Saint Mark thrives due to the combined efforts of hardworking staff, experienced clergy, and dedicated lay leadership. These are our faithful clergy, talented staff, and frequent partners of the church, who dedicate their time to serving our Saint Mark family.
OUR CLERGY & STAFF
Rev. Dr. Paula Lewis currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta, following six impactful years as District Superintendent of the South Central District in the South Georgia Conference, during which she also oversaw the North Central and Southwest Districts. She recently served as the “interim Director” of the Wesley Foundation at Valdosta State University during a time of denominational transition.
Dr. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Community Witness from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Before entering full-time ministry, she spent seven years as a certified teacher. Her pastoral ministry has included roles as Director of Outreach and Discipleship, Children and Youth Pastor, and pastor at several United Methodist congregations across South Georgia.
Beyond the church, Dr. Lewis has been deeply involved in community service. She has served as Secretary for Hands on Thomas County, President of We Care for the Poor International (a nonprofit supporting missions in Haiti), and President of Family Promise of Tift Area, a ministry to homeless families.
Dr. Lewis is passionate about missions, spiritual formation, and helping people encounter God’s transformative love through service. She enjoys camping with her husband of 27 years, Scott, spending time with their four adult children—Mondo, Aiden, Mason, and Riley—reading, drawing, and engaging in renovation projects. Her favorite places to retreat and reflect are the mountains and the beach.
The Rev. Andy Peabody (also happily answers to Andrew)
Andy is a lifelong United Methodist. His father was the Rev Dr Joe Peabody Sr, who pastored churches in North Georgia for over 50 years, up until his death in 2020. Andy's mother, Anne Cantrell Peabody, was an educator in the public and private schools of Georgia. Andy's brother, the Rev. Joe Peabody, Jr is an ordained Elder in the North Georgia Conference.
Like many preacher's kids (PKs) Andy and his brother got used to moving as part of the itinerant system. Andy grew up in United Methodist churches from Dalton to Augusta, Athens to Roswell, and Powder Springs to Dunwoody. He attended college at Emory University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in history in 1992. After a teaching assistantship and a few years of graduate studies at the University of Georgia, Andy returned to Emory, receiving his Masters of Divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology in 1998.
Upon graduation from seminary studies, Andy served for a year as a VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America, often commonly known as "the domestic Peace Corps). He served with Urban Action (later to be renamed Action Ministries), working out of the former United Methodist Center on Ralph McGill.
In 2000, Andy began working at MUST Ministries, where he first volunteered as a teenager in the Safe Night Of Rest (SNOR) night shelter during high school. Andy served at MUST for 12 years, providing leadership for programs serving persons living in homelessness as well as individuals and families in financial crisis. While at MUST, Andy directed programs that helped provide those in need with food, clothing, shelter, education and employment assistance, and free health care. After his time with MUST, Andy served several years as the Executive Director of Rockdale Emergency Relief in Conyers.
Andy pursued candidacy for ministry in the North Georgia Conference, was commissioned in 2007, and ordained in 2011. (His candidacy mentor was the Rev. Jimmy Moor - former senior pastor at St. Mark.) Andy is a member of the Order of Deacons, which means that his primary calling is to lead the church in the areas of Word, Service, Justice and Compassionate Ministries.
He has served on the Executive Committee for the Order of Deacons, as well as teams of the annual conference such as the Committee on Persons Living in Poverty, the Advocacy Team, and the Refugee/Resettlement Team. He was part of the inaugural Racial Justice and Healing Academy cohort in North Georgia.
For the past 18 months Andy answered a missional call of the cabinet to serve as pastor in charge of a UMC congregation - a church which elected to disaffiliate from the connection this past December.
Andy describes himself on his social media page as follows.
A Son, Brother, and Friend.
A Minister, Advocate, and Activist.
An aspiring Scholar, Musician, and Peacemaker.
Andy is a two-time cancer and chemotherapy survivor who is looking to celebrate in 2025 5 yrs since his last indication of cancer. He is happy to share with all of us that he currently participates in hemodialysis 3 times each week as he works towards and hopes for an eventual kidney transplant.
Andy uses he/him pronouns.
He is excited to be joining St. Mark United Methodist Church!
Rev. Charlotte Crofton was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois and grew up at Springfield First United Methodist Church. Charlotte is a middle sibling, with an older and younger brother. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois in May of 2020 with majors in Religion, Music, and Psychology.
While at Illinois College, Charlotte was a member of the Women’s Soccer team and received All-American honors her senior year. She was also involved in countless vocal and instrumental ensembles and is a talented percussionist.
After graduating from college, Charlotte moved to Atlanta and attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University. While attending Candler, Charlotte worked part-time at Dunwoody United Methodist Church first as a Pastoral Intern, then as a Pastoral Resident. Charlotte’s responsibilities spanned over all ministry contexts, spanning from Children’s Ministry to leading worship to pastoral care and visitation. While at Dunwoody, Charlotte created the Pastoral Residency Program, a three-year program that works alongside Candler’s Contextual Education Programs which allows for seminarians to apply what they are learning in the classroom to practical experiences within the local church.
After graduating from Candler School of Theology, in May of 2023 with a Master of Divinity degree, Charlotte served full-time at Dunwoody United Methodist Church as Minister of Community Outreach, while completing paperwork for and interviewing with the Board of Ordained Ministry. As Minister of Community Outreach, Charlotte worked with, supported, and envisioned with ministry areas about how the church and those ministry areas might come to understand and meet the need of those in and around the community of Dunwoody.
Charlotte was commissioned as an Elder in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church in June 2024.
