Reverend Karen Stroup (voiced by Mary Tyler Moore in 1999, Ashley Gardner in 2000–present) is the first female minister of Arlen First Methodist Church. She is originally from Minnesota, but is assigned to Arlen after Reverend Thomason left to start an online ministry in "Revenge of the Lutefisk."
Notable Appearances
In the episode "Revenge of the Lutefisk," Karen revealed that she was an avid Minnesota Vikings fan, much to Hank's appeasement. Her and Bill have had ongoing flirtatious moments throughout Seasons 3-11, most notably in the episode "The Passion of the Dauterive," where Karen temporarily moved into Bill's house due to a relationship. Bill eventually broke up with her, resulting in no contact between the two for the rest of the series.
Trivia
- She is based on the actual Karen Stroup, Miv D, Phd. Born into a military family she lived in numerous places, including Hawaii. During her time there she experienced many religions, including Buddhism.
- Her original voice actress, Mary Tyler Moore, passed away on January 25, 2017.