Pastor Robert Karli was ordained in 1971 and became the fourth pastor of First English Lutheran Church in December, 1984. He retired in September 2007.

In addition to his responsibilities at First English, Pastor Karli served on the Board of Directors of the ELCA’s Division for Ministry in Chicago from 1999-2005 and the Board of Directors of the ELCA’s Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa from 2000-2006. He currently serves as adjunct faculty member at the Lutheran SLutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest in Austin.

Pastor Karli is also active with Conspirare (Craig Hella Johnson & Company of Voices), serving on the board of directors and occasionally singing in larger performances.

Pastor Karli grew up in South Dakota, attended Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota), and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). Previously he served at Christ Lutheran Church in Jeffersontown (Louisville), Kentucky and Trinity Lutheran Church, Valparaiso, Indiana.

He and his wife Trish have two adult sons who live in Austin. He enjoys hiking and backpacking and is avid runner. He has run 8 marathons and ran the Boston Marathon in 2006.