Faculty Profile: Mark Sarver

Mark serves as a lecturer on the theology of the Reformation

Conversion

Having been raised by godly missionaries in India, Mark heard the gospel from infancy, and around his fifth birthday the Holy Spirit brought him to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Shortly thereafter, while taking a shower with his four-year-old brother, Mark said to him, "Paul, you need to repent right now, or you might go down the drain and go to hell!" (God saved Paul, but not right then!) God also instilled in Mark at an early age a love for God-exalting hymns, especially "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise."

Family

Mark married Juanita in 1974. Due to multiple miscarriages, Juanita was only able to carry one child to term, their daughter CeAnn. Juanita is an expert seamstress. CeAnn is married but has been unable to conceive. She teaches music at the College of St. Rose in Albany and teaches over twenty piano students privately. Their adopted son Timothy is a case manager with an agency caring for disadvantaged people and is hoping to carve out a career in music.

Vocation

Mark is employed part-time as one of three pastors of Albany Baptist Church. He is semi-retirement, spending the rest of his time doing research and writing.

Hobbies

On his days off, Mark is usually busy doing carpentry and upkeep on his house. As a St. Louis Cardinals fan, he also enjoys watching the games and keeping up with the ups and downs of the team. Mark enjoys travel, visiting historical sights and museums, and hiking.

Current Ministry Position

As one of three supported elders in Albany Baptist Church, Mark shares in the preaching/teaching load, handle most of the correspondence, and in involved in the oversight of the flock.

Ministry Experience

Mark has been involved in church planting in the Midwest from 1980 through 1987, was an elder at Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, NJ after returning there from the Midwest. Later he was called to the pastorate in Albany, NY in 1989, where he has served ever since. From 1990 through 1997 Mark taught the four courses in historical theology at Trinity Ministerial Academy in Montville.

Education

Mark received his BA from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College (Owatonna, MN). He studied for a year at Baptist Bible School of Theology (Clarks Summit, PA), and completed ministerial training at Trinity Ministerial Academy (Montville, NJ), where he was in the first class to graduate (1980).

Publications

Mark has contributed two chapters to the New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, published by Mentor.

Teaching Experience

From 1990 through 1997 Mark taught all four of the historical theology courses offered by Trinity Ministerial Academy. From the early days of Reformed Baptist Seminary, he has taught the Reformation Church course. He was also a guest lecturer at the John Wycliffe Theological College in Johannesburg, South Africa. More recently he gave seminary level lectures on the theology of the Reformers to the graduates of the Copperbelt Ministerial College in Zambia, at a time when an attempt was being made to start a seminary in Ndola, Zambia.

Research Interests

Mark is writing what he hopes to be five volumes on the theology of the Reformers. He also hopes to complete books on baptism, the early church, justification, and sanctification.