Pastor

Rev. Mark Pridmore was born in Startex, South Carolina--a small, textile-mill town of about 500 people. Thanks to his father's enlistment in the U.S. Air Force, Mark was educated all over the world, including the U.S., the Philippine Islands, and England. His involvement in MCC began in 1982, when he became part of a small group of people that went on to charter MCC Gainesville (now Trinity MCC) in Gainesville, Florida. After living in Florida several years, Mark came to the midwest to finish college. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. Soon after graduation he met his spouse, Larry, and moved to Kansas City. He graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. Larry and the rest of Mark's family are now nudging him on to begin studies toward a Doctor of Ministry degree.

After his graduation from Saint Paul, Mark and Larry moved to St. Louis, where Mark completed his candidacy and ordination requirements under the outstanding guidance of Rev. Dr. Bob Goss and Rev. Teena Carpenter. He was ordained on Pentecost Sunday in 2000 at MCC of Greater St. Louis, with his family present and participating in his ordination.

Mark was reared in the Methodist Church until he was seven years old, when his father joined the U.S. Air Force. They immediately began moving every two to three years, thus giving Mark a solid, inter-denominational perspective of God and the church--an exceptional foundation for ministry in MCC! His family's years with the Air Force taught him to have an open mind and to appreciate people from different lands, languages, cultures, belief systems, and hemispheres.

Wherever Mark has lived, he has always been active in the life of local MCC churches, serving in various capacities including Boards of Directors, managing a church bookstore, the diaconate, chaplain, and coordinator of small group ministries.

Mark is an avid dog lover and tennis player. He and his spouse Larry met in 1988 and celebrated a Holy Union in April 1991. Mark was installed as pastor of Eternal Joy MCC in September 2004.