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3150 Vogel Avenue + Abilene, TX 79603 + 325.677.1471 + info@stmarksabilene.org Proudly serving Abilene and Taylor County in the Episcopal Tradition since 1960
Our Parish History
In the Beginning...
In 1959, members of the Heavenly Rest Episcopal Church community were envisioning an outreach mission to serve northern Abilene. An expansion committee headed by Noel Petre was formed. In March 1960, ground was broken for construction of the building that now houses the parish hall on three acres of land donated by Mr. And Mrs. James Skinner. Reverend Lawrence Berry, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Odessa and a member of the standing committee of the diocese officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony. In September, The Rt. Rev. George H. Quarterman, first Bishop of the Diocese of Northwest Texas presided at the dedication ceremony. The new St. Mark's mission consisted of a community of 42 families and with a single building housing the nave, three classrooms, and a kitchen.
In the late '70s it was apparent that St. Mark's facility was too small and that a larger sanctuary was inevitable. The $300,000 addition was finally completed, dedicated, and consecrated in March 1980 with the Rt. Rev. Willis R. Henton, Bishop of the Diocese of Northwest Texas, presiding at the ceremony. The community gathered in the parish hall, the old nave. Then they followed the Bishop to the front door of the nave where he knocked on the door and blessed the threshold before entering; The symbolic knock and blessing were followed by a regular worship service.
The year 1982 brought a dramatic change to the St. Mark's community as Father Eastburn left after 21 years to become rector of St. Stephen's parish in Lubbock.
In February 1983, Rev. Charles Chatham of Little Rock, Arkansas became rector. Also in 1983, regular Eucharist/Healing services on a mid-week basis started. After nine years as rector, Father Chatham resigned effective December 1991 to become rector of Grace Episcopal church in Morganton, North Carolina.
In 1988, Greg Sinclair was raised up and ordained as St. Mark's first non-stipendiary deacon.
In June 1993 Rev. Ann Finn became rector followed by the Rev. Kelly Schneider in August of 1997. In 2000, the Rev. Monte Jones came as interim rector of St. Mark's for a year. We have been using different interim priests since Rev. Monte left.
Shaping Our Future Today
Through this approach to Community Ministry, St. Mark's selected one of its members, Jim Smart, who has also been called by God, to serve as a Local Priest (formerly known as a Canon IX Priest) for the parish. A Local Priest is a person who is called by a small, isolated, remote or distinctively ethnic congregation. One licensed to be a Local Priest will demonstrate competencies in Liturgy, Church History, Holy Scripture, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Church’s Teachings. This is a wonderful opportunity for St. Mark's to embark upon a new means of ministry. This is also a golden opportunity for new beginnings in the parish.
Recent Events
And our story continues to develop!
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Our look at the history of St.
Mark's is for some a recall of memories past. For others, it is a
learning process about unknown information. But for all, it can and
should be a celebration of past, present and future events not of a
building, but a community of people dedicated to serving God and
each other. 
In March 1961, Rev. William W.
Eastburn accepted the appointment as the first Vicar of St, Mark's
Mission. Rev. Eastburn, his wife and children moved from Odessa to
join our community. July 1962 saw the construction of the "Education
Wing" of the mission building, adding classrooms, offices and the
current library. 
Thanks to the foresight of Father
Eastburn and as a symbol of the St. Mark's congregation's ties to
the original Abilene Episcopal community, a stone from the original
Episcopal church at North 3rd and Orange Streets was placed in the
front building and serves as a cornerstone of the nave. 
Beginning the year 2002, St. Mark's
started Community Ministry as an opportunity for renewal.
Community Ministry is an approach which seeks to renew and
strengthen the life and mission of St. Mark's Church. The initial
stage is known as "Discernment." Discernment has three specific
goals: reflection on the biblical understanding and theology of
ministry, intentional discernment, recognition, and celebration of
individual gifts & talents identification and call of persons to
ordained, licensed, and commissioned ministries. 
At the retirement of Deacon Greg Sinclair, another
member of our congregation, Peggy Valentine, was called to ministry
in the deaconate. After a few years of study through the program for
deacons in the Diocese of Northwest Texas, Peggy was ordained by
Bishop Ohl in 2007 as a Deacon and has been placed at St. Mark's on
a permanent basis. 