Charlotte is passionate about ushering in the Kingdom, and kindom, of God, every day. Further, Charlotte cares deeply about all persons coming to understand their identity in God and that they are claimed and called by God in everlasting and abundant love. At the end of each day, Charlotte reflects on the question: Did my words, my actions, and my life reveal Christ today?
You will often find Charlotte referencing to her grandmother (Grammy), her mother (known to everyone as Mom), her brother (Mitch), and Mitch’s yellow lab (Biscuit).
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Madi Dunn (she/her) is a North Georgia native who has recently moved back to the Metro Atlanta area after receiving a B.A. in Religion from Mercer University in 2020. During college, Madi began discerning a call to ministry that led her to study at the Candler School of Theology, where she is currently a second-year student pursuing a Master of Divinity degree. Madi loves working in ministry with children, as well as coloring outside the lines and finding any opportunity to laugh. Outside of classes, Madi also enjoys reading for fun, as well as baking, and cuddling with her large elderly fur baby, Beastie (Beastie’s hobbies include snoring like a beast).
Youth Minister
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Nick Joslin is a conductor, organist, and pianist with a diverse musical background. He has pursued extensive education in music, earning a Bachelor of Music in Piano and Vocal Performance from William Carey University and a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano and Choral Conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi. During his time at the University of Southern Mississippi, Nick Joslin had the opportunity to work with several renowned musicians and ensembles. He sang with the Southern Chorale and served as an assistant conductor under Dr. Gregory Fuller. He also held roles as an assistant conductor and pianist for the Southern Miss Concert Choir and the Gulf Coast Civic Chorale, both under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan Kilgore.
Joslin's expertise as a collaborative pianist has taken him to international music festivals, including the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, and the International Performing Arts Institute in Fairhope. These experiences allowed him to participate in masterclasses with distinguished musicians such as Barbara Bonney, Bo Skovhus, Andrew Campbell, and Gary Matthewman. In addition to his work accompanying and coaching vocal repertoire, Joslin has a strong background in chamber music. He has studied piano with Alicia Dubose, Dr. Brian Murphy, Dr. Timothy Hokeman, and Dr. Michael Bunchman.
His journey in sacred music began with his involvement in the Music Ministry of the First Baptist Church of Minden, where he worked with Todd and Alicia DuBose. After relocating to Hattiesburg, he expanded his involvement by playing the organ and piano at Petal Presbyterian Church. In 2018, he took on the role of director at Petal Presbyterian Church, where he conducted choral-orchestral events, including performances of Gabriel Fauré's Requiem. Nick later served Church of the Holy Trinity in Vicksburg, MS as Organist Choirmaster and Director of the Conservatory of the Fine Arts. He currently serves as Director of Fine Arts at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta, GA.
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Deana is in charge of financial records and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds. Deana can answer your questions about your giving record, memorial gifts, and other building or finance related issues.
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Johnny is originally from Alabama and a graduate of The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He has been working in the Information Technology industry since 1984. In 2010, he started his own consulting firm Techiebud, LLC. Since the pandemic, Johnny has branched out into the multimedia field and has been instrumental in helping create and maintain the live-stream broadcast of the church's weekly worship service.
One of Johnny's favorite pastime activities is playing frisbee with his two Border Collies. He also enjoys taking vacation cruises when he can.
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Matthew is an entrepreneur and art lover from Houston. Matthew co-founded a real estate consulting business that connects investors with professional lenders.
Fun fact—he appeared in POWER (Season 2, Episode 10) on STARZ!
He’s honored to bring his skills to Saint Mark and looks forward to using technology to grow our online presence and highlight the love, acceptance, and service that define our church.
Dale Becker
Church Chef
(he/him)
Terry Oxner
Church Custodian
(he/him)
Elders in Residence
Rev. Steve Fazenbaker
Retired Elder in Full Connection
North Georgia Annual Conference
(he/him)
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Steve Fazenbaker (BEE ’86, MSEE ’88) is a Program Director in the Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being at Georgia Tech, overseeing the STAR Network. STAR (Students’ Temporary Assets and Resources) is a network of programs dedicated to connecting students with everything they need to thrive and flourish during their time at Georgia Tech. Students who are food under-resourced, housing under-resourced, experiencing a financial crisis, or in need of other resources are served by the STAR Network.
Steve holds two degrees from Georgia Tech (BEE ’86, MSEE ’88), and a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University. He also pursued advanced studies in Science and Theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. His passion for facilitating discussions across the disciplines of Religion, Ethics, Science, and Technology has led him to his current work addressing experiences of abundance and scarcity – an issue that impacts, and is impacted by, each of these disciplines.
Rev. Dr. Brett Opalinski
Elder In Full Connection
Florida Annual Conference
(he/him)
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The Rev. Dr. Brett Opalinski is an ordained United Methodist Elder from the Florida Annual Conference. He has served in local churches for over twenty years, as well as chaired the Board of Ordained Ministry for the Florida Annual Conference. He is a Candler graduate (98T) and has a Ph.D. in New Testament and Early Christianity from Iliff School of Theology/University of Denver. He has been a long time social-justice and civil rights advocate working in issues related to anti-racism, LGBTQ+ rights, poverty, and criminal justice reform and is committed to helping local churches (and the General Church) engage the world in a way that makes the Kingdom of God visible.
Currently, Dr. Opalinski is the Assistant Dean of Methodist Studies, Assistant Professor in the Practice of Spiritual Formation and Church Leadership at Emory University Candler School of Theology.
His research interests include Methodist history/theology, Monasticism, Celtic Christianity, Contemplative Spirituality, and New Monastic expressions of church community.