Welcome to the
Reverend Mark A. Medina,
Covenant's Transitional Interim Minister
On Sunday, June 16, Session approved the recommendation of the Interim Pastor Search Committee to hire the Reverend Mark M. Medina (pronounced Medeena) as Covenant's Transitional Interim Pastor. The Reverend Medina will start his work with Covenant on September 1.
Mark Andrew Medina was born and raised in Alamosa, Colorado. He is the youngest son of the late Rev. Dr. Joe L. Medina and the late Doris Medina. He has two sisters and one brother and two adult daughters, Ruthann and Rachel. Ruthann and her husband Trent Thompson, who is an organic farmer outside of Battle Creek, Michigan, have one daughter Jorah May. Rachel and her husband Jonathon Templin, who is also an organic farmer outside Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mark and Judy Beattie Medina have been married since October 5, 2013.
The University of New Mexico is where Mark received his degree in Education. He received his Master of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Illinois and later concentrated on Ethics and Christian Education at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He was ordained on May 26, 1985.
Mark has served on the Synod Mission Council and Campus Ministry Committee in the Synod of Mid-America and the Mission Council and Personnel Committee for the Synod of the Southwest. His Presbytery involvement includes serving on a Stewardship & Interpretation Committee, Small Membership Task Force, and Foundation Board. He has served on North Central Iowa, Lake Michigan, and Giddings-Lovejoy Presbyteries Committee on Ministry. He is active in the work of the presbytery in which he is serving and working with other Interim Pastors.
Mark has served as an Interim Senior Pastor in Independence, Missouri, Interim Associate Pastor in two large membership congregations in the suburbs of St. Louis at Webster Groves and Ladue Chapel and was the Interim Senior Pastor in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania where he served the Presbyterian Church of Falling Spring. He was Interim Senior Pastor with the Towson Presbyterian Church in Towson, Maryland. He comes to Covenant from his most recent congregation Valley Presbyterian Church in Green Valley, Arizona where he served as interim transitional pastor.
Mark believes in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and guides his life as he seeks to do what the Lord asks of him. One of the passages that give him confidence is
John 15:4-5
where Jesus said
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”
