Meet Matt and Kari
Matt and Kari Perkins bring more than three decades of combined experience in worship and creative arts ministry to First Baptist Cleveland. Matt is a relational, high-capacity pastor and creative arts leader who has spent 30+ years shaping worship, production, and weekend experiences at churches in Wisconsin, Florida, and California. He has a proven track record of navigating organizational transitions, developing people, and building strong, healthy ministry cultures. He has also been a featured vocalist on recordings with Disney and Sony Music.
Matt and Kari were both widowed in 2015 and married in 2017. They have a blended family of seven children and eight grandchildren. Together, they have turned their own journey of loss into a ministry of hope, co-authoring The Grief to Growth Pathway and founding Grief to Growth®, a nonprofit equipping churches nationwide with emotional health and life-transition resources. Kari serves alongside Matt in worship ministry and carries a heart for children's and family ministry.