The St. Mark’s mission began in Montesano in the 1880s with Rev. Reuben Nevius, who established most of the original Episcopal churches in southwest Washington. Through the 1890s and the early 1900s the church was sometimes active and at times quiet. In 1907, the mission was revived, and the present first building was built in 1909. The mission was placed under the responsibility of Holy Trinity, Hoquiam. The original building has remained, with expansions in the 1940s, 1950s and early 2000s.
In 1951 the Rev. Stephen Bayne created the Eastern Grays Harbor Mission, joining St. Luke’s, Elma and St. Mark’s, Montesano. This mission served the area and had seven different resident vicars until 1984, when they again became independent congregations.
In 1988 St. Mark’s accepted the opportunity to enter into the Total Ministry program. This program calls and trains people from within the congregation to be ordained as “local” priests and deacons, and commissions others to the “ministry of the baptized.” A vital concept to this program is recognizing that the responsibility for ministry in any place belongs primarily to the people of God in that place.
St. Mark’s first local priest, the Reverend Lorraine Dierick, was ordained Priest in March 1993. Since then two others, the Reverends Dorothy McMeekin and Joyce Avery have been ordained in 1999 and have served as Deacons. The Reverend Bonnie Campbell was ordained as our second Priest in November, 2008. And, The Reverend Gretchen Gunderson joined us in February, 2017.
April 25th, 2010--100th Anniversary Celebration