Celebrating a Faithful Servant

Father Mac is retiring! He is a San Diego native raised in National City, where he helped out at his dad’s television repair shop. He went to Sweetwater High before going on to SDSU, majoring in literature and discovering Bob Dylan.

He was raised Methodist and also worshiped as a Pentecostal. He attended Point Loma Nazarene, worked in sales and heeded God’s call. Father Mac graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1987. He served at the cathedral and at St. Bartholomew’s, Poway before arriving at St. Mark’s in 1998. While at St. Mark’s he encouraged the congregation to become even more involved with the City Heights community, identifying gaps in services, specifically around food insecurity. He spoke and preached on poverty, loving your neighbors and social justice.

He brought the gospels to life and gently and effectively called the congregation of St. Mark’s to embrace its mission. Father Mac called us to worship, called us together, called us to the Holy Spirit.

He called us to welcome the stranger, seek justice and grace, touch the lonely, remember the forgotten, comfort the sad and celebrate the miracles. He has called St. Mark’s to fearless love, to feed the hungry, to provide solace to the hurting, to celebrate joy and to see the risen Christ in the face of each one we encounter.Father Mac is retiring!

He is a San Diego native raised in National City, where he helped out at his dad’s television repair shop. He went to Sweetwater High before going on to SDSU, majoring in literature and discovering Bob Dylan. He was raised Methodist and also worshipped as a Pentecostal. He attended Point Loma Nazarene, worked in sales and heeded God’s call.

Father Mac graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1987.

He served at the cathedral and at St. Bartholomew’s, Poway before arriving at St. Mark’s in 1998. While at St. Mark’s he encouraged the congregation to become even more involved with the City Heights community, identifying gaps in services, specifically around food insecurity.

He spoke and preached on poverty, loving your neighbors and social justice.

He brought the gospels to life and gently and effectively called the congregation of St. Mark’s to embrace its mission. Father Mac called us to worship, called us together, called us to the Holy Spirit.

He called us to welcome the stranger, seek justice and grace, touch the lonely, remember the forgotten, comfort the sad and celebrate the miracles.

He has called St. Mark’s to fearless love, to feed the hungry, to provide solace to the hurting, to celebrate joy and to see the risen Christ in the face of each one we encounter.

He is leaving a grateful and blessed congregation. He is leaving a congregation brought forth to act in God’s love, and to witness stories and transformations. Plus the coffee and salvation are free. Membership has its privileges! We embrace him as he goes forth in his retirement and we celebrate his kindness, warmth, humor and grace. We celebrate his ministry and we are most joyful that he brought us forth to live out the gospels in real and tangible ways. +