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.

Sabrina Mackey, nursery director.
Sabrina Mackey

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 strategic plan in focus at leadership retreat, adult forum

April 22, 2019

More than two dozen people in leadership roles at St. Mark’s attended a half-day retreat on Saturday, April 13 to discuss the congregation’s strategic plan, now under construction. The plan also was the focus of the Adult Forum gathering on Palm Sunday, April 14. Leading both meetings was Jim LaDoux, who works with congregations around the nation as a coach/consultant for Minneapolis-based Vibrant Faith. LaDoux has counseled the new St. Mark’s Compass Team, tasked with developing the plan, which will then be presented to the St. Mark’s Leadership Council for review and consideration. Three congregational forums also are planned in May (see schedule at the end of the article), during which all are welcome to ask questions and share ideas with the Compass Team. Participants at the Saturday retreat included Council members, committee chairs and ministry leaders. They heard more details from the congregational survey that was done earlier this year. Nancy Wilkerson, convener of the Compass Team, sketched out demographic data and summarized perceptions and priorities listed by the 70 people who responded to the survey. And they heard key insights from LaDoux about what makes for an effective plan. LaDoux said the strategic plan aims to help the congregation “create a culture of spiritual vitality” in a way that honors our calling and mission and helps us to bring our best to one another and to our community.

In search of: Director of Music and Worship Arts

March 24, 2019

Are we looking for each other? We are looking for a Director of Music and Worship Arts. Are you the one? If so, we’d love to hear from you! The Director of Music and Worship Arts serves as the primary musician and coordinator for worship experiences at St Mark’s. This position (30 hours per week) has overall responsibility for planning, organizing, leading and directing the music and other artistic elements of all services enhancing the worship experience for all. The candidate must have the musical ability to support both traditional and contemporary services. Much more detail on our church, music inventory, the job description and application instructions is available. Just click on the “read more” link below. If it seems like a good fit, we invite you to respond in either of these ways by April 30, 2019. • Mail your resumé with a cover letter and contact information to: Worship Search Committee, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 501 Duncan Rd., Wilmington DE 19809 • Send your resumé with a cover letter and contact information electronically to resume@stmarksonline.org.

Survey says: Growth is top priority

March 24, 2019

The St. Mark’s Compass Team, tasked with developing a strategic plan for the church, continues to study the data gathered in the recent congregational survey. Analysis of the data continues—moving toward a full and more formal report that will summarize findings in five areas: fellowship and caring, faith and faith development, outreach, flexibility and atmosphere. Many challenges and aspirations have been identified. The top priority identified by the 70 respondents, according to Compass Team convener Nancy Wilkerson, was to “develop and implement a strategy to attract new members and incorporate them into the life of the church.” Many suggestions were shared on the “other priorities” page. Here are a few samples: * Do more to meet the needs of young families * Establish prayer circles, praying for members who have difficult situations arise * Help us connect with each other across boundaries (service times/styles, age, marital status, etc.) * Develop a program of service projects serving our neighborhood community * Improve our website! (Editor’s note: We’re already working on that! Keep the suggestions coming!)