Mark Hatfield

I was born in the northern part of the state of Ohio on May 29th 1979, in a nice town called, Norwalk. I spent the first 12 years of my life attending Norwalk City Schools. After a few moves (west to Bellevue and south in the Columbus area), I moved north to a college town called Oberlin to finish High School in 1997, while attending the Joint Vocational School in Lorain County. My plans were to become a machinist while continuing to take classes to get my journeyman’s card. That is not what God had planned for my life.

When my wife (Sharon, who was only my girlfriend at the time) led me to know the Lord and obey the gospel, I decided with her encouragement and loving motivation to attend Florida College, in Tampa Florida. Before we left for Florida, I was so moved by her love and assistance in leading me to know the Lord that I asked her to marry me and we made plans to marry in the following summer.

After my first year of college, Sharon and I were married and we were growing together in the Lord. While finishing college I had many opportunities to get some experience in preaching in small congregations throughout central Florida.

For 2 ½ years I studied the Bible and reviewed the various areas of the Christian faith. I finally felt the responsibility from God to preach and tell others about the joy that I was experiencing in Christ.

For the next summer/fall, I spent my time in a part time work in Palmetto Florida that was to be a preacher training program. When this training period was ended, I knew that many congregations throughout the world were looking for men to preach the gospel, and I knew it was time to find a full-time work in the Lord’s church.

After discussing this desire with my wife, and after much prayer, we moved back to Ohio, to a town called Barnesville, where I would begin my first full-time work for the Lord at the West Main St. congregation. We spent two years working with the congregation in Barnesville and after establishing some leadership (elders) there, and helping them grow, we decided to move on to the Northend congregation in Ashland.

We spent 5 years in service to the local church in Ashland and then the opportunity was extended to me to be a part of this new work in Chillicothe, where we are now laboring. With this new congregation of Christians we are meeting to continue in the teachings of the Bible and are seeking to reach the goal of furthering the kingdom of God by reaching and teaching the lost with the gospel message of Jesus.

Preaching the gospel has led me to many parts of the United States and Canada. I have also had the privilege of doing some foreign evangelism in Central America in the country of Nicaragua. I have enjoyed visiting and preaching for many congregations in gospel meetings while also being blessed with the opportunity to go on a few relief trips with many good brethren (ex: Hurricane Katrina).

God has blessed us in so many ways and we look forward to serving Him by preaching the gospel in Chillicothe. With my wife and two children by my side (pictured right), we are looking forward to the future as we wait to see what God has planned for us.

Come and be a part of our future; join us at the church in Chillicothe.

Mark, Sharon, Justin and Jonathon Hatfield