Who is the Presbyterian pastor who won on ‘Jeopardy!’?

A: This Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastor came from behind Wednesday to win Wednesday's episode of “Jeopardy!”

Q: Who is the Rev. Kristin Franke of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.?

In Wednesday’s episode of the iconic syndicated game show, Franke went into the Final Jeopardy round $1,500 behind two-day defending champion Justin Robbins of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Neither contestant got the correct response to the final jeopardy clue: “On its 35th anniversary in 2026, this film was said to have ‘shattered … gender stereotypes’ & embodied ‘unwavering friendship.’” The answer was “What is Thelma & Louise?" 

But Franke made a modest bet of only $1,400 while Robbins bet $8,801, giving Franke the game with $8,900. (To give credit where it’s due, second-place finisher Ben Meyerson was the only player to get the correct answer.)

Thursday morning, Franke said she cannot remember life without “Jeopardy!” and has been taking the Jeopardy! anytime test, which is the first step to being on the show, since 2012.

Once she got the call to be on the show, Franke took a page from “Jeopardy!” super champion James Holzhauer’s playbook, reading a lot of children’s non-fiction to bone up on her general knowledge, particularly in areas she said she felt a bit weak, like world history.

Her first episodes were recorded Aug. 26, which was notable because it was the day after music icon Dolly Parton died, and Franke said the “Remembering Dolly Parton” category that appeared in the second half of Wednesday’s episode was written the day of the recording.

“It’s sort of surreal because you’ve watched it on TV, so you recognize exactly what the set looks like,” Franke said of being on "Jeopardy!" “I've heard somebody saying it is both larger and smaller than you expect the set to look like, because you've seen it so many times. But then to be there in real life is a surprise.”

Franke has had a big year, being ordained in March at National Presbyterian Church, where she serves as associate pastor for next generation formation. She came to the church as director of youth ministries and has worked in youth ministry for 20 years. 

In her conversation with “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings in the interview segment, Franke talked about her affinity for Ultimate Frisbee, which she said she started playing in college and continued playing competitively overseas in Hong Kong, Japan, London, Prague, Dubai and Italy, prompting Jennings to marvel, “Three continents of Ultimate. I didn’t know it was sweeping the globe.”

Franke replied, “Oh, it is,” noting there’s a movement to make it an Olympic sport. On Thursday morning, Franke said she didn’t know if Ultimate had been an asset in youth ministry, but “playing sports does make me ultra-competitive for something like Jeopardy!”

Franke started Wednesday’s game slow, but then rolled up four out of five answers in the Kid Lit category and went into the first break with a modest lead. She entered the Double Jeopardy round well behind Robbins, but came back with correct answers in categories about gems and six-syllable words. A missed Daily Double bet set her back, but she came back again and briefly pulled ahead when Robbins also fumbled a Daily Double. He mounted a comeback setting up a final showdown.

“I'm not a very super confident movie knowledge person,” Franke said of her bet in the Final Jeopardy category, “The movies.” “So I knew that the odds that I would get it right would be low. If you’re in second place and you go all in, the first-place person can always cover you. So, you’re risking a lot to get zero or to get second place either way. So, I decided to bet with the hopes that the person who was in first place would miss.”

Franke said she never would have come up with “Thelma & Louise,” and she was surprised that Robbins missed.

Franke’s frugal bet means she will be on Thursday’s episode as the returning champion. “Jeopardy!” contestants continue to compete until they lose a game. Players who win five games or more are automatically invited to the show’s Tournament of Champions. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

“Everybody who goes on the show is so incredibly smart, so incredibly talented, that it was a huge surprise,” Franke said. “Getting on the show was the goal, and everything else was this cherry on top.”

Clergy are no strangers to Jeopardy. Lately Episcopalians have been making their mark with 2024 three-game-winner the Rev. Kevin Laskowski of Centreville, Virginia, who went on to the Tournament of Champions, and in 2022 the Rev. David Sibley of Walla Walla, Washington won four games and advanced to the TOC.

“Jeopardy!” streams on Peacock and Hulu. Franke’s first episode is Season 43, Week 3, Episode 13.