Mark Dever works as the main pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. He is also the co-founder and president of 9Marks, which used to be called the Center for Church Reform.
Biography
Mark E. Dever was born on August 28, 1960, in rural Kentucky. He loved reading a lot and started reading parts of the World Book Encyclopedia and the Harvard Classics before he turned 10. At that time, he considered himself an agnostic because of what he read and thought. However, when he reread and thought about the Gospels and saw changes in the lives of Jesus’ disciples, he decided to become a Christian.
Education
Dever did really well in his studies. He got a Bachelor of Arts degree with great honors from Duke University. He also earned a Master of Divinity degree with top honors from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Later, he got a Master of Theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Finally, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in ecclesiastical history from Cambridge University. During his time at Cambridge from 1989 to 1991, he was honored with the J.B. Lightfoot Scholarship.
Family Life
Connie Dever is married to Mark Dever. They’ve been married for 40 years and have two adult children along with grandchildren.
Ministry
Mark has been the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church since 1964. In 1998, he founded 9 Marks Ministry. They, along with Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, train church leaders.
Mark focuses mainly on ecclesiology, aiming to help Bible-believing churches become healthy by reclaiming a Biblical understanding of the church. His nine points for church health are:
- Expositional preaching
- Biblical theology
- Biblical understanding of the Gospel
- Biblical understanding of conversion
- Biblical understanding of evangelism
- Biblical understanding of membership
- Biblical church discipline
- Promotion of Christian discipleship and growth
- Biblical understanding of church leadership
9Marks hosts conferences where pastors, elders, and seminarians learn about Mark’s church. Mark also taught at the University of Cambridge and served as an assistant pastor at Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge for two years.
Books
Mark Dever is a writer as much as he is an avid reader. Some of his works include:
- Dever, Mark E., ed., Polity: A Collection of Historic Baptist Documents-Biblical Arguments on How to Conduct Church Life (2001)
- A Display of God’s Glory (2001)
- Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (2004)
- The Deliberate Church – Building Your Ministry on the Gospel (2005)
- The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept (2005)
- The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made (2006)
- By Whose Authority? Elders in Baptist Life (2006)
- The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (2007)
- What is a Healthy Church? (2007)
- 12 Challenges Churches Face (2008)
- In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement (2008)
- It is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement, with Michael Lawrence (2010)
- What Does God Want of us Anyway? (2010)
- Preach: Theology Meets Practice, with Greg Gilbert (2012)
- The Church: the Gospel Made Visible (2012)
- ‘ Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus ‘ (2016)
Net Worth
Mark Dever is estimated to have a net worth ranging between $1 million and $5 million.
Social Media
You can find Mark Dever on the following social media platforms:
- Facebook: Mark Dever
- Twitter (X): @MarkDever
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In this section, I would provide you with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers on Mark Dever Biography.
1. Who is Mark Dever?
Mark Dever is a theologian and senior pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. He is also the co-founder and president of 9Marks (formerly known as the Center for Church Reform).
2. When was Mark Dever born?
Mark Dever was born on August 28, 1960, in rural Kentucky.
3. Where did Mark Dever receive his education?
Mark Dever earned a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University, a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy in ecclesiastical history from Cambridge University.
4. How long has Mark Dever been the senior pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church?
Mark Dever has served as the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church since 1964.
5. What is 9Marks, and when was it established?
9Marks is a ministry founded by Mark Dever in 1998. It focuses on ecclesiology and provides resources to assist churches in becoming healthy and biblically grounded.
6. What are the key points of emphasis in Mark Dever’s teachings on church health?
Mark Dever emphasizes nine key points for church health, including expositional preaching, biblical theology, understanding the Gospel, conversion, evangelism, membership, church discipline, promotion of Christian discipleship and growth, and understanding church leadership.
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