Saint Mark’s Mission History
Saint Mark’s Mission History
For decades, Saint Mark’s United Methodist Church has been deeply engaged in mission work—locally, nationally, and globally. Our current ministries are rooted in a long tradition of faithful service, partnership, and compassion. (Many more stories can be found in the booklet Saint Mark’s 50th Anniversary, 1951–2001.)
Global Mission & Missionaries
Saint Mark’s has supported missionaries in Congo, Honduras, Malaysia, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Africa, Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia), and beyond. Our first overseas missionaries, Bill and Esther Finster, served for nearly 20 years as teachers in Zimbabwe beginning in the early 1960s. Another long‑time connection includes Bob and Betty Metcalf, missionaries in Congo, whose legacy remains at Saint Mark’s—Bob’s wood panel carving “Take my yoke upon you” still graces the Prayer Room.
Through these relationships, Saint Mark’s formed deep ties with Shimba Bulaya, a pioneering Congolese educator and church leader, and her son Joel Bulaya, who later found a spiritual home at Saint Mark’s in 1991. Saint Mark’s supported Shimba’s leadership in Methodist women’s ministries during the 1990s, and she spent her final years within the Saint Mark’s community.
Service, Justice & Relief
Saint Mark’s has long responded to global and local needs. We have welcomed and supported refugees from Vietnam, Eritrea, Congo, Czechia, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, and continue to assist families with resettlement today. In times of disaster, Saint Mark’s members have served through Volunteer In Mission teams following Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake, as well as in ongoing disaster response efforts.
From the 1970s through the early 2000s, Saint Mark’s was a dedicated supporter of the Heifer Project, raising funds through annual all‑church yard sales and contributing over $272,000 to help families worldwide achieve food security and sustainability.
Volunteer In Mission & Housing Ministries
Volunteer In Mission teams from Saint Mark’s have served in Angola, Cuba, Mexico, Wales, Zimbabwe, on Native lands in the U.S., and across multiple states. During the 1980s alone, more than 100 Saint Mark’s members participated in 33 projects.
Locally, Saint Mark’s operated a Housing Rehabilitation Group in the 1970s, improving substandard housing, providing job training, and expanding homeownership opportunities. This legacy continues today through Habitat for Humanity and conference‑wide VIM programs.
Building Lasting Partnerships
Saint Mark’s helped found the Sierra Service Project in 1975, which continues to engage youth and young adults in week‑long home repair projects while deepening Christian commitment. Saint Mark’s remains the annual training site for SSP summer team leaders.
Saint Mark’s members were also early supporters of Loaves and Fishes, founded in 1983, and continue to serve there today.
In 1992, Saint Mark’s became one of the founding congregations of Sacramento Area Congregations Together (SacACT), an interfaith organization committed to justice, healing, and community transformation.
