The Basics

I wanted to tell you that it has been absolutely wonderful to be a part of your church. I was raised Pentecostal so you can imagine that I was not accepted for who i am. When I was 17 my youth pastor called me out of the service for a talk and explained to me that allowing me to continue to attend his church as an open homosexual was equivalent to allowing a person to sell drugs in his church. So, he asked me to either deny my sexuality or be asked to leave the church. Naturally, I said that I didn't need his church anyway and left. Since then I have wandered around and never really felt safe and comfortable in a church. Even one's that accepted homosexuals. So here we are, 20 years later and I finally feel safe and comfortable in a church. Thank you for being a part of that.

My introduction to St. Mark’s came in late 1981, mostly as an accommodation to my mother after I moved back to Jonesboro. I became actively involved due to the open arms of The Rev. Patrick Murray and leaders of the parish community at that time. They all showed me the rewards from the many avenues of all-inclusive service St. Mark’s offers to my personal family, our church family, the diocesan family and to the community at large. I always have been surprised (maybe “frustrated” is a better word) that more people don’t know the Episcopal story.