Senior Saint Stories - Karen Hall

Perhaps you’re like me and you’ve gone to Southwest for a while; you pass people in the hallways on Sunday mornings, giving a smile and a wave to someone that you’re genuinely happy to see, but you haven’t had more than a handful of conversations with them.

I decided I wanted to sit down with some of the women I love seeing around the church to hear their stories and get to know them. More specifically, I want to get to know our wonderful Senior Saints ladies.

When I set out to spend time with Karen Hall, I didn’t know how intertwined our lives had been until I sat down with her. Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised, because God is always in the details. I hope this glimpse into Karen’s life is as encouraging to you as it was to me. 

About Karen Hall 

Walking into Karen’s home, I immediately saw the love she has for her family depicted in photos lining the walls, piano, and fireplace. Not only that, but you can feel the love in how she speaks about them. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the Lord is faithful through generations, and she’s a wonderful example of faith that spans decades.

Karen has been attending SWBIBLE for over 30 years! She was married to Jim Hall for 66 years, until he went home to be with the Lord in January 2024. Later, you’ll read more about their story, but first I have to mention all of her family. You’ll likely recognize many of them as they’ve played integral roles in our church and Southwest Christian School.

Karen is mom to Marlene Pierson (who serves in Women’s Ministry and other ministries of the church) and Jan Wheeler (now retired kindergarten teacher for SW Christian School). She is mother-in-law to Mark Pierson (sound technician who also keeps our church running behind the scenes) and Rick Wheeler (now retired Athletic Director for SW Christian School). She is grandmother to Andy Pierson (who has led multiple mission trips and serves in various ministries with his wife, Laura Pierson), Rachel Wheeler (who lives in Arizona) and Emily Pierson (who lives in Portland). She also has 5 great-grandchildren.

What a legacy!

Life Growing Up

Karen became a believer at a young age. Her father got up early every morning to do his quiet time, reading a passage of Scripture and writing something in his journal; usually a prayer or a nugget he learned from what he read. She remembers he’d be gone for work by the time she got up, so he would leave his notebook out in the kitchen for Karen to read what he wrote every morning. This built a foundation for her to learn more about Jesus, and witnessing the relationship that her father had with the Lord had a great impact on her.

As for her mom, she says, “She was a very gentle, quiet lady. You wouldn’t think she was strong if you didn’t know her,” and her mother encouraged her every year to read through the Bible.

When she was a teenager, she went to work at Cannon Beach Conference Center and ended up meeting another worker who was there for the summer - fifteen-year-old Jim Hall. Even though he grew up in Minnesota, he spent the summer washing dishes and mowing the lawn while she waited tables and cleaned dorms. She says, “All of a sudden this ‘character’ started sitting next to me at meals.” It was through this time they got to know one another more.

One of my favorite things she shared about her relationship with Jim was that they wrote each other letters (although she did tell me he didn’t write back at first). It felt like a true romance movie when she shared about how they broke up a few times, but then ultimately knew they wanted to get married. She received a letter (he finally wrote some back) from him saying, “I’m tired of us breaking up. Either we’re going to be it or we’re not. If you’re going to marry me, I’m going to buy a ring,” and she wrote back, “Buy the ring.” And the rest was history. They had never even lived in the same state until they were married!

Karen shares some sweet advice for women looking for a spouse, “Do not marry a man that cannot make you laugh,” because she said she and Jim “laughed at the most ridiculous things.” That definitely made me smile. She further describes Jim as dependable, solid, and very supportive, but most notable was his love for the Lord. Although she misses him, she tells me that she can only be happy for him now that he’s with the Lord and she knows everything happens in the Lord’s perfect timing.

How Karen Came to Southwest 

Karen first heard about Southwest after she helped her mother and father move to Portland and her mom heard Scott Gilchrist on the radio and she could tell it was a Bible-teaching church.

Karen’s pastor at the church they were attending had recently passed away, and they had to decide if they would stay at their current church or come to Southwest. Rick and Jan actually attended Southwest first, then Mark and Marlene came too.

When I asked her how she made her decision to change churches, she shared an analogy about eagles she heard once, and it was what she needed to trust the Lord and His timing:

Eagles create soft, warm nests for their young. However, as they grow, they’re sometimes hesitant to leave the safety of their home, even though it’s time. The mother eagles will slowly remove the soft filler and even put sticks in the nest. This makes the little eaglets uncomfortable and can even be a little painful, but it causes them to fly the nest like they were meant to do.

Jim and Karen asked each other, “Are we finding sticks in our nest?”

