Pastor Mark Koonz is a graduate of Concordia University (formerly Christ College Irvine) and Princeton Theological Seminary (1990).  He did additional studies at Wartburg Theological Seminary.  His previous experience included campus ministry work at Princeton University through Lutheran Church of the Messiah (LCMS); a one year chaplaincy training at a prison for boys in New Jersey; a one-year pastorate in Kansas; a ten year pastorate in Opheim, Montana, where he had a radio ministry "Light for Life" for two and a half years (KCGM, Scobey), which was primarily a verse by verse exposition of biblical passages.  Mark also served one term on the Montana Synod Council of the ELCA.  Currently he is affiliated with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).

Pastor Mark's interests include walking in the country, painting landscapes, getting together with friends, travel, and reading. He is the primary author and editor of a book of Christian reflection on suicide, intended as a handbook for preachers facing this type of tragic funeral.  The book is Suicide and the God of Grace (Wipf and Stock, 2025), now available as a kindle book on Amazon. 

The handful of short papers included under Resources are not polished, just samples of weekly handouts in adult Bible classes, not academic publications.  These are meant to be very basic discussion starters. Theology is learned in ten thousand conversations. Personal and communal explorations are never done, a vital part of the Christian life.