[1] Later in life, he has been ordained as minister of ELCA and serves as part-time associate pastor for Finnish Lutheran Church in California and Texas (under Southwest California ELCA synod).
In 1991, he moved his family to Thailand and taught at the Full Gospel Bible College in Bangkok.
Three years later he returned to Finland, becoming president of the Iso Kirja Bible College in Keuruu in 1994.
[4] Kärkkäinen has written textbooks offering "global introductions" to pneumatology, ecclesiology, and christology.
[5][6][7][8] According to Amos Yong, he is "fast becoming one of the more important theologians to be reckoned with in our time.