Fr. Mark R. Turner – Rector (Senior Pastor)

Fr. Mark Turner is married to his best friend and wife, Lee. They have been married for 23 years, and have a 13-year-old son named E.J. While Lee had grown up in the Methodist church, Mark was not raised in the church and came to know the Lord through conversion in February 1994 while reciting the Apostles' Creed. Mark and Lee were very involved in leadership at First United Methodist Church, both singing in the choir and with the Praise Team. Mark taught adult Bible study, headed the FUMC chapter of the United Methodist Men, and served on the FUMC Administrative Board. In 1997 Mark and Lee sensed God calling them away from the Methodist church and, responding to an invitation from a co-worker, they visited St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, they began attending there in November of 1997. In 1998 Mark began sensing that God was calling him to the priesthood and began the discernment process at the same time he and Lee were confirmed into the Anglican Communion. In 2000, Mark was preparing to go to seminary and, after much prayer and discussion regarding the direction of TEC, opted to become a part of a new Anglican movement based out of the Province of Rwanda. After meeting with the newly consecrated missionary bishop, The Rt. Rev. Chuck Murphy, Mark enrolled at Cranmer Theological House as an AMiA postulant.

Fr. Mark served in the United States Marine Corps from 1980-1984, is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College (1990) and Cranmer Theological House (2003).

He left a career as a golf administrator and rules official to go to seminary in 2000. He was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Province of Rwanda in 2004. Fr. Mark served under Fr. Clark Lowenfield at HopePointe Church in the Woodlands, TX, before transitioning to missional work and church plant training prior to accepting his first call as rector. In 2006 Fr. Mark worked as an area coordinator for the Louis Palau Cityfest. In 2008 Fr. Mark spent three weeks in Rwanda teaching at Kigali Anglican Theological College. He still plays the occasional round of golf, is an avid distance runner, and is currently training for his second marathon and first triathlon. His long-term fitness goal is to complete an Iron Man triathlon by age 55. He moved with his family to Baton Rouge in March 2009 and is the rector of All Saints Anglican Church.

"As the first rector of All Saints, I am excited to be the senior pastor for  a growing and great congregation. Both my wife, Lee, and our son, EJ have fallen in love with Baton Rouge: the city, the people, and the culture. I look forward to sharing in what God is doing with All Saints as we seek to be faithful Christ followers on mission for the in-breaking of the kingdom of God."

IHN

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