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Pastor Mark Girardin was
born on November 6,
1951, to Sidney E. and
Arlene (Mundt) Girardin
of Detroit, Michigan. He
became a part of the
Body of Christ through
Holy Baptism at Our
Savior Lutheran Church,
then East Detroit. He
attended elementary
school and was confirmed
at Peace Lutheran
Church, Detroit,
Michigan. From there he
attended Brownell Junior
High School for 9th
Grade in Grosse Pointe
Farms, and graduated
from Grosse Pointe South
High School in 1969.
After high
school Pastor Mark
entered The Citadel (the
Military College of
South Carolina) in
Charleston, South
Carolina. he graduated
from The Citadel in
1973, with a Bachelor of
Arts degree in History,
specializing in Colonial
American History. Upon
graduation he was
commissioned an Ensign
in the United States
Navy and was assigned to
the Naval Air Training
Command located in
Pensacola, Florida. He
was released from active
duty to attend Concordia
Theological Seminary,
Springfield, Illinois.
While at
the seminary Pastor
Girardin met his wife,
Janie (McPherson), and
they were married in
1975. In 1976 he went on
a delayed vicarage to
St. Paul Lutheran
Church, Madison,
Wisconsin. Upon
completion of his
vicarage, He returned to
the seminary, now in in
Fort Wayne, Indiana, to
complete his studies.
He graduated in July,
1977, with a Master of
Divinity degree
(specialty in Historical
Theology).
Pastor
Girardin was ordained
into the ministry of the
Lutheran Church,
Missouri Synod in July,
1977, and received his
first call to Our
Redeemer Lutheran
Church, Greenville,
Illinois. He served that
parish from 1977-1979,
when he received a call
by the Armed Forces
Commission of the LCMS
to become a Navy
Chaplain on active duty.
His initial
training was at the
Basic Chaplain’s
School, Naval Education
and Training Command,
Newport, Rhode Island.
Upon completion of that
course he was given
orders to the Second
Force Service Support
Group, Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina. While
with 2nd FSSG he was
assigned as the
Battalion Chaplain to
the 2nd Landing Support
Battalion, 2nd Force
Recon Company, 2nd
Combat Intelligence
Company; 2nd Radio
Battalion and the
Nuclear, Biological and
Chemical Warfare School.
In 1982,
Chaplain Girardin
received orders to the
Second Marine Division,
also stationed at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina.
While there he served as
the Battalion Chaplain
to the Second Battalion,
Eighth Marine Regiment.
During that two year
period of duty, Pastor
Mark was deployed with
his unit and was the
first chaplain to land
in Beirut, Lebanon with
his Marine unit – BLT
2/8. Upon completion of
that tour of duty he was
sent to Naval Training
Station, Great Lakes,
Illinois, where he was
assigned as a Battalion
Chaplain to the Recruit
Training Command. He
also served as the
Chaplain to the
Apprentice Training
Division of RTC, Great
Lakes.
While
stationed at Great
Lakes, Illinois; Pastor
Mark received a call
from Redeemer Lutheran
Church, Waukegan,
Illinois to become their
pastor. He served that
parish along with other
parishes - Risen Savior
Lutheran Church, Indian
Creek, Illinois;
Immanuel Lutheran Church
and School (Honey
Creek), Jefferson City,
Missouri, and Zion
Lutheran Church and
School, Harbor Beach,
Michigan. While in
Michigan he received a
call to be the Senior
Pastor at Trinity
Lutheran Church, School
and Pre-school/Daycare,
Centralia, Illinois. He
has served in that
capacity since August,
2006.
In the
capacity of Senior
Pastor, he is
responsible for the
overall administrative
running of the
congregation’s
ministries along with
regular preaching,
teaching, adult and
youth confirmation
classes, counseling, and
visitations.
Pastor Mark
has also served the
Church as a member of
the Southern Illinois
District Stewardship
Committee, Circuit
Counselor (Northern
Illinois District),
Christian Education
Committee (Missouri
District), and now
serves on the Southern
Illinois District Africa
Mission Task Force (LCMS)
.
He and his
wife Janie have been
blessed with two sons
– Philip and Patrick.
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