Pastor Mark

Mark was five years old when he first experienced the movie Star Wars. The saga has been an integral aspect of his life ever since.  Growing up he moved around quite a bit, following his dad who worked for Lowe’s Hardware:  Boone, Asheboro, Seagrove, Greensboro, Troy, Norwood, Mt. Airy, and Seagrove again.  His first day of high school at Southwestern Randolph High School he did not know a soul.  In high school he learned it is okay to be inquisitive, fell in love with literature, and found a niche in drama.  

He applied to North Carolina State University with hopes of being an Architect.  He graduated in 1995 with a degree in Religious Studies.  He learned taking a leap of faith involves risk without certainty of the outcome, found a love of the Hebrew language, and the blessing of second and third chances. 

He entered Duke Divinity School anticipating pursuing a PhD and teaching at the college level.  He graduated in 1998 pursuing ordained ministry in the Western North Carolina Conference.  He has served a variety of appointments:  High Point, Concord, Gastonia, Charlotte, Monroe, Weddington, Southern Union County, Pineville, and now Covenant.  He has learned lessons in each appointment, many the hard way.  He continues to learn that God’s grace is sufficient, even for him.​  In May of 2021, he fulfilled the lifelong dream of pursuing a doctoral degree graduating from Candler School of Theology at Emory University with a Doctor in Ministry in Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation.

Mark has four amazing children.  EC is a graduate of Charlotte Latin ’20 and recently graduated as a Theatre Major at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington concentrating in Performance and Technical Theatre. James is a graduate of Central Academy of Technology and Arts ’21 in Monroe and is in his third year at UNCW as a Film Studies Major. Bridget is taking classes at CPCC and will be attending Appalachian State University in Fall 2025. William is a Freshman at Charlotte Latin.  In November 2024, Mark married the love of his life, Andrea Conder. Andrea is a United Methodist Pastor currently serving Myers Memorial UMC in Gastonia. Mark and Andrea are kept on their toes by the ever-affectionate and mischievous four-year-old Airedoodle, Cokie. (Named after the late Cokie Roberts, Journalist and Political Commentator).