Church Staff

 

Rev. Sam Hardie, Senior Pastor

 

Reverend Sam Hardie was born and raised in Florence, Alabama where he graduated from Coffee High School in 1965. He attended the University of Alabama and received his B.S. degree in Commerce and Business Administration in 1969. His senior year he was converted to the Christian faith through a campus ministry, and began feeling the call to full time ministry. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After training and serving for a year as a supply officer at Fort Lee, Virginia and Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, Alabama, he was assigned to Long Bien,Vietnam. There he served for a year and was promoted to first Lieutenant. When Sam was discharged from the service he attended Asbury theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky for a year and a half and transferred to Candler School of Theology, Emory University, where he received his M.Div. degree in 1975. Sam was ordained Elder in 1975 in the United Methodist Church and has served Saint Mark since June of 2001 as her senior pastor. He is now writing his dissertation for the Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant School of Theology in St Louis, Missouri. He is married to Virginia Cooper of Birmingham, Alabama and they have three children. Sam, their youngest and only son, is a junior at Auburn University. Mary, their middle child, is a youth pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Florence Alabama. Cooper, the oldest, is a teacher of gifted students in the Hoover School System. Reverend Hardie loves water sports and spending time with his family, both near and far. 

 

Rev. Michael Miller, Assistant Pastor

 

Michael Miller currently serves as Assistant Pastor at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Northport and is a Tuscaloosa native. Michael is married to Angela and has four children: Micah, Gabriel, Anna Grace and Jude. Michael received his undergraduate and graduate degrees with honors from the University of Alabama and is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity. Neither Michael nor his wife are strangers to the ministry. Angela grew up on the mission field in Guatemala, Central America where her parents served as Christian missionaries and Michael has also been a missionary and church planter serving in Calcutta, India, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Hawaii and also Guatemala. Michael has been involved with the ministry since 1990 when he began as a youth pastor in a local church. Michael and Angela both feel called to fulltime Christian ministry and desire to wholeheartedly fulfill the Great Commission wherever they are planted.

 

 

Tim Nelson, Youth and College Pastor

Tim Nelson is the newest addition to the Pastoral staff here at St. Mark. Tim grew up in San Diego, California and graduated from San Dieguito High School in 1996. In 2000, Tim received his Bachelors degree in History from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. In 2004, Tim finished his Masters of Divinity Degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Tim and his wife Sommer are adjusting to Alabama culture and brushing up on their Alabama Football Facts. A the College and Youth Pastor, Tim hopes to bring a fresh, relationship-centered approach to student ministry and to equip the lay people of the church to share the love of Christ with young people more effectively.

 

 

Ronnie Lett, Minister of Music

Ronnie Lett, born December 14, 1943, has lived most of his life in Tuscaloosa County.  He graduated from Tuscaloosa County High in 1961 and promptly entered the University of Alabama.  He received his B.S. degree in Music Education in 1965 and his Master of Arts in 1968.  He began his teaching career in 1965 at Northport Junior High and Tuscaloosa County High, teaching a half-day at each school.  As the choral program increased he went full-time at T.C.H.S. in 1969.  He served in this capacity until 1986.  In 1986, he was appointed Assistant Principal at Brookwood High School.  After one year, he was transferred to T.C.H.S., in the same capacity, where he served until 1992.  In July 1992, Ronnie was appointed as Principal of T.C.H.S. where he served until his retirement.  In 1963, Ronnie was hired by First United Methodist of Tuscaloosa as a baritone soloist.  After serving in this capacity briefly, he was called as Minister of Music at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa.  Ronnie has served as Minister of Music at the following churches:  Circlewood Baptist, Five Points Baptist, Holt Baptist, Emmanuel Baptist, and most recently, at Grant’s Creek Baptist for the past 6 years.  Ronnie is married to the former Bebe Jan Davis, recently celebrating their 40th anniversary.  Ronnie and Bebe Jan have two children and two granddaughters.

 

 

 

John Drawhorn, Shepherding and Senior Adult Pastor

John Drawhorn was born in Sylacauga, Alabama on January 31, 1941.  He graduated from B. B. Comer High School in 1959.  He attended Birmingham-Southern College and Emory University – Candler School of Theology.  Graduating from Emory in 1967.  John is married to the former Carol Brown.  They have two children and two grandchildren.

John has served at the following churches:  Century Memorial (Leeds)(60-62), Union Chapel/Boldo (Jasper)(62-64), Mt. Zion (Gadsden)(64-67), Levie Memorial (Gadsden)(67-68), First UMC (Ropesville, Texas)(68-70), Eden/Harkey’s Chapel (Pell City)(70-72), East Lake Associate (B’ham)(72-75), First UMC (Pelham)(75-78), Rock  UMC (Tarrant)(78-81), St. Luke/Big Sandy (Tuscaloosa)(85-92), Hargrove Memorial (Tuscaloosa)(92-03), Big Sandy (Tuscaloosa – Retired Supply)(03-05)

 

 

 

 

Samantha Mahloch, Financial Secretary

Samantha is orginally from Brookhaven, MS.  Currently, she is living in Tuscaloosa while her husband, David, finishes work on his D.M.A at the University of Alabama. She graduated from Mississippi College with a B.S.B.A. with an accounting major in May 2004.  She plans on getting her masters and later going to law school to study real estate or tax law.  Some of her favorite things are music, movies, Mexican food, and her cat, Meowser. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jill Colburn, Church Secretary

 

Jill was born and raised in Northport. She graduated from Tuscaloosa County High School in 1999. In December of 2004, she graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science degree in Restaurant and Hospitality Management with a concentration in Event Planning.  She attends Englewood Baptist Church, and is very active in her church's puppet and children's ministries. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melanie Burkhalter , Noah's Ark Director

 

Melanie, her husband, and their two children live in Northport. Melanie's parents are charter members of St. Mark, so Melanie has grown up in our church. She is our nursery coordinator as well as Noah's Ark Director. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellis Houston, Custodial

 

Ellis and his wife, Ella, live in Northport. They have four children, and twelve grandchildren. He likes to relax and watch movies in his spare time. He attends New Zion Baptist Church.