Mark was born on February 7th in Sulphur, Louisiana. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at age 11 during a church revival led by Louisiana Baptist evangelist Bob Anderson and music evangelist Mark Tullos.

Following graduation from high school in Vinton, Louisiana, he received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana. He graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, with the Master of Divinity in 1986, and earned the Doctor of Ministry in Evangelistic Church Growth from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1996.

Mark is only the third pastor of Cedar Bayou Baptist Church since the church's inception in 1943. He was pastor of churches in Texas and Louisiana before accepting the call to Cedar Bayou in 2000.

Mark and his wife, Bonnie, were married in 1988 and she is also a native of southwest Louisiana. They have three children. Matthew was born in 1998 and the twins, Madeleine and Brandon, were born in 2003.

He likes spending time with his family and taking vacations together, working out in the gym, and genealogy. His vision is to disciple church members to become ministers, evangelists, and leaders. Mark is a biblical inerrantist and a theological conservative. He preaches the Bible as God's word.