. MSU: Chairman Dr. Townsend, Professors Robert Bishop and Dr. Carlos Teran; IU: Professor Jung and Professor Stone. LCBC: Dr. Don Johnson.
*Her family and many friends; the list is inexhaustible.
*Especially her late husband, Julius Karl, who continually encouraged her to be active in her God-given gifts. He wrote: “I saw the gifts God had bestowed upon Yvonne, and then I recognized His call on her life. Among many other things, she is called to preach and to pastor, side- by-side with me or independently of me, as the Lord chooses” (Handmaids in the Reign, Foreword).
*No life is lived without the influence of others. To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen (Galatians 1:5).
UPDATE 2017
Yvonne lives in the Greenville area of SC where she regularly attends Taylors First Church of God. Email her your questions or request more information: yvonnekarl@gmail.com
Author: C. Yvonne Karl
“Jesus is the center of my joy!” Love God. Love family. Love people. Love life.
Musings by Yvonne. Selah! 