She and Jim did not make a decision without agreeing. One week they would come home from a Sunday morning, and she would be ready to change churches, but he wouldn’t, then the next week he would be ready, and she wouldn’t. Ultimately, they both decided it was time.

She could have stayed in the safety of her “nest,” but she chose to step out and trust that the Lord was directing her steps even when she didn’t know what it would bring.  Without her “yes” to God, our church would not be the same today. God truly is faithful through generations.

Something I found so beautiful was that her mom and dad were able to attend a few services and Karen told me Scott did both of their memorials. God is definitely in the details.

Throughout our time together, Karen shared her love of music. She describes the work of an orchestrator; how they direct the choir and instruments in harmony with one another. She used this to further illustrate the Lord and how, “He has so clearly orchestrated things in my life.” Whether it was meeting her husband, bringing her to Southwest, going through hardships, or showing up in the details of everyday life, she has seen God be with her the whole way.

Women’s Ministry

Our women’s ministry at Southwest has been such an encouragement to me. The recent Women’s Sunday Classes series was so wonderful, and I didn’t know that Karen actually helped teach a Sunday school class for the women years ago.

When she started attending Southwest, someone at her previous church said to her, “Why are you going out there? You’ll never have an opportunity to teach.” And she responded, “I’m not going there to teach, I’m going there to be taught.”

Little did she know that the Lord had a plan for her to teach women at our church!

“What’s something people may not know about you?” 

Something you might not know about Karen is that she studied Greek for two years at Western Seminary! Not only that, but it was during a time when women were not yet able to attend Western, so Karen and her friend were interviewed and accepted, making them the only women in their classes for those two years!

Studying Greek helped her to better understand and see things in the Bible she hadn’t before. For example, Karen explained to me there are 4 kinds of “if” in the Bible: 

• If and it’s true

• If and it’s not true

• If and maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not

• If and I wish it’s true, but it’s not

Also, there’s a Greek tense, a perfect tense, where something happens in the past with results that continue forever (like the salvation verses).

Example: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."- John 3:16 (emphasis mine)

Karen says studying the Bible is her favorite thing to do. Aside from reading in her regular Bible, she uses a Greek/English interlinear one. Although I didn’t understand any of it, it was very interesting to look at!

Another fun fact is that Jim was actually part owner of Rose City Sound and Lighting so they lived in a motor home for awhile, and had a trailer that pulled their sound equipment, as they traveled all over. They went to Grand Prix races, fairs, and experienced many adventures together.

Something many people probably do know, but is worth telling: Karen’s birthday is Christmas Day! 

Life Lately 

When describing her life currently, Karen says of her home, “It’s quiet, but I’m not alone.” She describes the presence of God and peace that passes understanding that surrounds her in her home. She goes on to say, “I know Who is in control, and I trust Him.”

She says she’s never lived alone until now; going from living with her parents, to living with roommates, to being married to Jim. But she says “The Lord’s always been here.”

She encouraged me with the following verse from 1 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!” She read it again, this time pausing and adding emphasis to every word. It struck me anew how we can read God’s Word with reverence.

Karen’s Role Now 

“I have two jobs now. Share with the coming generation and pray, because I have time to pray. Time is valuable, you have to carve it out, but it’s something I have.”

Karen meets with young women to encourage them in their faith, walk alongside them, and imparts a lot of wisdom (whether she will admit it or not).

What struck me most during our time together was how evident it is that Karen trusts in the Lord and loves him wholeheartedly. She talks with Jesus daily, and every facet of our conversation reflected an overflow of His work in her life. Things that other people might find difficult, she sees as a way to praise God.

On the topic of prayer, Karen shared some wisdom that I still think about:

• You have not because you do not ask, if I ask and do not get it, then I didn’t need it

• When you pray specific prayers, you see a specific answer

• When you share something with someone you trust, it builds confidence in that friendship, and it’s the same with Jesus 

• There’s no detail of our lives He doesn’t know or care about

She shares that she asks specifically of the Lord, “If You give me an opportunity to talk to someone, I’ll jump in with both feet.”

Karen is such an encouragement to me, and I’m so thankful to know her. She truly cherishes the Word of God and seeks to glorify Him in all she says and does. I left feeling so encouraged and ready to face my day with renewed hope. This happens when we fellowship with the body of Christ and are willing to be vulnerable with each other.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite “Karen quotes” (as I now call them) from our time together:

“When you know what the Lord is doing, it makes whatever He is doing lovely.”