Meet Rev. Mark Claiborne

Reverend Mark Claiborne was born and raised in Frederick, MD as a member of Jackson Chapel United Methodist Church in Bartonsville, MD (now located on Ballenger Creek Pike). This was the start of his spiritual growth with a desire to serve. It was at Jackson Chapel that he became a Basic Lay Speaker and Certified Lay Servant as well as serving on many different organizations and also being a Liturgist in leading the Sunday Worship Services.

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Then around 2009, he decided through prayer to leave Jackson Chapel and join his Aunt Pastor Erma Ambush Dyson at Hopehill United Methodist Church to help with her Men’s Ministry.

It was at Hopehill UMC where he led and organized his first potato drop in 2010 in which they distributed over forty-four thousand pounds of potatoes to families in need. This is an Outreach ministry that he continues to do annually in which he helps to distribute over forty thousand pounds of potatoes all across the tri-state area feeding the hungry. From the first potato drop, he knew that his calling was to serve God’s people, to save lost souls, to build powerful relationships, to spread the gospel, and tell a dying world about the true and living God. He realized the amazing gift of God’s Grace.

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Rev. Mark also served as the Frederick District United Methodist Men’s President from 2010-2018. In 2014, he met with the Frederick District Committee of Ordained Ministry and was approved to be a candidate to become a Local Pastor. This is when he started working towards completing the requirements of becoming a Licensed Local Pastor. In September of 2016, he was blessed to be approved through D-COM as an approved candidate for Ordained Ministry.

Rev. Mark received his first appointment serving as Associate Pastor at Centennial Memorial United Methodist Church in Frederick, MD from 2016-2019. His second appointment was at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick, MD from 2019-2022 also serving as Associate Pastor. In July of 2022, he was appointed the Lead Pastor at Lewistown United Methodist Church in Thurmont, MD. It has been an absolute blessing to be the Pastor here at LUMC.

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Rev. Mark graduated from Frederick High School in Frederick, MD. He attended Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, MD where he graduated in 2011 with an Associate’s degree in Information Systems Technology. In 2012 he graduated from Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, MD with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems. In May of 2024, he graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. with a Master of Divinity degree.

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Rev. Mark is a servant of God who gets excited about the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of God’s Kingdom; he’s someone who is passionate about Christ and has developed a strong commitment to build Godly relationships through God’s message of compassionate love and hope, grace and mercy, and peace with justice.

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Rev. Mark has been married to Kerry “Honey” Claiborne for the past 30 years, and they currently reside in Hagerstown, MD. They have three beautiful grown children who have truly been a gift from God. Mark Claiborne, Jr., who graduated from the University of Maryland, currently a Software Engineer at Amtrak, and the Contemporary Musical Director at Brook Hill UMC, Makayla Claiborne who graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and is an Art Teacher at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, MD, and Makiya Claiborne who graduated from Towson University and is a Software Engineer at Peraton Corporation. They have all been very involved in various ministries in the United Methodist Church while growing up.

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Rev. Mark is excited about the opportunity of serving God’s people and willingly accepts the challenges of growing the ministry, building relationships, growing people in their faith, offering the gift of salvation, and to make disciples of Christ that will help transform the world. He leads a congregation that aspires to be a church that follows the example of Jesus Christ. He is excited about what God has been doing at LUMC knowing that the best is yet to come.