Mark is delighted to be working as Co-lead Minister with Ha Na Park. As a team their skills compliment each other and Mark appreciates the diverse perspectives, skills and trust he and Ha Na share and that is also within the combined ministry and program staff. The emergence of Broad View United through the amalgamation process has brought forth an abundance of possibilities with the combining of resources and enthusiastic volunteers and congregants. He is looking forward to continuing to get to know this new congregation and many others who have attached themselves to this ministry.
Mark moved to Victoria in 2003 to accept a call to serve in ministry with the people of Cadboro Bay in a time of great change. So it was good that Mark Is happiest when there is a challenge in front of him and the possibility of leading change is his task. He enjoys the opportunity to work with a variety of people and see the ways the different combinations of people bring unexpected yet amazing results. He places a strong emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, creativity and right relationship and seeks to help others find their ability to put their faith into action.
Mark’s start in ministry was at Naramata Center in the Tentmakers Youth ministry program. It was his internal test to see if a profession in the church was really the right thing for him. He served in a large church in Calgary as a Youth Minister and discovered it was indeed both a love and a calling. His undergraduate degree in Psychology was mostly done at U of A and from there he headed to Toronto to do graduate theological work at the Center for Christian Studies and the Toronto School of Theology. Upon completion he served for 6 years in the small town of Wetaskiwin, AB, 10 years in Red Deer, AB. He was called to Cadboro Bay United in 2003.
He has a passion for music and the way music forms the spiritual rhythm and flow of worship. He is delighted to be working with a very talented team of musicians. He is also passionate about issues of Justice as they relate to First Nations Reconciliation, poverty and homelessness, LGBQT2S+ inclusion and refugees.
Mark is a movie buff, an avid reader, and a lover of a wide variety of music. He enjoys cooking for friends and family as it is one of the few things he does in life that has “instant results”. When he can, he loves to travel locally and around the world and his travels have shaped his world view and his theology. He and his partner Jacquelin have 4 children who both delight and challenge them daily. They are his greatest teachers in life. Mark enjoys nothing better than the company of good friends, good conversation, good single malt, and time in a hot tub.
