Our Vision - Our Future

St. Mark's will be a growing, diverse and vibrant Christian family providing worship, fellowship and learning that is compassionate, loving and accepting of all. We will expand our visibility, increase our membership, involve our youth, engage our adult members, reach out to our neighborhood, realize the talents of our existing family and encompass their needs by 2009, the 100th anniversary of St. Mark's.

Our Mission - Who We Are Now

St. Mark's, an Episcopal Church founded on Anglican heritage, serves the religious, spiritual and cultural needs of our parishioners, our neighboring community and the world. We offer this ministry through Eucharistic-centered liturgy, outreach to our community, and fellowship reflecting our Christian values of love, compassion and forgiveness.

The Rev’d. Jeremy M. Warnick
Rector

Fr. Jeremy began his ministry as the 20th Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church during Holy Week 2007.  He came to Arizona from New Bern, North Carolina where he had been serving as the Vicar of Christ Episcopal Church in New Bern and the sometime Vicar of St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church in New Bern.  As Vicar of Christ Church, Fr. Jeremy served on a clergy team of three where he had specific responsibility for Outreach and Social Ministry and for the care of the young families of Christ Church.  As a sign of healing and unity, Fr. Jeremy also joined the historic black parish of St. Cyprian’s Church in New Bern and served as their part-time vicar. 

His prior contexts for ministry include serving as Rector of St. Mark’s Church in Yonkers, New York; Chaplain to Grace Church and Grace Church School in New York City; and Curate of St. Timothy’s Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Fr. Jeremy graduated from The General Theological Seminary in New York and was ordained in the Diocese of Pennsylvania.

He is married to Jennifer Salvatori and they have one daughter named Abigail.  Fr. Jeremy enjoys music of all kinds, kayaking, hiking, cooking and the culinary arts, and travel both nationally and internationally.  The Warnick family looks forward to discovering the joys of life in Arizona and in Mesa.

When asked about his ministry, Fr. Jeremy replied:

"When I left my home parish to attend seminary in preparation to be ordained a priest, a wise elder of the congregation said to me, "Remember, the most important thing that you will do is to love the people you serve." Her admonition continues to inform every aspect of my ministry. The great invitation of God is that we might love God with all our being, love our neighbors, and love ourselves. Loving God involves living a life rooted in prayer, in corporate worship, and in seeking God's presence in the stranger. It is a life in which we continually seek to know God more deeply through study and through the experience of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Loving the neighbor involves seeking the face of Christ in the neighbor and seeking what is good for the neighbor. It is a life in which we are concerned with justice for all and in which we live in solidarity with the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Loving the self involves living a life of honesty and humility. We seek to know ourselves more fully by practicing disciplines of self-awareness and spiritual discernment.

"In all aspects of my ministry, I try faithfully to be about the practice of sharing God's love. I am passionate about doing this through Christian Education and Formation, through worship, through justice-oriented outreach to the wider community, and through ongoing pastoral care to God's people. I seek to meet Christ in the stranger and to find my own knowledge and love of God deepened by the witness of the stranger. I also enjoy the process of challenging others and being challenged by others in sharing life experience of God and in discerning God's movement in the world today."

Randy Rogers

Randal Allyn Rogers was baptized, confirmed and married at St. Mark's. He attended Sunday school and became one of the youngest acolytes to serve the church. Following high school he married Lori Ann Cruikshank of Mesa. Randy attended Mesa Community College and then worked for the City of Tempe for many years. In 2000, he was asked by the Priest to join the staff. He is currently the Operations Officer and supervises all office procedures and oversees the maintenance of the buildings and the grounds. He serves as the Master of Ceremonies and also takes part in the music at St. Mark's by playing his trumpet with the Chancel Choir and organist. Randal and Lori have one daughter, Kaitlin Elizabeth.

John McIlray

John McIlray has been a church organist and choirmaster for 42 years and Director of Music at St. Mark's since January, 1997. Starting at St. James Episcopal Church, Eatontown, NJ at the age of 16, John graduated from Westminster Choir College at Princeton, NJ in 1970. He has resided in Arizona since 1977. Listed in Who's Who In America, John studied organ with Frederick Swann (National President of the American Guild of Organists), James Litton (editor of the 1982 Hymnal) and Robert Carwithen. He taught for the Mesa Public Schools for 24 years, retiring in 2001. Having visited the United Kingdom eight times, John strives to bring the tradition of English church music to St. Mark's through its affiliation with the Royal School of Church Music.

Chris Perry

Chris Perry has been the leader of the praise band since 2004. He plays guitar, piano, flute and also sings. During the week Chris works as the Music Director at Basis Scottsdale Middle School where he directs the band, orchestra and teaches both piano and general music classes. He is happily married to his lovely wife, Anali.