“I grew up in a Catholic family in New York City,” Kenneth recalls. “When I was a freshman in college, on spring break, an aunt in Florida shared the Gospel with me. By God’s grace, when I returned to college, I was converted.”

Kenneth receiving a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in 1982, then worked for two years as a corporate advertising and marketing manager.

Kenneth has been a part of Covenant Life since 1985. He was a part of the staff for five years at what is now Sovereign Grace Ministries.

He attended the School of Ministry, predecessor to the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College, in 1990-91, then joined the pastoral team in July 1991. He served at different times Singles Ministry, Married Couples ministry, College Ministry and International ministry. Evangelism and outreach ministries became Kenneth’s primary focus in 1997, among them the burgeoning Alpha program on the basics of the Christian faith.

In November 2004, Kenneth stepped into a larger role as one of two executive pastors. He is responsible for overseeing the pastoral ministries of Covenant Life Church, as well as leading the church in leadership training and church planting.

He also serves C.J. Mahaney in providing counsel and care to the pastoral teams of other Sovereign Grace churches in the Washington/Baltimore region, as well as a church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that was planted out of Covenant Life in 2003.

“My heart is most passionate about seeing the lost reached through church planting and evangelism as well as equipping men and in particular pastors to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives,” Kenneth says.

“I grew up in the Bronx, but am a Mets fan,” notes Kenneth, whose other hobbies and interests include a passionate pursuit of his wife Valori, golfing with his sons, history books, Russian literature, and the works of John Owen.

Kenneth, his wife Valori, and their five sons reside in Montgomery Village.

“I love bringing the gospel to the downcast, neglected, or downtrodden,” says Mark, who has overseen Mercy Ministries since 2002. Priorities include Prison Ministry, Community Outreach, Elderly Care, Tutoring and Mentoring, Single Parents, and Soup Kitchen.

Born in Los Angeles to Jamaican parents, Mark responded to the gospel at age 8 in Tampa, Fla., which became home after family moves that took him from the Bronx, N.Y., to Port Antonio, Jamaica.

The precocious youth graduated high school as class valedictorian two weeks after turning 16. Mark went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from University of Florida (1988) and Georgia Tech (’90). In God’s plan, he put aside a rewarding, science-based career to answer the call to pastoral ministry.

In 1993, newly married and 25, Mark embarked on more than two years of evaluation by serving our Singles Ministry while working full time. “I began to realize that my ‘passion’ for my job was diminishing, and my passion for serving in the church was growing,” he recalls.

Mark joined our pastoral team in April 1996. He taught and led Singles Ministry until 2002, when he took on oversight of Mercy Ministries.        

His greatest passion there?  “The men and women in Prison Ministry provoke me by their joyful service and love for the inmates,” Mark says. “We’ve been able to build some wonderful friendships.  I am amazed that God would use such a poor and unimpressive man as myself to make a difference in their lives.”

Mark, wife Terri, and their three children reside in the Gaithersburg area.