The command is there in the strong, straight forward language in the twenty-eighth chapter of the gospel according to St. Mark.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Four members of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church of Fairborn have followed that order and entered the full time ministry — two of them making a mid-life career change to answer the call.  The first of those was Fred Matchinski Jr. who was ordained in 1957.   Duane Culler completed seminary and began his ministry in 1962.  Carl Fischer Jr. entered the service of the Lord in 1973, and John Mocko in 1984.

Others Who Serve

There have been other persons, present or former members of St. Mark’s who have served in ministries within the organized structure of the Lutheran church or Christian focused organizations.  Leo Schwerin became director of stewardship and congregation life of the Synod of Ohio, United Lutheran Church.

Kenneth Helwagon served a one-year term as president of the United Lutheran Church Men of Ohio, a group which held its 1959 statewide convention in St. Mark’s.

Cinda Hammond was the founder, and served as president, of the Fairborn chapter of the Women’s Aglow Fellowship.  The Aglow is an extension ministry bringing the gospel to women and encouraging them to join a church.

In 1993 Duane Kinnison was appointed as one of 113 in the nation to be a national director of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International.  This is a global outreach ministry with chapters in more than 150 nations.

Kelly Link, daughter of David and Linda Link, is with the Campus Crusade for Christ in Plavdiv, Bulgaria.  In the second year of a two year contract which ends May 1, 1999, Link visits three colleges daily converting students for Christ.

During the summer before her senior year at Capital University, Becky Shober was a member of a student task force bringing a ministry of song, drama, and bible school activities to children in three northern Ohio churches.

Alicia Kempf was a singer-instrumentalist with the musical group Captive Free in 1997-1998.  Part of Youth Encounter, a Minneapolis based Christian evangelistic organization, Captive Free took its musical ministry into Midwest churches.