Karl was raised in Guernsey, Wyoming. After high school, he attended the University of Wyoming and studied mathematics. He taught as an adjunct in the mathematics department before leaving Laramie to serve in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Young Adult Volunteer Program. Through the YAV program, Karl worked for a year in Northern Ireland with churches and organizations committed to peace and reconciliation and then for a year in Tucson, AZ with a Mennonite home repair non-profit. He attended Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA where he received his Master of Divinity degree. He served two other churches in western Wyoming before coming to Sheridan in 2019.
Karl enjoys playing and writing music, reading, fly fishing, and spending time with his spouse, Kendra, and their daughter, Harper Jo.