Serving St. Mark's
Our Pastor The Rev. Emily M. D. Scott (she/her/hers) serves as pastor at St. Mark's. A graduate a of Yale Divinity and the Institute of Sacred Music ('06) she began her call as a Lutheran Pastor starting new church communities, founding St. Lydia’s, a Dinner Church in Brooklyn, New York. Moving to Baltimore in 2018, she founded Dreams and Visions, an new LGBTQ+ congregation, now in partnership with St. Mark's. Pastor Emily's writing has appeared in the Christian Century and the New York Times, and her book, For All Who Hunger: Searching for Communion in a Shattered World, came out in May, 2020. Raised in the Northeast and on the West Coast, Pastor Emily is overjoyed to serve as pastor to the people of St. Mark's and Dreams and Visions, as they work together in partnership on the corner of St. Paul and 20th. She lives in the neighborhood close to the church with her spouse, one dog, one cat, and a small patch of earth to garden. Reach her at: pastor@stmarksbaltimore.org Our Staff
James Harp is well known in the Mid-Atlantic area as a pianist, organist, stage director, singer, composer, lecturer, writer and conductor. He began his musical career at age 7 as a church soloist, and has concertized in Italy, France, Greece, Israel, the Bahamas, and extensively throughout his native Southern United States. Among his more unusual musical experiences include singing “My Old Kentucky Home” as a soloist on National Television at the 1981 Kentucky Derby, coaching Lily Tomlin in arias from AIDA for an Emmy-nominated “Homicide” segment, and nearly drowning after falling backwards into the Sea of Galilee while conducting madrigals. He has been the Cantor (Organist/Choirmaster) at St. Mark’s since January 4, 1987 and over the years has done much to encourage lively liturgical worship in the grand church music tradition. His Mass setting “Missa Sancti Marci” as well as anthems and liturgical propers are found in the music libraries of many other churches. He has been the organist for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 1983 and has been featured in works such as the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony and Handel’s Messiah. In demand as a silent film organist he has over 25 original movies scores in his repertoire. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and is the Artistic and Managing Director of Maryland Opera, the Mid-Atlantic’s newest opera company and arts organization, where he is building a comprehensive and innovative opera and opera education/outreach program to serve the entire state of Maryland. Reach him at jharp@marylandopera.com. 
Claire Repsholdt (she/her/hers)is glad to participate in the community as a learner and leader for a one-year internship position. Claire is called a vicar because she is a candidate for ordination in the ELCA— an aspiring pastor who is in the midst of her final year of formation before she is called to lead a church of her own. Claire is drawn to curious and creative communities. She loves the history and festivity of worship services, but she most enjoys church when she finds herself helping others explore the pesky mysteries lurking at the edges of their maps. Claire is practicing how to create trauma-informed spiritual communities, where everyone has as much freedom to be who they are now as they do to practice being who they want to become next. Claire is a grateful graduate of Indiana University and Yale Divinity School and an affiliate of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Before she became a vicar, she spent time as a chaplain resident at Yale New Haven Hospital. Throughout all of the stops along her journey, she has found that the Holy Spirit finds her most often in poetry books, yoga classes, delicious meals, and live performances. Email Claire at vicar@stmarksbaltimore.org. 
Mark Rizzo is St. Mark's administrator, maintains the parish office, sends out the weekly e-letter, and tends to the needs of our historic building. Mark is from Bedford, New Hampshire, and moved to Boston, Massachusetts to study Political Communication and Marketing at Emerson College from 2009 to 2013. While in school, Mark was involved with labor and community organizing, mostly around rising tuition and student/staff solidarity. He moved to Baltimore in 2015, where he worked in development research and fundraising at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has been active in community organizing in the city since 2017. Interesting in finding new ways to be an active part of the community, Mark started pursuing a Masters in Social Work at University of Maryland School of Social Work in 2019. When not at work (or in meetings, or in class), Mark is an avid reader and amateur pizza-maker. Rach him at: admin@stmarksbaltimore.org Jeffry Spangler serves as our sexton. The word sexton means "custodian of a church." Jeff is also an accomplished musician and has frequently played piano for our worship. Jeffry was born in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1955 to Southern Baptist parents. He attended public school and from the age of six studied piano privately until the age of 18. At age 12 he took up the stringed bass and in 1971 he earned a place in the All-State Orchestra. In 1972 he studied organ,. In 1973 he graduated from South Hagerstown High School and three months later was accepted into the Peabody Conservatory of Music, studying Piano with Dr. Konrad Wolff and Dr. George Walker. He graduated in 1978 nd moved to New York City, where he worked for Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's Herald Square. In 1983, he returned to Baltimore where he worked for New City Optical Company, and Fader's Tobacco Stores in both Towson and downtown, among other businesses. Our DeaconsSt. Mark's is blessed to have several deacons called to volunteer their service and ministry. Members of The Order of St. Stephen, Deacon (OSSD) assist the pastor and congregation council. They are:
Connie Lisch first arrived at St. Mark's in 1988 and has served as a deacon since 1995. Connie regularly assists on the altar, sings in the choir, and offers the Deacon's Mass at Keswick Multi-Care Center. Woodland Pomeroy completed his OSSD training and was consecrated on 04.06.2019 and has been called to St. Mark's Lutheran. Woodland's training and ministry focus on hospital visitations in the Baltimore City area as well as training others in this practice. Since Woodland is a new Deacon he is still figuring out how best he can be used by the pastor and congregation.
Sue Romanic came to St. Mark's in 1992 and has served as a deacon since 1995. Sue has taught children's Sunday School, assisted with a children's choir, visited hospitalized members, and married one couple. She uses her background in education and human development, along with her knowledge of the Bible, to work with people who hoard.
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