Pastor, Staff, Council

Pastor Scott Maxwell

Pastor Scott was called to the ministry after a career in the hospitality industry. He entered the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS), where he earned a Master’s in Divinity (M.Div.) degree and was ordained into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1999.

He served three congregations prior to joining our St Mark’s family in 2016. His favorite Bible verse guides his passion to serve in ministry: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8.) Pastor Scott’s passion is to empower and equip those he leads for the work of ministry in the community. Striving to always be relevant, his weekly preaching seeks to relate the ancient stories of the Bible with the challenges we face today. Residing in north Wilmington, Pastor Scott shares life with his wife and best friend, Candy. Together, they enjoy being grandparents, exploring Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, trying unique cuisines, watching the top 100 movies of all times and being taken on walks by their two golden retriever dogs, Jackson and Axel.

St. Mark’s Ministry Staff Team

Our congregation is blessed to have a dedicated staff, working together to coordinate and provide support for our services, music ministries, outreach, care of the facility and many other activities.

Gail Rodger, director of faith formation. Gail has been serving at St. Mark’s since 2010. She coordinates many educational activities for the congregation, including Sunday school, adult education, retreats, special events and
Gail Rodger
outreach. A favorite verse is Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

John Lasher, interim music director.
John Lasher
John plays organ, piano and keyboards and serves at both the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. He also provides special music during many events throughout the year. He grew up in Newark, Delaware, where he was active in church music starting at the age of 7. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Cairn University, where he also studied Bible and theology. In addition to his musical endeavors, John is an accomplished actor, having appeared in featured roles with the Wilmington Drama League, Milburn Stone Theatre in Cecil County, Md., and with Beacon Theatre Productions in Philadelphia. He builds computers as a. hobby, enjoys cooking and drives for Über.

Cheryl Denneny, office manager. Cheryl juggles the details of just about everything and will most likely be the one who answers the phone when you call the office. She can assist with scheduling questions and point you to the right person to get the information you need. Cheryl volunteers with the Presbyterian Women in the New Castle Presbytery and serves on the Board of Directors with her husband, Ray, for the Delmarva Emmaus and Chrysalis Community. She and Ray have four children, six grandchildren, two cats and one dog.

Rick Johnson, sexton. Rick maintains our facilities, keeps things running smoothly and ensures the property is in good
Rick Johnson
repair. He is a widower with two adult children. He works as a conservation technician for Wilmington State Parks and loves to read, travel and cook.

St. Mark’s Leadership Council

The St. Mark’s Leadership Council works with Pastor Scott to establish congregational priorities and policies. Officers include:

Lois Broeker, president
Kitty Dombroski, vice president
Peg Bradley, secretary
Karen Hansell, financial secretary

Committees and Council Liaisons:

Dave Herrmann, worship
Kyle Schuldt, Christian service
Brian Schmidt, communications
Barbara Sheridan, evangelism
Bill Fuson, property
Tim Bishop, treasurer
Faith Patterson, Christian education

Pastor Scott Maxwell, Bill Fuson, Barbara Sheridan and Karen Hansell — Pastor Scott Maxwell with Council members Bill Fuson, Barbara Sheridan and Karen Hansell

News & People

St. Mark’s Strong: Annual meeting points to change, partnerships and great potential

February 20, 2019

Change is in the air at St. Mark’s, Kitty Dombroski said in her opening remarks at the congregation’s annual business meeting, held Jan. 27. That can be great. And that can be dicey. “Most of us don’t like change,” she said. “And let’s face it, change is really hard. It’s disruptive and unsettling.” It is inevitable, though, and also essential for growth. Because of all of that, Kitty chose the “Love Chapter” — the 13th chapter of First Corinthians — as the focus of her devotional. “God is love,” she said. “Let’s remember that today, tomorrow, next week, throughout this year, working together in ministry to serve God. God is love. We should be, too.” Sixty-eight people attended the annual meeting, which included reports from the Leadership Council, adoption of the 2019 budget, information about a major new endowment and updates from many projects.

Compass Team gathering information for strategic plan

January 26, 2019

The St. Mark’s Compass Team, which is working to develop a strategic plan to guide our ministry and life together, wants to send a big “thank you” to all who have participated in the Compass Team Survey. The deadline to complete the survey is Sunday, Feb. 3, so — depending on when you read this — you may still have time to submit your survey if you haven’t done that yet. Please weigh in! The survey will give the team essential information about the St. Mark’s family and provide a profile that we have not had in this amount of detail. Why does it matter? We’re called to be good stewards of the resources God has given us — the human resources, the financial resources, the time and talents and all of the goodness He has given us. That doesn’t happen by default. Good stewardship requires careful thought and a good plan. To expedite our work, the team is working with Vibrant Faith Coach Jim LaDoux, who has worked with many other congregations in similar efforts. He will visit St. Mark’s on Sunday, April 14, speaking in both worship services and also during the Adult Forum at 10 a.m.

St. Mark’s serves families, makes new friends in new partnership with Family Promise

January 22, 2019

St. Mark’s partners with Family Promise of Northern New Castle County again from January 27 to February 3, our second week of “hosting” families at the Hospitality Center. Our first week of service — Christmas Week 2018 — was a great introduction to this ministry, which serves families who are in transition and in need of housing. Scores of volunteers participated — preparing and serving meals, planning activities, providing overnight security and bringing special gifts and other essentials for this holiday week. We made many new friends and one of them — Hector — was featured in Family Promise’s recent report on the things accomplished during 2018. His story, which was also covered by several local news outlets, was shared this way in Family Promise’s report: “Hector had a full-time job and was supporting his four kids. But when his job was cut to just 25 hours, he couldn’t make ends meet. He had to give up his apartment, and his family bounced between houses of friends and family members — eventually ending up in a motel. The day before our new Hospitality Center opened in November, Hector had just enough money to pay for one more night in the motel. For a family like his — one headed by a single father — it was difficult to find resources, and he faced the grim choice of living in his car or splitting up from his kids. Supporters like you gave Hector a third option: our new Hospitality Center. He was able to keep his family together while receiving shelter, food, and hospitality. He shared his story on WDEL and Community Issues with Omar Rashada, and just this week, he moved back into permanent housing!” What a glorious testimony to God’s provision — and what amazing timing for Hector and his family.