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Biography for Mark Gedicks
Pastor of Preaching and Equipping
Mark came to the church as the associate pastor with a passion for youth ministry
in October of 1996. Now we can’t get rid of him.
Born in 1969, he grew up in a Christian home with faithful, loving parents
who encouraged him to live ministry. Rumney Bible Conference gave him a place
to exercise his gifts through high school and college. Mark graduated from Liberty
University in 1991 with a B.S. in Business Marketing; that would be of little
consequence just one month later. You see, just before he graduated, he began
to feel God’s calling on his life to serve in the church instead of a Fortune
500. When he shared this with the men on his lacrosse team they replied, “Yeah,
we know. We’ve been praying God would make you a pastor for about a year
now.”
God opened a position for Mark at Calvary Church in West Hartford, CT where
he spent five years under the tutelage of Rev. Carl Abrahamsen. While there he
completed his M. Div. (Seminary of the East), ministered with some of the most
wonderful people in the world, and found an excellent wife – Tracy.
To follow His leading, Mark and Tracy moved to Windham, Me in 1996, to serve
under Rev. Roger Blundell as associate pastor. Here he worked with many next generation
leaders, exhorting them to deeply love Jesus, care for His people, and go anywhere
in the world to share His message. In February 2005, Windham Baptist Church called
Mark to be the lead pastor.
Mark loves his wife, and his two children - Kaitlyn (born in 2001) and Mark
Jr. (born in 2003). He likes to fish, loves Taco Bell, and makes archtop jazz
guitars for a hobby.
Mark’s personal mission statement? “I live and breathe and have
my being Soli Deo Gloria; as the well-spring of eternal and abundant life my deepest
longings are satisfied in Him alone. Therefore, I drink long and deep and often;
this overflows into a fountain of love for my wife and family, while creating
an insatiable desire to glorify God through my relationships, my ministry, my
community and my world in such a way that others will quench their thirsts in
Him.”
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Biography of Josh Otte
Pastor of Corporate Worship and Mission
Originally, Josh came from his mother, late in April 1979. After that he grew
up in Rhode Island until he was about nine, but then his parents moved to Maine.
He has lived here ever since (except for three years of exile in Massachusetts).
As a teenager, he fell in love with music and the word of God. His friends
knew something wasn’t quite right with him when they discovered he was reading
commentaries and Spurgeon’s sermons just for fun! Having virtually grown
up in the church and fooling everyone around him into thinking that he was a “good
little Christian boy” God proved otherwise. When he was 14 God rescued Josh
from self-righteousness and gave him new life by his Holy Spirit.
Just after high school graduation, Josh started attending Fayette Baptist Church
and serving on the music team. There he learned what God’s grace really
entailed, unlearned a lot of foolish legalism, and was encouraged by my pastor/friend/mentor
Russ Cotnoir to consider getting some biblical training at New England Bible College.
During those four years at NEBC, Josh served as the youth and music director at
First Baptist Church of South Portland, married Heidi (the love of his life),
actually graduated from college, and figured out that I needed some more education
to do ministry well.
So, he spent the next three years in exile at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
While at seminary, Josh and Heidi’s view of God’s mission for his
people was deepened theologically, expanded globally, and confirmed personally.
Josh and Heidi moved back to Maine in July 2005 to serve as the associate pastor
at Windham Baptist Church. Here at WBC, Josh has the unique opportunity of serving
alongside of his best friend and mentor of the past 7 years, Mark Gedicks. Overseeing
corporate worship, Josh desires that our times of gathered worship fuel lives
of worship expressed in faithful ministry to one another and missional living
in the world. He also assists Mark with preaching, regularly teaches Sunday School
classes, and leads the mission team.
In addition to his ministry at WBC, Josh also teaches as an adjunct instructor
at New England Bible College. Hiking, playing guitar, reading J.R.R. Tolkien,
studying biblical theology, and building furniture are a few of Josh’s favorite
hobbies.
The Ottes love their son, Zechariah, and are learning all of the joys and challenges
of being parents.
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Elders: Scott Burke, Don Carrier, and Joel Lloyd
Deacons: Matt Carrier and Tim Irish
Youth Leader: Matt Dyer
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