While attending the University of Cincinnati on a football scholarship, the Lord revealed the true meaning of Christianity to Carl through the ministry of Athletes in Action.  He graduated from U.C. with an Economics degree. He attended The Master’s Seminary (TMS) where he graduated with a M.Div. and Th.M. degree. He is making preparation for his Doctoral studies at The Master’s Seminary and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Pastoral Ministries Department.

He has a passion for foreign missions: he serves as a board member for T.E.A.R.S. Ministries (Dominican Republic and Haiti).  He is the coordinator for the Los Angeles Men’s Bible Conference, which attracts hundreds of men each year and challenges them to grow deeper in their faith and be more effective in ministry.  He is the founder of Higher View Ministries, which seeks to bring a higher of God to the urban community through joint efforts in ministry to men, foreign missions, and developing biblical resources.

Pastor Hargrove is a contributing author to Secret Sex Wars: A Battle Cry for Purity.  He is a member and certified counselor with the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors.  After graduating from TMS in 1993, he was ordained and sent out by Grace Community Church of Sun Valley, California to plant a church in the Los Angeles area. From that endeavor, Westside Bible Church was born, where he pastored until 2006.  In April of 2007, he assumed the Pastorate of Fairview Heights Baptist Church. His life verse is 1 Chronicles 28:9, 10. He and his wife, Joanna, have five children.