St. Mark's Episcopal Church is called to be Christ-centered,
Touching Lives, Transforming Hearts, and Teaching God's Word.

We are located less than two hours east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our parish is in the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina.

We are glad that you have come to visit us today and encourage you to take a moment and bookmark our site so that you can visit us often.

St. Mark's is a traditional parish in liturgy and architecture, but a progressive parish in organization and community involvement. Each month dozens of our members work tirelessly and creatively with others in our community to combat hunger, homelessness, racism, and other significant issues. By the power and grace of God, we are seeing the Kingdom of God unfold in our community.

We are excited about what the Holy Spirit is doing in our parish and in our community and we would love to share that excitement with you. If you are planning to relocate to our area, we would love the opportunity to talk with you. Please Email us or call us and we will help you make the most of your time here.

We are glad that you have come to visit. Peace be with you until we see you again!

Our History

Members of just five families gathered in Christian devotion on July 13, 1877, to observe the first service of record for what was later to become St. Mark’s Parish. The service was conducted by the Rev. William Robards Wetmore, who had pedaled a bicycle from Lincolnton for the occasion. It is thought that the name Mark was chosen for the new parish because there were already churches in the area named for St. Matthew, St. Luke, and St. John.

During the formative years of the parish, services were held in the old Academy on the north side of town, as well as the City Hall and the old YMCA building. A church building was erected on West Long Avenue and was consecrated on November 20, 1903, by the Rt. Rev. Junius M. Horner, Bishop of the Missionary District of Asheville. St. Mark’s officially became a parish in 1915 with an enrollment of 74 communicants.