The Rev. Marie Carpenter worked as a special education teacher in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, until 2001. Carpenter received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Rhode Island College. In 2005 she received her master of divinity degree from Andover Newton and was ordained at First Baptist Church in East Greenwich as the associate pastor for elder care and women. Carpenter was called as the pastor of North Foster Baptist Church in February 2007 and now serves as the director of elder care ministries for American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island.