St. Mark's Episcopal Church is a Christian community where people encounter people and people encounter God by faith and service through Christ.
OUR HISTORY
Four communicants, led by the Ven. Edwin Weary, General Missionary of the Panhandle, petitioned for an organized mission at Plainview on May 4, 1910. A lot at the corner of Seventh and Columbia was bought and a building erected. Lay readers held services. In 1917, the convocation met at Plainview. During the two-year ministry of the Rev. E. H. J. Andrews, the altar guild and acolytes were organized. An item reading "freight on altar from Dalhart" is an example of help received from other churches and missions.
In 1925, Bishop Seaman appointed, the Rev. Frank B. Eteson as vicar. A vicarage was built. Succeeding him were Charles Harris, E. E. Madeira, Warwick Aiken, and E. Donaldson Ellis, who married while at St. Mark's and died young in 1939. The Rev. James Kittenger served briefly. The scholarly Walter Scott and his gracious wife had the longest tenure up to that time, for seven years. In 1946, the gift of three building lots at Eighth and Joliet spurred development and growth.
By 1949, the rectory had been moved to the new location and rebuilt, a chapel from the Amarillo Air Force Base had been renovated, and the former church building had been moved and made into a mission hall, all this carried out by the lay members of St. Mark's. Under the Rev. Henry F. Seaman, St. Mark's achieved parish status in 1954.
Maintaining regular services with lay readers during St. Mark's many interim periods, Plainview's lay members have rendered notable services to the diocese. The North Texas Adventure, founded by the Rev. Frank Stedman in 1922, was issued from Plainview for many years. Judge Meade Griffin and J. R. (Bob) Wayland served as business managers and publishers. The Rev. Walter Scott and Mrs. Carl Goodman and the Rev. Donald Ellis were editors.
Mrs. Lee (Peggy) Soucy, active in the diocese since 1950, was the 1989 president of Episcopal Churchwomen. Mrs. R. C. (Mildred) Walker was secretary and Mrs. Joe (Joy) Sandlin was chairman of devotional life.
The Rev. Mack Morris, second rector, married while at St. Mark's. he was followed by the Rev. Lester Jones. From the W. H. Mason bequest of $25,000, St. Mark's in a unique donation gave a tithe to the diocese to be used at the bishop's discretion. The Rev. James Mock, rector from 1961 to 1982, in the longest tenure of any, served the diocese as registrar and worked mightily to get the present history under way.
The new church plant was completed in 1962. A new rectory was bought in 1965. In 1974, the first woman was elected to the vestry. The Rev. Mark Meyer was called in 1983. He served as of the Permian Basin deanery.
