Katina Sharp

Rev. Dr. Katina Sharp is a Presbyterian pastor, community advocate, and candidate for County Commission At-Large (Seat 10) in Knox County, Tennessee. A lifelong advocate for justice, inclusion, and equity, she is the first openly LGBTQ+ pastor ordained in the Presbytery of East Tennessee and a pioneering voice for affirming faith in Appalachia. Katina serves as pastor of Powell Presbyterian Church in Knox County, where she has built a congregation rooted in radical welcome and community care. She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree and brings to public life a prior career in counseling and behavioral health. She is the author of Put Your Hands Up, a published collection of sermons, and her doctoral dissertation “He, She, They, Ze: How Pronoun Usage Impacts the Ministry of the Church.” A builder of community across lines of difference, Katina is the co-founder of Seeds of Abraham, an interfaith youth ministry, and a founding chair of Pride Interfaith Knox. She created Affirmed, an LGBTQ+ affirming ministry, and has spent her career weaving together faith, justice, and public advocacy in ways that cross traditional boundaries. She lives in Knoxville with her partner Whitney, their four sons, and two rescue dogs Shostakovich and Rosemary Jane.