"My greatest experience here has been the relationships I have with the residence staff. They have become for me an inspiration. True inspiration. They will be rewarded in heaven."
- Mark Stone, Director of Brother Charlie's Rescue Shelter
As a child in a small town, Mark grew up with the same people all his life. He went to school with the same people he went to vacation bible school with. Growing up in a religious town with a religious family, Mark found himself saved by God at the early age of 9. He started preaching at his school at the age of 10 and has always felt that was his true calling in life.
Gospel music ministry is where Mark met his former wife, who he shares 3 children and 2 grandchildren with. He was 18 and she was 17 and the only women he ever dated and 2 days after graduating high school, Mark married his former wife at the church where her father was pastoring, showing how church and religion had always played a part in his life.
A young man at the age of 21, Mark was ordained and began pastoring at a rural church similar to the one he grew up in. He and his wife moved around with each pastor job Mark obtained. In hopes to get to seminary school, Mark worked during the day and took night classes and was finally able to get his degree.
After the passing of his grandmother, the family farm was for sale and Mark was able to buy it in hopes to keep it in the family. This family farm is where a friend of Marks stayed for a while, a friend who introduced Mark to Brother Charlie's Rescue Center. After originally being denied the job at the mission, the board for Brother Charlie's decided to reach out to Mark again and offer him a job. Mark has worked his way up to be the director during his 14 year career at Brother Charlie's mission and has been able to be inspired by some of the people there.
Today, Mark is still working for the shelter and is doing what he can to make a difference in his community. He is still living at the family farm with one of his children and daughter in law and enjoys spending his free time there or at church.
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