Mark is the founder and CEO of Ministry Architects, the co-founder of Ministry Incubators and the Center for Youth Ministry Training, and the founder of Justice Industries. Mark served as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee from 1986 through 2014.
Mark is the author of a number of books, including Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry, and the co-author of Sustainable Children’s Ministry and Sustainable Young Adult Ministry. Mark and his wife, Susan, co-authored a book on the first year of marriage (with their good friends, Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth) entitled The Most Important Year in a Woman’s Life/The Most Important Year in a Man’s Life.
Mark is a graduate of Baylor University and Princeton Theological Seminary and has taught courses or been a guest lecturer at more than 20 different colleges and seminaries, including Duke Divinity School (Durham, NC), Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, NJ), and Vanderbilt Divinity School (Nashville, TN). He has offered ministry training and consulting across the United States and in more than a dozen countries, working with a wide variety of Christian traditions and denominations.
Mark and Susan have been married since 1979 and make their home in Nashville, TN. They have three grown children: Adam, Debbie, and Leigh, and four grandchildren: Parish, Nealy, Liam, and Jack.
The Uncovered Dish Christian Leadership Podcast is a bi-monthly podcast on Christian leadership by the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey that uncovers stories, equips leaders, and changes the world. In this gospel-centered podcast hosts James Lee and Kaitlynn Deal invite guest on the show to share, discuss, and journey with listeners on what churches and congregations…
The Evanescent Generation Any young adult living in the Millennial generation has experienced this situation in some form or another, imagine you’re part of it right now. It’s finally the weekend, and your friends are busy preparing an evening out. The five of you haven’t been together in, what feels like, months and you’re eager…
I’ll admit it; I’m a sucker for reality television. There’s just something about sitting in my living room watching you in your living room that is entertaining! Believe it or not, my wife and I were recently featured on a reality TV show where viewers watched us buy a house. Spoiler alert: we chose the third one. Who knew…
If you and I spent an hour together over coffee here in Nashville, there’s a great chance that somewhere in the conversation that dreaded “S” word would come up. My kids have a great time making fun of me about it (and even take bets on how long it will take me to say it)….