Carol Harston

Senior Pastor

Carol Harston began serving as Senior Pastor of Highland Baptist Church in March 2026, after nearly two decades of ministry with the congregation. Ordained in 2010, she previously served at Highland Baptist as Minister to Youth and later as Associate Pastor for Faith Formation and Congregational Engagement.

Carol earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Spanish from Wake Forest University, a Master of Divinity from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Duke Divinity School. Her doctoral work, Traumatizing Theology and the Healing Church, examined how churches can move beyond shame- and condemnation-rooted images of God to become communities of healing, hope, and belonging.

In addition to her ministry at Highland, Carol has served as a trustee of BSK Theological Seminary and as a consultant to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Thriving Congregations Initiative.

Carol believes God is gathering believing communities to covenant to live as Easter People in a Good Friday reality, with work to do until one day we are fully at peace with God, with each other, and with others. On that day, when we are forgiven for our wrongdoings and healed from our wounds, we will fully know God’s love and live forever unified as one. Until then, we seek to live with theological curiosity, courageous faith, and deep care for one another.

Carol and her husband, Drew, share life with their three sons (in elementary, middle, and high school) and their dog, Ruby. She enjoys early mornings, singing hymns, running road races, reading fiction, playing golf, needlepoint, cheering for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, and making memories with family and friends.