About
Pastor Bob has been at St. Mark’s since 2001. He is a 1999 graduate from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and currently serves St. Mark’s as the Pastor. He and his wife, Jeannine, have three sons. Pastor Bob’s favorite quote is from Martin Luther: “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing”
Pastor Josh has been at St. Mark’s since the Fall of 2023. He is a 2019 graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and is currently serving as an associate Pastor. He and his wife, Hope, have 4 children. Pastor Josh enjoys cooking, trying new food and drinks, playing board games, playing disc golf, and spending time with his family. One of his favorite scripture verses that shapes his life is, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15 NIV).
Lauren has been at St. Mark’s since 2004 and currently serves as the Director of Christian Education. She is a 2004 graduate of Concordia University, Seward, and has a degree in Theology with an emphasis in Youth and Family Ministries. She is a certified Director of Christian Education. She and her husband, Andy have one son. Lauren’s favorite Bible verse: “Acts 5:42 “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”
History:
In 1947, a group of Christians living in the Allenton, Missouri, area contacted Rev. Martin Olsen, then Pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Grover, Missouri, about holding services in the Allenton area. Services began on Easter Sunday evening, April 16, 1947, at the Modern Woodsmen of American Hall. St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Allenton was officially organized as a congregation on June 9, 1948.
Desiring a place of their own, the members themselves started construction of a church on September 24, 1950, on a piece of land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gudermuth. The first building was dedicated on August 5, 1951. (O'Sullivan Ave, Allenton, MO)
The Church continued in Allenton under the shepherding of various part-time pastors and two full-time pastors. Pastor Dr. Lorenz Wunderlich, Professor at Concordia Seminary, was part-time for 10 years. The two full time Pastors were Rev. R.C. Radde, (1964 – 1967), and Rev. William Schulz, (1968-1970.) Rev. Darwin Karsten (1972-2006) was installed as pastor of St. Mark’s on May 6, 1972, and plans were made to build a new church building which would be located in Eureka. Groundbreaking for St. Mark’s Lutheran Church on Meramec Boulevard in Hilltop Villages was in September of 1974. The new building was completed and dedicated on June 8, 1975.
St. Mark’s continued to carry out a Christ-centered family ministry to “make disciples” of those who do not yet know Jesus and to equip those in God’s family for service to others in the world. To accomplish this St. Mark’s added Pastor John Jameson (1997 - 2014) to the staff as the second pastor. Pastor Joseph Sullivan was added to the staff (1999-2000) and has since moved on to establish New Beginnings Lutheran Church in Pacific. Pastor Bob Liebmann became the Director of Youth Ministry in July of 2001, and currently serves as lead pastor. Pastor Joshua Rusnak was added to the St. Mark's staff on September 16, 2023.
In 1982 St. Mark’s began conducting ministry through its Christian Day School. The school started under the leadership of Bruce Wurdeman after his installation on October 6, 1980. The first classes were conducted in the main church building. An educational building was dedicated in March of 1987, and a gym with four additional classrooms was dedicated in August of 1990. Principals over the following years include: Keith Marsh interim principal (1994-1995), Jim House (October 1995-June 2001), Kristy Roberts (August 2001-June 2005), Sue Templeton (August 2005-April 2015), Ron Pawlitz, interim principal (August 2015-June 2017), Linda Dehn, campus director, (August 2017-July 2018), Merv Dehning (August 2018-February 2022), Cathy Frazier, school director (February 2022 - November 2023), Diana Meers, interim principal (November 2023 - July 2024), and Megan Deines (July 2024 - present.) The school currently accommodates infants through 8th grade.
For many years, volunteers directed St. Mark’s Children’s Ministry. Sandra Canida was added to the staff as the official Director of Children’s Ministry from 1996-2004. In 2004 Lauren Bates filled the position and now serves as the Director of Christian Education.
St. Mark’s broke ground on Sunday, April 23, 2000, to build a new worship center. The plans included an office complex, expanded childcare facilities, and renovation of the original sanctuary. These new facilities were dedicated to God’s Glory and to serving people on February 24, 2002. In December of 2002 St. Mark’s purchased 7.38 acres adjacent to the new worship center for the development of senior apartments. The facility opened in the fall of 2004. These apartments are for low-income seniors and are managed by Lutheran Senior Services of St. Louis.
Members and friends of St. Mark’s anticipate an exciting future as God continues to bless the ministry of the church and school.
What Lutherans Believe:
With the universal Christian Church, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God: The Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
Lutheran congregations accept and preach the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther who inspired the Reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teachings of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.
Grace alone: God loves all people of the world even though they are sinful, rebellious, and undeserving of His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.
Faith alone: By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, believe it, have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.
Scripture alone: The Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine. For more information, please visit the website of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod at www.lcms.org.
Core Values:
Word: We grow in our relationships with God by encountering Him in His Word. Here He changes us and moves us to follow Him more closely. Through His Word, people are brought to faith in Jesus and grow in that faith.
Worship: In response to what God has done for us in Jesus, we desire to develop and exercise our relationship with God. Worship is an event in and of itself, but as we gather to worship, God resources us with His presence in His Word and through His Supper. We experience His love in the worship event. AND, as we are loved by Him, worship becomes more than an event – worship becomes LIFE. Day in and day out, we offer our bodies, our lives, and our resources as living sacrifices to Him.
Witness: Receiving from God (Word and Worship) motivates giving back to Him (Worship and World) in our daily relationships with people. God desires to transform the world by bringing Christ’s compassion to life through us so that the world may come to trust in and live for Jesus. Our worlds begin right outside of us, and we share God’s love in Jesus in our relationships and through our ministries.
