Pastor Mark Lawrence – Biography
I have recently completed my fifth year as pastor of the Carmel–Coles Point Charge, and I now bring 16 years of ministry experience to this appointment. One truth has become clearer with every passing year: the more experience I gain, the more I recognize how much I still have to learn. For that reason, I rely daily on the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life and ministry.
I have been genuinely happy to serve in this rural community. It feels familiar and deeply meaningful to me. I was raised in a similar rural setting in Pennsylvania, the son of a dairy farmer and truck driver. From an early age, I learned the value of hard work, faithfulness, and showing up when you are needed—lessons that have shaped both my life and my ministry.
After graduating from high school, I attended a vocational school in West Chicago, Illinois, where I studied greenhouse management and floriculture. I spent ten years working in the greenhouse industry, growing flowers and bedding plants. Later, my wife and I owned and operated a screen printing and embroidery business in the Fredericksburg area for nearly thirty years combined. These years of hands-on, blue-collar work continue to inform how I understand people, community, and stewardship.
I was raised Roman Catholic but left the church when I moved away from home. For many years, my spiritual journey took place in non-denominational churches. Eventually, my wife and I found our church home at Grace United Methodist Church in Hartwood, Virginia. That congregation faithfully supported us as I began to discern and respond to God’s call to ordained ministry.
I served for eleven years as a bi-vocational pastor at Mount Vernon and St. Paul’s United Methodist Churches. During that time, I completed the five-year Course of Study at Duke Divinity School while continuing to serve those congregations I still hold dear.
Because this appointment was part-time, I have worked in a wide variety of roles to meet my responsibilities. In addition to running my own advertising specialties business, I have worked at a vineyard, for The Freelance Star newspaper, the U.S. Census Bureau, and most recently at an Amazon sort center. These experiences have kept me grounded and connected to the daily realities faced by many people in our communities.
I have been happily married to my wife, Georgia Pennock-Lawrence—known to most as “Sally”—for 29 years. She is truly the light of my life and a faithful partner in ministry. Sally has two children, Michael and Melanie, from a previous marriage, and I have two sons, John and Paul, from a previous marriage. All of our children are grown and largely on their own, though Melanie is currently living with us due to circumstances beyond her control.
I am deeply grateful for the warm welcome, encouragement, and continued support I have received from the people of Carmel and Coles Point. It is a privilege to serve these congregations, and I give thanks to God for the opportunity to grow in faith and ministry alongside you.