Biography
Mark was
born and raised in Utica, NY, and his parents have family roots in New
England. He attended Hamilton College, a small liberal arts school in
Clinton, NY and graduated with a degree in Public Policy in 1983. At
Hamilton, he played varsity basketball for four years and was voted captain of
the team his senior year. After college, Mark worked for two years as an insurance claims adjuster in Springfield, MA before enrolling in the Master of International Business program at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. The program included a six month internship in Lübeck, Germany. While in Columbia, Mark met his wife, Pat, who was working as a guidance counselor in a local school. They spent an adventurous first six months of their married life together in Germany.
Mark and Pat moved to California in 1987 following his graduation, and he
worked as a financial analyst in the computer industry in both San José and
Santa Cruz. During this time, they began attending Trinity Presbyterian
Church in Santa Cruz, and Pat was pregnant with their first child. Two weeks
before the due date, their son, William, was stillborn. The loving response
of the church supported them through that very difficult time, and through a
subsequent pregnancy. The faith and vitality of that congregation made a
large impact on Mark’s view of the church and his sense of vocation. They became involved in the church and Mark began to explore a call to ordained ministry. In the meantime, their son, Eli, was born in 1989. With the gracious support of the church The Burnhams moved to Virginia in 1990 for Mark to attend Union Theological Seminary remaining under the care of the Presbytery of San José. Upon graduation in 1993, Mark accepted a call as an Associate Pastor to the Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, a 2,000 member congregation in Tampa, FL. Their daughter, Charlotte, was born in Tampa that year. From 1995-1999 he served as Pastor and Head of Staff of the First Presbyterian Church in Selma, AL. That they would call an ex-Catholic Yankee to their pulpit tells you something about the congregation! Since 1999 Mark has served as the Senior Pastor and Head of Staff of the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, CA. Although situated in the heart of what is now known as “Silicon Valley,” Los Gatos retains some of its small-town feel. Likewise, the church ministers to a wide gamut of people— from long-time residents and retirees to those new to the area and to the faith; from seniors in the care facility next door to the children and families of their active preschool.
“These past years of change and growth would not have been possible without
the support
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